Protesters hope to stop 460-hectare harvest of forest in Crowsnest Pass

A small group of protesters in the Crows Nest Pass are trying to stop the clear-cutting of 460 hectares of forest. The old-growth forest is what preserves the water. It regulates how fast the water comes down. The province approved West Fraser's application for the harvest. These sections in red are the proposed clear-cut areas. They're on the eastern slopes of Mount Tecumseh, not far from the B.C. border. This is an outrage on our landscape. Mike Judd faced off against police last month. The RCMP were armed with a court injunction. West Fraser obtained it from a Calgary judge. It says no one can obstruct, interrupt or disturb the company's logging operations in the Allison Creek area. It gives police the power to arrest or remove anyone who contravenes it. We're, like I said, non-violent and peaceful. We're just here to occupy the land and slow down the progression of this clear-cut. It could be up to a year. Colin Smith is one of the people directly named in the order. There's a silent majority of Albertans that understand that the ecosystems that give this place life, that produce the water. The group set up camp six weeks ago, a mix of locals and First Nation members. Some stay overnight. It's a public recreation area, and they're allowed to be here. Bulldozing this pathway. But not here. These trees have been cleared for a new logging road and bridge over Allison Creek. West Fraser needs them to access the logging sites, but the work has stalled. The company declined an interview request but in a statement said it's committed to undertaking the work to the highest environmental standards and in accordance with all regulatory requirements. It says a study it commissioned shows the harvest will have a minimal hydrological impact on the Allison Creek area and predicts relatively small changes in stream flow. The province says the logging plan is part of a program to keep communities safe from the risk of wildfire and it says the Allison Creek region ...has been identified as a priority. Mostly focused on the spruce and pine, which is the most highly volatile. So that's done in order to help protect the community if a wildfire comes along. That fire won't be able to move as fast or as high without that fuel on the landscape. Saying that it's going to be good for the communities for fires and all that is not true. It's a big 60-foot span. They say delaying the bridge installation has put off logging for weeks. The group says it successfully turned West Fraser away four times, the latest on Friday. West Fraser says its crews were unable to access the site because of the protesters. The company has said it intends to start logging this fall and winter. Brian Labby, CBC News, in the Crows Nest Pass.