Federal Members of Parliament ask B.C. Tourism Minister to support National Park
On June 16, 1999 three federal Members of Parliament (MPs) wrote B.C.'s N.D.P. Tourism Minister, the Honorable Ian Waddell, to request his assistance in the creation of the Stoltmann National Park.
In the letter Clifford Lincoln, MP for Lac-Saint-Louis Quebec, Karen Kraft Sloan, MP for York-North Ontario and Charles Caccia MP for Davenport Ontario, all Liberal MPs, wrote "Knowing your interest in biodiversity and your long-standing commitment for the preservation of our natural heritage, we feel you would be an ideal person within the British Columbia government to promote the idea of long-term protection of the Stoltmann Wilderness."
These MPs finished up their letter stating, "On our side, we will do our utmost to promote the idea of the Stoltmann National Park Reserve at the Federal level. In this, we would be helped greatly if as a former and distinguished Federal MP. and very credible Minister in British Columbia, you would become the champion of this project."
As of July 9, 1999 (date of printing this newspaper) Waddell had not answered the MPs' letter.
A Whistler Community Forest is a good idea
Whistler's Village Council has applied to the Provincial Government for a Community Forest Tenure (CFT) over the forests surrounding the village. WCWC supports Whistler's proposal because the CFT would provide a locally-controlled buffer to the proposed National Park. Community control of the forests immediately adjacent to the Village would protect Whistler's water supply, and would generate more local jobs from tourism and woodworking than are currently being generated. As an example, Whistler would be in a position to set up a local log market where logs cut in the CFT would be offered to the highest bidder, garnering greater revenue for the community and attracting labour-intensive value-added wood products manufactures.
In stark contrast to Whistler's proposed CFT is Interfor's Tree Farm License 38 (TFL). Interfor has the right to log 250,000 cubic meters of timber per year or about 7,150 logging truck loads from this TFL which comprises nearly the entire Squamish River watershed. The local community of Squamish has no say in how the TFL is managed or where the timber is manufactured. As a result, trees cut there are manufactured into lumber outside Squamish. In addition, Interfor does not competitively bid for the right to cut timber and none of the direct profits from the sale of the logs goes to the local community of Squamish.
Clearly, a combination of Community Forest Tenures and National Park designation will create more jobs and revenue in the tourism and timber industries than does the out-dated system of forestry corporation-held TFLs.
