Committee fighting to save Northern Peninsula pristine wilderness area for future generations

RODDICKTON - Saving "The Tickles" estuaries on the Northern Peninsula is no laughing matter.

In fact, the committee formed for its preservation says the Department of Natural Resource's five-year forest operating plan (2008-2012) would come at the detriment to this pristine area.

Area residents expressed their opposition to the plan for the Crown District 18 that would lead to clear cutting and road construction through this "untouched" land.

When the department released the plan from environmental assessment on Jan. 10, Charlene Johnson, the minister, announced a two-year suspension of forest harvesting activities for the area in the proposed expansion to the Cloud River Study area of the Natural Areas System Plan, which is known as Horsechops.

Also, the minister said harvesting activities would not proceed in the remainder of the operating area, including The Tickles, until forestry officials consulted with local stakeholders and submitted a recommendation to her within 120 days.

Johnson acknowledged the deferment was because of the concerns raised by the area residents.

"It was a concern raised," Johnson told The Western Star on Friday. "I received a petition and numerous letters from residents that didn't want to see this area harvested. This process is all about having public input into it.Given there was a timeline for me to sign off on the environmental assessment process - you wouldn't want to hold up all the other operators out there where there wasn't areas of conflict - I signed off on those and just deferred this.

"That gives the opportunity to explore this further."

When the report is completed, Johnson will make a final decision.

Meanwhile, local stakeholders remain adamant about putting a stop to operations in this area.

Shane Pilgrim, a member of the preservation committee, is encouraged by the consideration the minister has given to their concerns. He hopes the opposition and the support they have garnered leads to the decline of the harvesting plan there.

"It has to be left untouched from this rape and pillage from forest harvesting and road constructions," he said.

"We have to have areas left untouched, and this is the last place we have like it on this side of the Northern Peninsula.

"We feel it has to be saved for the grandchildren that some of us don't even have yet. Future generations need to be able to see the pristine wilderness, to see the things that should never be touched by man."

It is a popular location for activities like boating, fishing and snowmobiling.

Given the declining caribou herds in the province, this wintering and calving ground must continue to be protected, he said.

"The construction of forest access roads and the cutting of the last old growth trees would drive the caribou from this area and it would disrupt their calving, destroy the spruce lichens and eventually The Tickles caribou herd would be regrettably non-existent," Pilgrim said.

He said the area also has an abundance of both game and song birds, including nesting waterfowl and eagles and osprey.

Meanwhile, Corner Brook's Gord Casey, a native of Conche, has recognized the effort and is doing his part to garner support for its preservation.

"We sometimes have to stop and take a long and hard calculated look at the consequences of our actions in dealing with environmental issues," he said.

"Not every tree which grows in this province is meant to be harvested. There are numerous other means of utilizing our forest resources and providing employment, without having to destroy them. If as a society, we continue on a path of a seek-and-destroy mentality towards all of our natural resources, we will leave behind a legacy for our children and our grandchildren which we will have absolutely no reason to be proud of."

Pilgrim said the committee is calling for an independent review of the plan, including independent consultations and an environmental impact study.


The Tickles has it all when it comes to unspoiled Newfoundland wilderness:

- The Tickles is inland from the Atlantic Ocean for about 10 kilometers via Chimney Bay, and is located west of the town of Roddickton.

- It has a sporadic array of ponds and lakes scattered across the area that are connected to the salt water. The majority of this area contains delicate estuary waters where the Cloud River, Northwest River and Crooked Brook merge with the Atlantic Ocean water within an extensive series of coves and inlets. Mixing of this fresh and salt water creates a unique environment that teems with life of all kinds.

- This estuary gathers and holds an abundance of life-giving nutrients from the land and ocean, forming an ecosystem that is rich in biodiversity. However, because of the many fresh water rivers and streams, these ponds and lakes have a mixture of both fresh and salt water and, when the tide rises, the ponds become saturated with salt water. When the tide is rising, one can see the reversing tides as the tidal salt water pushes its force onto the fresh waters of the Cloud River and into Double Tickle Rattle and Shoal Pond where the two waters meet into a swirling current that is a sight to behold.

- The area known as The Tickles is a pristine wilderness area that hosts a variety of native wildlife. This sensitive habitat is home to numerous species, including the woodland caribou, black bears, moose, fox, lynx, mink, weasels, beavers, otters, seals, muskrats, snowshoe and arctic hare, arctic cod, salmon, arctic char, brook trout, sea trout, bald eagles, ospreys, migratory birds, insects, and a multitude of rare plants.

- In addition to supporting wildlife, The Tickles complements recreational fishing, boating and tourism in this area. Estuaries such as this are also important to quality of life and health for reasons other than employment, healthy economies and recreational opportunities. It serves as a focal point for community life and many traditions of the local people. Furthermore, the area protects water quality and may even have potential as a centre for research and education.

Source: The Committee for the Preservation of The Tickles Estuaries