The provincial government recently announced plans to protect 353,000 hectares of forest with old-growth trees from logging, while a new forest management plan is developed. How can B.C. find balance between the status quo, which risks crucial biodiversity loss; and immediate moratoriums, which would damage the economy and threaten the livelihoods of tens of thousands of workers?
We want to make the forestry industry something our grandchildren can continue to work in. The way forestry is done now won’t allow for that. Clear cutting and old growth logging destroy the soil, create drought and flood cycles, and make us more prone to wildfires. We want stable forestry jobs, not boom and bust ones.
To make this happen, we will:
- Create the role of Chief Biologist to balance Chief Forester, making sure we consider the science, our communities, and long-term jobs, not just the bottom line of the forestry companies.
- Take control of our forests from corporations and give more say in what happens to local communities and First Nations. We plan to incentivize value-added products, to create more jobs and less waste in the industry; we would like to put an end to raw log export. We need to take a more holistic approach to understanding the value of forests, including their incredible capacity for extracting carbon from the air. There has been much research done here and around the world regarding more sustainable forestry practice, and we need to listen to experts and include their research and expertise in our plans moving forward. In all this, we need to ensure that jobs are protected and fairly transitioned as we make these changes.
This question highlights some of the challenge faced by any government when it comes to forestry policies. The balance of needing to protect our valuable old growth, while also ensuring tens of thousands of people don’t lose their livelihoods is only one aspect- there is also the need to consider implications of trade agreements and ensure proper consultation with all First Nations.
Our government appointed the Old Growth Panel to begin the work of finding the right balance, which helped drive the decision to protect the additional 353,000 hectares. We are also committed to working collaboratively with Indigenous leaders, labour, industry, and environmental groups, to implement recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review to protect further old-growth stands.
Candidates responses to this question have been added in the order received. Go to the Election Questions list to see questions that have been submitted to the Forum.
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