Provincial Direction Has Led To Unprecedented Uncertainty
BRITISH COLUMBIA – Real dialogue and consultation with the provincial government over NDP forest policy tops the list of priorities at this week’s Truck Loggers Association (TLA) convention this Wednesday and Thursday in Vancouver.
The TLA plans to initiate the “long overdue dialogue through a series of virtual sessions with industry representatives offering a broad spectrum of viewpoints”, a TLA press release states. It will include a series of speakers and sessions to address the “harsh reality and implications of sweeping forest policy changes by the BC government, and options to move the sector forward.”
Bob Brash, Executive Director of the TLA, notes “Government’s policy directions and decisions have set in motion an unprecedented level of uncertainty and concern among the thousands of hard-working men and women in our sector. A decision to defer 2.6 million hectares of old growth came without meaningful consultation, followed by government fast tracking legislation – giving Cabinet sweeping authority to redistribute tenures and unilaterally determine compensation rights of the affected parties – warrants the very discussions to be held during these virtual sessions.”
The TLA has called for meaningful collaboration among all key stakeholders for a number of months, including First Nations, community groups, licensees, and non-government organizations. The Association has suggested there is an opportunity for a collective vision for forestry that addresses society’s expectations of BC’s forest-management while ensuring decision-making is informed with a true understanding of the issues and the consequences.
Attending delegates will learn about the impact on BC’s market and investment climate. They will hear about the merits and implications of the changes from industry representatives, including Charlene Higgins of the BC First Nations Forestry Council, Susan Yurkovich from the BC Council of Forest Industries, along with Gerry Merkel, Co-Chair of the Old Growth Strategic Review Panel and Chair or the Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel, and officials from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.
