A group of Shuswap farmers in Turtle Valley near Chase have filed lawsuits against BC Timber Sales (BCTS) in an effort to protect their drinking water.

The Upper Chum Creek Water Users Association, as well as impacted farmers Christine and Scott Adderson and Hillary and John McNolty, have filed a judicial review petition and notices of civil claim in supreme court to try and stop the BCTS' planned auction of four cut blocks in the Skimikin and Ptarmigan Hills.

"We are calling on the province of B.C. to halt the planned timber sale," the group's lawyer Ben Isitt said in a media release. "BC TImber Sales is recklessly proposing large-scale clearcut logging 450 metres uphill from the Adderson and McNolty farms and drinking water sources. The Minister of Forests and the court need to step in, do the right thing, and protect these licensed water sources."

On Dec. 20, 2024, BCTS listed the four cut blocks for auction, with the area containing 46 hectares of old growth and mature Douglas fir and Western red cedar forest, and 4.4 kilometres of new logging roads. Bids close on Jan. 15, but impacted water users hope to halt the process through legal action after trying for over a year to have BCTS complete a hydrologic assessment of the proposed logging.

"The Upper Chum Creek water users urged BCTS to properly study hydrologic impacts of the logging on their licensed drinking water sources," Isitt said. "BCTS unfortunately refused, which left the water users with no choice but to take legal action against the province in order to halt the auction and protect their drinking water sources."

The group has additional concerns regarding impacts on wildlife, increased fire hazards and impacts on cultural use by the Secw茅pemc people, and are taking steps to expedite the hearing of the judicial review petition.