This page contains annotated news stories and press releases with commentary about land reform and the democratic process in British Columbia. Our comments are shown in red.
Based on the Auditor General Report we are asking for:
A reversal of the TFL deletion decision
A halt to Western Forest Products Subdivision Applications
A full Public Hearing on Western Forest Products Subdivison Applications
It is within the provinces ability to do so, and based on this report they need to engage the public in these land transfer decisions.
To view the report go to: http://www.bcauditor.com/include/view_file.asp?id=18&type=publication
To Find out how you can help go to: http://www.savejordanriver.com
A reversal of the TFL deletion decision
A halt to Western Forest Products Subdivision Applications
A full Public Hearing on Western Forest Products Subdivison Applications
It is within the provinces ability to do so, and based on this report they need to engage the public in these land transfer decisions.
To view the report go to: http://www.bcauditor.com/include/view_file.asp?id=18&type=publication
To Find out how you can help go to: http://www.savejordanriver.com
Critics call for reversal of TFL deal
UVic prof urges halt to subdivision plans, land transfer
Jul 17, 2008
By Judith Lavoie
<jlavoie@tc.canwest.com>
A judicial review is needed in the wake of the auditor general's report that blasts the way government dealt with private land removals from Vancouver Island tree farm licences, says Calvin Sandborn, legal director of the University of Victoria's environmental law clinic.
The public needs government to tell them why they are not getting parks or compensation, he said.
"We need to get them in front of a judge and ask them why the TFL system in B.C. has been dismantled without regard for the public interest," said Sandborn, whose submission to auditor general John Doyle helped spark the review.
Sandborn said the first step should be for government to kill Western Forest Products' application for 319 acreages on the lands west of Sooke. Also, the private land deletions need to be reversed, he said.
Maurita Prato of the Dogwood Initiative echoed the call.
"The decision has to be rescinded and the WFP subdivision application halted," she said.
The CRD, which took the controversial step of rezoning forestry and resource land on the southwest corner of Vancouver Island to 120-hectare minimum lot size, is applauding Doyle's report, which board chairwoman Denise Blackwell says supports the CRD position.
"I am hopeful that this report will bode well for the future of TFL decisions in B.C. and provide a greater measure of protection for residents who are concerned for the loss of forest lands, recreational opportunities, visual impacts and overall land-use changes," she said.
Protection of rural resource lands and full public consultation before land is removed from a TFL should be an integral part of the political process, said Juan de Fuca electoral area director Erik Lund, who represents the area affected by the private land deletions.
WFP chief operating officer Duncan Kerr said the report reinforces that the land is privately owned and the company acted appropriately.
"And there is no notion of turning the clock back," he said. "This chapter is closed and it's time to move forward."
Environmentalist Vicky Husband said the province has been trying to prop up a company on the verge of collapse.
"We are losing our wild lands to a company on life support," Husband said.
The final arrogance of the government is its failure to respond in adequate time to Doyle's report, Husband said.
"They are trying to undermine the auditor general, who is acting in the public interest," she said.
The public needs government to tell them why they are not getting parks or compensation, he said.
"We need to get them in front of a judge and ask them why the TFL system in B.C. has been dismantled without regard for the public interest," said Sandborn, whose submission to auditor general John Doyle helped spark the review.
Sandborn said the first step should be for government to kill Western Forest Products' application for 319 acreages on the lands west of Sooke. Also, the private land deletions need to be reversed, he said.
Maurita Prato of the Dogwood Initiative echoed the call.
"The decision has to be rescinded and the WFP subdivision application halted," she said.
The CRD, which took the controversial step of rezoning forestry and resource land on the southwest corner of Vancouver Island to 120-hectare minimum lot size, is applauding Doyle's report, which board chairwoman Denise Blackwell says supports the CRD position.
"I am hopeful that this report will bode well for the future of TFL decisions in B.C. and provide a greater measure of protection for residents who are concerned for the loss of forest lands, recreational opportunities, visual impacts and overall land-use changes," she said.
Protection of rural resource lands and full public consultation before land is removed from a TFL should be an integral part of the political process, said Juan de Fuca electoral area director Erik Lund, who represents the area affected by the private land deletions.
WFP chief operating officer Duncan Kerr said the report reinforces that the land is privately owned and the company acted appropriately.
"And there is no notion of turning the clock back," he said. "This chapter is closed and it's time to move forward."
Environmentalist Vicky Husband said the province has been trying to prop up a company on the verge of collapse.
"We are losing our wild lands to a company on life support," Husband said.
The final arrogance of the government is its failure to respond in adequate time to Doyle's report, Husband said.
"They are trying to undermine the auditor general, who is acting in the public interest," she said.
