It’s time to get serious about the crisis in BC forests

Community dialogue sessions planned for key BC forest communities

When you talk to British Columbians about the crisis in BC forests, you often receive one of two responses. People in Metro Vancouver may ask, ‘what forestry crisis’?

But people living in resource-dependent communities – like the Kootenays, the Interior or Vancouver Island – know exactly what you mean. They’ve borne the brunt of an economy and government policies that have eliminated tens of thousands of forest jobs.

However, to hear Minister of Forests, Mines and Lands Pat Bell tell it, BC’s forest  industry couldn’t be doing better: “The industry is back, it is an incredible success,” Bell said in a mid-December article, heralding a “great new era” for BC forest communities.

What minister Bell doesn’t tell you is, that forest sector revenue has plunged to just $387 million in 2009-10, from $1.34 billion in 2001.

BC raw log exports have more than doubled in the past 10 years. In Port Alberni, raw log exports were up 65 per cent in 2009 (456,000 tonnes) over the previous year, compared to just 80,000 tonnes of lumber exports.

The real impact has come from more than 70 mill closures, after the BC government dropped the requirement to process wood in local communities. More than 40,000 forest jobs have been lost since 2001.

The public service has been ravaged by massive cuts, especially to resource ministries. More than 1000 forest service jobs were eliminated since 2002 in key areas like compliance and enforcement and research. The BC Liberal government has  dismantled ministries and allowed forest companies to effectively regulate themselves.

After nine years of neglect, resource communities can’t afford to stand by any longer.  The BCGEU is taking a leadership role – by engaging community leaders from municipal governments, forest labour unions, environment and non-profit groups in a series of community dialogues in four key resource communities.

We will discuss the current crisis in BC forests and generate ideas for positive solutions that bring economic benefits to resource communities, and ensure responsible stewardship of our public forests and waterways.

The first session is being held in Castlegar on January 26. I will also meet with BCGEU forest service members in the region to hear their views on BC forests. Information from the sessions will help form a comprehensive forest policy document, to stimulate debate on revitalizing BC’s forest sector.

You can also have your views heard, by visiting the ‘BC Forests. Our Future.’ web site, and submit your ideas online to key BC government ministers.

Let's make our public forests work for all British Columbians.