A week ago, as I was preparing to write a frothy, frivolous and
flaky column, I received an email that changed the whole agenda. To say I
was stunned, horrified, shaken to the core, would be understatements.
The message was from Jamie Simpson, a forestry expert who works for the
Ecology Action Centre (EAC), a respected environmental NGO.
Jamie Simpson, Forestry Program Coordinator, Ecology Action Centre: “In my time as a forester, I have never seen such destructive forestry. Not to be overly dramatic, but the scene was amazingly horrific for anyone who values our native forest. Not only was the forest cover completely removed, but even the forest floor was destroyed over most of the harvest area.” Jamie Simpson photo
He had actually been invited to tour Northern Pulp's "sustainable" harvesting operation in Upper Musquodoboit, probably because EAC has been mildly critical of the biomass energy agenda. He was not prepared for what he saw and photographed. Nor was I. In my youth I was employed for many summers in the forestry sector. I have walked through clear cuts, and I have flown over them in a small plane. I have seen some awful forestry practices and some good ones. But never have I seen such a scene of total, awful devastation as in the Upper Musquodoboit site. Simpson remarked also that he had never as a professional forester seen such destruction. Not only the trees were removed, but even the forest floor. Nothing remained except a wasteland of mud.
