Laura Vara-Augustine offered reporters a tour of logging activities behind her Cedar home near Cable Bay Tral. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

Outrage in Cedar

Cedar residents angered by logging near Cable Bay, RDN responds

Mar 17, 2021 | 5:31 AM

NANAIMO — Logging private land south of Nanaimo shifted into a public display of anger from area residents.

A development permit issued by the Regional District of Nanaimo allowed most of a nearly 100 acre forested lot to be logged west of the prized Cable Bay Trail.

Area resident Laura Vara-Augustine acknowledged logging the site is fair game, but questioned tactics used by contractors.

She’s concerned logging is occurring too close to a stream behind her Cedar Heights Cres. home.

“I called the RDN, I called all my neighbours that I could, I was just trying to find information but no one gave us any notice, no one let us know what they were actually doing or what order things would be happening in.”

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Vara-Augustine said she received a letter from the contractor two days after logging had begun.

The RDN’s general manager of strategic and community development Geoff Garbutt said the applicant submitted detailed plans, including surveying and harvesting plans, along with assessments on drainage and erosion control from a professional engineer.

“The model for these development permit areas are professional reports and the conditions related to these development permit are based on those reports.”

The plan includes areas where logging can occur and no-go zones.

The property owner must submit a post-work survey by a registered biologist to ensure the job was done properly, Garbutt said.

He said no actions contrary to their development permit rules had been breached as of Tuesday afternoon.

“They have stayed out of sensitive areas,” Garbutt said, who noted 25 acres of the property cannot be logged.

Garbutt said RDN staff attended the site multiple times during and after logging activities.

According to the RDN issued permit, falling at the site had to be completed by Monday, March 15 in order to comply with a bird nesting window in place.

Garbutt said allegations of B.C. Wildlife Act infractions were forwarded by the RDN to the provincial government.

Garbutt said crews can remove fallen trees from the site, but can no longer log the area.

Logging at the property led to recent protests at the City of Nanaimo’s Cable Bay Trail. A security guard had a visible presence in the area recently.

An online petition lobbying the RDN to buy the property garnered nearly 12,000 signatures.

The rurally zoned property can be used for several purposes, including agriculture, aquaculture and home based businesses.

NanaimoNewsNOW has yet to hear back from an agent for the property to hear what potential development plans are.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes