High River council got to hear from a group fighting against clear cutting in the Highwood Pass area at Monday's council meeting.

The group Take A Stand For The Highwood wants the Government to place an immediate moratorium on logging of the hillsides and valley bottom around Highwood Junction where highways 40 and 940 meet

They point out the future of endangered cutthroat trout, grizzlies, wolves and cougars, as well as their ability to hike, camp, hunt and trap in the region are under threat.

British Columbia-based Balcaen Consolidated plans to clear nearly 800 acres of timber in the region.

Ann Cadrin from the Diamond Willow Hiking Club and Take A Stand For The Highwood says Forestry Minister Oneil Carlier said in a letter to the group; the Government believes the logging companies can police themselves to which she replied "The fox is in the henhouse".

Another member of the group, Vic Bond didn't totally agree.

"He may be at the door, I would say right now in the upper Highwood, and we still have time to shut that door," Bond says.

"With climate change we're all wondering what's around the corner for us, we're experiencing one of the driest years in history right now but what's next, one of the wettest year's in history to make up for this?" Vond says.

He says the effect of this decision just isn't known and so to take this decision and harvest these trees in the critical headwaters area and not really understand the effects until a full environmental study is done would be wrong.

Council decided to join other local municipalities, including Okotoks, Black Diamond, Turner Valley and Longview in asking the Province to stop the logging until a full environmental review can be done on potential impacts on High River and other downstream users.

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