By Cheryl Jahn

More calls to halt forestry deferrals

Jan 20, 2022 | 3:58 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It was Day One of the Natural Resources Forum and the Chief of the Lheidli T’enneh used the venue to express concern over a new policy introduced by the government in November. After months of protests on Vancouver Island over the harvest of old-growth forest in Southern Vancouver Island, the Province announced plans to defer 2.6 million hectares of growth from various locations across BC.

Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan stated that, while she supports the idea of protecting old-growth, she isn’t happy with how it has been handled.

“We were informed that we had 30 days in which to respond. Since when did 30 days be significant enough to study a comprehensive new forest initiative and provide meaningful feedback?”

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The District of McBride manages a working community forest which is part of the community’s annual revenue stream. In a letter sent to the Province, the village Council wrote to the Province stating “… the recently announced harvest restrictions may impact as much as half of the harvestable area for our local community forest, which will require a more regional and local approach to the potentially devastating impacts that this announcement will have on our community.”

“So what we’re looking at right now, unless we get that turned around, we lose our two post and rail plants,” explains Gene Runtz, Mayor of McBride and Registered Professional Forester. “Valemount loses its cedar/post and rail plant and Gilbert Smith down in Barriere? They lose their operation completely.

He explains what he and his fellow councillors would like to see.

“What I’m hoping that they do, with the deferrals is I hope that they drop them as they’ve been presented and they start over and they put a group together that would include industry. It would include government. It would include municipalities. It would include First Nations.”

In the meantime, chief logan notes that many people within the Lheidli T’enneh work in the forest sector.

“I for one would like to see the forest management plan support moose and other ungulates as well as to provide trees and to make lumber and pulp and other forest products. What isn’t a good idea is the unrealistic process being used to guide this matter.”

And she has a suggestion for what should happen now

“Let’s reset and determine a reasonable process to achieve progress in this matter. Let’s restart by working together as First Nations, industry, and other stakeholders to develop local old-growth management plans that work for everyone.