Twin Islands' owner says protesters spreading liesBy QUENTIN DODD
Courier-lslander Reporter Feb. 5, 1998
The owner of Twin Islands accused Cortes Islanders of spreading "lies and misinformation" about him and his logging on the two islands.
Mike Jenks charged Wednesday that the island's forestry committee was responsible for his loggers being asked to leave one of the island's motels and for the Klahoose native band withdrawing its taxi service to them.
The accusation has been rejected by a committee representative, who said last week any pressure had come from others on Cortes.
On Tuesday, residents of a number of nearby islands staged a protest at Garden Bay on the southern island.
Twins Islands, just off the south end of Cortes Island, were previously owned by a relative of Britain's royal family. The Queen and Prince Phillip relaxed on the islands during a 1986 tour of British Columbia.
Jenks, meanwhile, said cooperation is a two-way street and there's little coming out of Cortes. Because of that, he has no plans to meet with the committee or the community to discuss his plans.
"Why would I cooperate with a community like that?" he said.
Jenks said among the lies is that he is clearcutting, that there's large amounts of old growth on the island, that he's been offered as much as $16 million for the property, and that the south island has been logged to the water's edge.
"I don't think they're capable of saying the truth," he said. "They use misstatements and untruths and lies to promote their cause. I have no time for that. I have no desire to get into discussions about what's right and wrong with the logging practices, because I know I'm not going to change their mind and and they're not going to change mine."
"I'm prepared to let them have their opinion but they're not prepared to let me have mine."
Jenks said he plans to take about 70 per cent of the timber on Twin Islands, leaving the hard woods, the maple, alder, pine hem lock and balsam and taking only the fir and cedar. Eagle trees will be left standing.
Jenks expects the work to be completed within a year.
"The only old growth is eagle trees that have been left from the previous logging," he said.
"That island was completely denuded in the early 1900s. Every inch of that island was logged. It's all second-growth and in some cases third growth."
Jenks said he has never received a single offer of any kind to buy
I him out, but he would be open to any reasonable offer.
He said, he's coping with "an economic reality" in providing as many as 100 jobs directly and indi rectly in some hard economic times.
Asked about eventual plans, he I said he intends to create a residential subdivision on the islands, although he has no idea of how many homes there would be. The islands are zoned for a maximum housing density of one dwelling per 10 acres.
Jenks said he has no plans at present for the main lodge.
Jenks said, however, that he doubts there can be any healing of the rift between him and Cortes Islanders.
"When you kick me I kick back. It's like cooperation," he said. "It works both ways."
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