Forest coalition challenges MLA Graham Bruce
March 23, 2003Cowichan Valley members of the Coalition for Sustainable Forest Solutions are calling on Cowichan-Ladysmith MLA Graham Bruce to support a draft private member's bill on forestry reform released Friday.
Cowichan Valley Citizen
Andrew Costa
Cowichan Valley members of the Coalition for Sustainable Forest Solutions are calling on Cowichan-Ladysmith MLA Graham Bruce to support a draft private member's bill on forestry reform released Friday.
The coalition, comprising a consortium of municipal politicians, First Nations leaders, environmental groups and labour unions, created the draft bill after a series of community forums held throughout B.C. during the past two months. Members say their proposed legislation will make sure communities benefit from the harvesting of public forests while helping solve the softwood lumber dispute with the United States at the same time.
Forest policy reforms in the coalition's draft bill include: reconciliation of First Nations and Crown title; the creation of regional log markets to ensure greater access to timber for value-added manufacturers; a 50 per cent take-back of corporate forest tenure; and a total ban on raw log exports.
"We met with Graham Bruce and he agreed with our vision with regard to greater community control (of forest resources)," said Ken James, a coalition member and spokesperson for the Youbou Timberless Society. "We're meeting with him again on April 4 and we're going to challenge him to tell us what's wrong with this bill and why it won't go forward as we'd like it to."
James said forest policy changes being contemplated by the province would give greater control to corporate tenure holders to the detriment of rural, resource-dependent communities.
"When the government says it will open up the 'heartland,' it seems to mean that it will sell out our public assets to private interests," James said. "We need a package that will increase rural economic opportunity by increasing local control and keeping our forests truly public for our children and grandchildren."
Jessica Clogg, a founding member of Forest Futures and lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law, said coalition members hope a Liberal MLA will agree to introduce the draft legislation as a private member's bill, giving it greater exposure than if it were introduced by the NDP.
"We're challenging every MLA in B.C. to take a position on this and we should know who will be introducing it within a few weeks," she said.
Coalition member and Smithers town councillor Marilyn Stewart said MLAs now have a clear choice between supporting community or corporate interests.
"They can give in to corporate control and elimination of thousands of rural jobs, or they can set a new progressive social contract that creates rural jobs and improves sustainability," Stewart said. "Voters will remember this moment."
To read the coalition's complete draft private member's bill , visit their website at www.forestsolutions.ca.
Andrew Costa
Cowichan Valley members of the Coalition for Sustainable Forest Solutions are calling on Cowichan-Ladysmith MLA Graham Bruce to support a draft private member's bill on forestry reform released Friday.
The coalition, comprising a consortium of municipal politicians, First Nations leaders, environmental groups and labour unions, created the draft bill after a series of community forums held throughout B.C. during the past two months. Members say their proposed legislation will make sure communities benefit from the harvesting of public forests while helping solve the softwood lumber dispute with the United States at the same time.
Forest policy reforms in the coalition's draft bill include: reconciliation of First Nations and Crown title; the creation of regional log markets to ensure greater access to timber for value-added manufacturers; a 50 per cent take-back of corporate forest tenure; and a total ban on raw log exports.
"We met with Graham Bruce and he agreed with our vision with regard to greater community control (of forest resources)," said Ken James, a coalition member and spokesperson for the Youbou Timberless Society. "We're meeting with him again on April 4 and we're going to challenge him to tell us what's wrong with this bill and why it won't go forward as we'd like it to."
James said forest policy changes being contemplated by the province would give greater control to corporate tenure holders to the detriment of rural, resource-dependent communities.
"When the government says it will open up the 'heartland,' it seems to mean that it will sell out our public assets to private interests," James said. "We need a package that will increase rural economic opportunity by increasing local control and keeping our forests truly public for our children and grandchildren."
Jessica Clogg, a founding member of Forest Futures and lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law, said coalition members hope a Liberal MLA will agree to introduce the draft legislation as a private member's bill, giving it greater exposure than if it were introduced by the NDP.
"We're challenging every MLA in B.C. to take a position on this and we should know who will be introducing it within a few weeks," she said.
Coalition member and Smithers town councillor Marilyn Stewart said MLAs now have a clear choice between supporting community or corporate interests.
"They can give in to corporate control and elimination of thousands of rural jobs, or they can set a new progressive social contract that creates rural jobs and improves sustainability," Stewart said. "Voters will remember this moment."
To read the coalition's complete draft private member's bill , visit their website at www.forestsolutions.ca.
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