SOUTH ISLAND FOREST ACCORD
On September 6th, 1991 an historic agreement was reached between representatives from Duncan IWA Local 1-80 CLC and five environmental organizations after twelve hours of intense bargaining. Since then the National IWA, the Village of Tofino, the Union of B C Municipalities and the Arrowsmith Ecological Association have endorsed the statement.
A crisis in our forests is causing intense and unacceptable land use conflicts. Decades of government and industry mismanagement, overcutting and environmental degradation have seriously depleted both employment opportunities and the original old growth forests.
Wilderness preservation is not the greatest threat to forest industry jobs. However, preservation could worsen an already bleak situation unless drastic changes are made now.
Consequently, IWA Canada Local 1-80 CLC, the Carmanah Forestry Society, the Environmental Youth Alliance (South Vancouver Island), the Friends of Carmanah/Walbran, the Sierra Club of Western Canada and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee hereby publicly declare our common ground and unity of purpose in demanding the following changes in the management and stewardship of British Columbia's forest heritage:
1. Some old growth forest ecosystems must be protected in perpetuity to maintain the health of the biosphere. In order to determine how much should be set aside in the South Vancouver Island, we urgently require:
a) A complete socio/biophysical inventory of all forest lands; and,
b) Job creation strategies which utilize the untapped possibilities within the forest industry to offset potential job loss arising from the protection of additional areas. When the foregoing conditions have been met, we can then jointly seek the protection of additional areas.
2. The purpose of harvesting the forest is to promote and enhance long term community stability through the creation of jobs. We must create more jobs per cubic meter of wood. New jobs can be created through better use of the forest resource. Better forest uses include: value added manufacturing; environmentally appropriate logging systems; commercial thinning; intensive silviculture; land and habitat restoration; old growth forest research and ecotourism. All exports of raw logs and cants must be immediately stopped.
3. Government forest policy must be changed to ensure that decisions are no longer made without the active and authoritative participation in all levels of planning by all concerned. Local control must be balanced with the provincial public interest. Informed communication and accountability by all concerned is essential. Decisions with negative impacts on workers and communities must be accompanied by economic development strategies to offset those impacts.
4. Some logging practices must be changed to protect all forest functions including in particular: wildlife and fisheries habitat; river systems; biodiversity and soil productivity. Such changes must ensure a safe working environment.
5. Outstanding Native land claims must be fairly and expeditiously resolved.
Executed this 6th day of September, 1991
BAD FOREST PRACTICES ARE KILLING JOBS ON SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND
JOBS AND OLD GROWTH PRESERVATION - THE REAL THING
1. There are tremendous job creation opportunities available from thinning our low elevation immature forests and plantations on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the Fraser Valley. Hundreds of thousands of hectares are available for a partial second harvesting. Every job created in second growth forestry is one less job that depends on liquidation of the dwindling old growth rainforests.
2. Periodic thinnings and selection management forestry in young forests could yield greater benefits than the current practice of clearcutting these stands before they reach 100 years of age. These benefits include: maximized long-term wealth and job creation; more valuable, higher quality wood; higher yields; purer water; more fish and wildlife; better flood, drought and soil erosion control; fewer insect, disease and fire problems; and greater tourism and recreation values.
3. A value-added, pollution-free, community-oriented manufacturing base would maximize the benefits from the raw materials provided by the thinning programs. Thinnings must be appraised and forest workers paid to reflect the long-term potential of future thinnings to provide the raw material essential to create jobs and valuable end products.
4. Environment friendly, job-rich appropriate technology such as skyline yarders; cable thinning equipment; ultra-low impact skidders; portable sawmills and small, pollution-free pulp, paper and remanufacturing plants must be phased in. Huge obsolete mills that need giant ecosystem-crunching logging equipment to feed them, while creating enormous clearcuts in the process, must be phased out.
5. Now is the time to start conversion of our non-sustainable environment and community - hostile forest industry to a truly sustainable, community-friendly forest industry. In order to achieve this, it is essential to break up the giant tree farm licenses and forest licenses and tie crown wood to long-term community needs and a baseline of essential environmental constraints.
CORE PROCESS, STEPHEN OWEN NOT READY
On January 21, BC premier Mike Harcourt announced the formation of a new commission to be headed up by the former ombudsman Stephen Owen. The Commission on Resources and Environment (CORE) is to hold hearings throughout Vancouver Island and the rest of the province to collect information and develop options for resolving BC land-use conflicts. Findings will be presented to both the public and the BC government. No longer will government be able to withhold the information they use when making decisions behind closed doors.
On February 26, WCWC met with Mr. Owen to discuss the mandate of CORE. To their amazement, the WCWC representatives found that the CORE process was not yet in place and was not expected to be active for at least six months! This means in order to protect the West Coast Trail Rainforest, we must demand from the BC government that logging cease immediately in the proposed wilderness area until a case can be made to CORE when the commission becomes activated.
Once Mr. Owen gets CORE underway it is a process that could lead to both increased forest jobs and more wilderness preservation on Vancouver Island. When CORE comes to your town, participate!
CORE, phone 1-800-742-6157
Selection Management forestry in Action. A cable yarder brings out selected trees, leaving a healthy forest in place. Jim Smith.
Cut and run: dead logging camp at Port Renfrew. Randy Stoltmann
