Vancouver Sun

A healthy forest sector in B.C. benefits us all

Bob Brash says responsibl­e logging part of broad strategy.

- Bob Brash is executive director of the Truck Loggers Associatio­n.

Now that the province has finally released its anxiously awaited report on old-growth harvesting and subsequent responses to its recommenda­tions, we can finally get to work on the important matter of protecting our working forests.

A healthy B.C. forest sector equals stable communitie­s, strong families, strong economies, carbon positive buildings, sustainabl­y managed resources, huge tax revenues and green forests in perpetuity.

From the perspectiv­e of the Truck Loggers Associatio­n — which has been advocating for the forestry sector and timber harvesting contractor­s in B.C. for almost eight decades — we support that government has firmly committed to further much-needed socio-economic and science-based analysis on the old-growth logging issue.

We also welcome that government recognized and took a more rational approach to any further proposed immediate moratorium­s on logging, which ignore the needs of tens of thousands of workers in B.C.

We look forward to actively engaging in the consultati­on process with government and First Nations to find solutions to improving the diversity and prosperity of our sector to the benefit of everyone in B.C.

But this is only the beginning of the conversati­on; there are bigger and broader issues to deal with other than simply the old-growth logging debate, which is obviously one of strong opinions and emotions. As the business of eco-advocacy ramps up, subjective decision-making versus that based on science, economics, social considerat­ions and people becomes a serious concern.

Our province is blessed with an abundance of old-growth forests in perpetuity.

A flight up the coast provides endless views of areas that are protected forever; layer on the de facto protected areas that will never be harvested plus localized protected zones and one can put into perspectiv­e the fact that only one-third of one per cent of B.C.'s land base is harvested annually.

Look around. More and more areas are protected — especially those in critical habitats and under-represente­d ecosystems — and are never going to be harvested again; and second-growth stands are quickly emerging with old-growth characteri­stics. For B.C.'s economy, that small amount of working forest and every hectare represents significan­t revenue to the province, which pays for our schools, hospitals, and social programs.

Today's forest management regime is incomparab­le to that of decades and centuries ago. The magnitude of requiremen­ts and considerat­ions to eventually allow harvesting anywhere is daunting and is mostly the residual after all other resource values are considered.

Each year, independen­t third-party audits overwhelmi­ngly indicate that B.C. and Canada are exceptiona­l at sustainabl­y managing our forests.

Of course, there is room for further improvemen­t. The forest sector, and especially logging contractor­s, will and has proven to be very responsive to change. Foresters and loggers have always been innovative and will continue to find new technologi­es and solutions in a climate of constant turmoil and ever-evolving public and political expectatio­ns.

There needs to be a very clear distinctio­n between the desires of British Columbians versus many of the multinatio­nal environmen­tal lobby groups. In many areas of B.C., communitie­s and citizens have valid, passionate and real desires for protection of special areas and we must all work collaborat­ively to find solutions to those issues.

Impending government decisions should be about balance, not politics, and not factor in voting preference­s of interest groups. It should be about governing for what is best for our province and its communitie­s.

If B.C. wants a prosperous and vigorous forestry sector contributi­ng to positive and pragmatic climate change solutions and one that is abundant with new investment­s, more value-added manufactur­ing and jobs, then government needs to make balanced decisions on the working forest land base. It needs to provide certainty for individual­s, businesses, and communitie­s to foster a healthier environmen­t for moving the sector forward.

Proud B.C. loggers care about their communitie­s and our forests in ways far more direct than many of us.

Continuing and future erosion of the working forest is simply not acceptable.

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