Bill Jones says protesters will minimize activity, but stay until until logging ceases
A Pacheedaht First Nation elder has responded to a call made Monday by the elected Pacheedaht chief requesting all protesters to leave the Fairy Creek area, citing a risk of wildfires.
Bill Jones politely said the protesters would only reduce their presence in the forest if logging stops and the RCMP agree to refrain from enforcement during fire season.
“We are now strategizing to streamline our camps and reduce our ground crews to a minimal presence, enough to keep watch on both the forest and the camps. We will maintain this minimal presence until Teal Jones returns once again to the forests to clear cut them at the earliest opportunity,” he said in a statement shared by the Rainforest Flying Squad.
Jones went on to say he agrees with elected chief Jeff Jones’ concern about safety both for people and the forest.
“We are developing a wildfire protocol, which will ban all campfires, reduce the opportunity for sparks and ensure we have the appropriate firefighting equipment at hand.”
But he pushed back against chief Jones’ claim that old-growth logging in the area has been deferred as of the tripartite request on June 7.
“I would respectfully remind you that the recent NDP government deferrals in the Fairy Creek and Walbran areas do not include any of the stands of old-growth forest we are currently protecting,” the elder Jones said.
Read the full article here: https://www.sookenewsmirror.com/news/pacheedaht-elder-politely-refuses-first-nations-request-to-leave-fairy-creek/
