Protesters say no to logging in Ghost watershed area

Protesters picketed against logging in the Ghost watershed on Saturday.

Protesters lined Highway 1A in the South Ghost area on Saturday to protest clear cut logging.

The logging has been going on in the area that protesters say is a sensitive watershed. They say clear cutting increases the risk of serious flood, like the one that ravaged Calgary and area in 2013.

“We’ve been so devastated by the flood in Bragg Creek and so we know what logging upstream can do and we know that these areas that are clear cut can actually hold a lot of snow and that means runoff really, really fast.” said one protester.

Protesters are also concerned about erosion, which can affect water quality. They say mitigation efforts by the forestry companies are ineffective.

“This practice was banned in Europe decades ago, plus the companies don’t reforest, so when they clear cut an area, that’s it.” said former Calgary-Varsity MLA Harry Chase.

The forestry company, Spray Lakes Sawmills, has said that their timber harvesting does not impact the risk of flooding.