I read with concern that Canfor is asking its employees and the public to lobby politicians and ministers to guarantee long-term, economic fibre to support the replacement of its closed mill in Houston (“Canfor looks for community support in bid to build mill,” The Interior News, Aug. 17, 2023).
This replacement mill would produce less-finished goods, provide fewer jobs and already has a share of the timber supply. Timber supply should not be a political decision influenced by Canfor public relations lobbying.
The Skeena region is challenged to find timber to supply existing mills and is defaulting on its commitments to biodiversity, species at risk and an old-growth strategy by planning harvest in contested areas (e.g. cancelled protection of Bulkley Sustainable Resource Management Plan Wildlife Habitat Management Areas and conservation lands).
Despite reports from the auditor general, Forest Practices Board, Oldgrowth Report and others describing how B.C. is failing to manage forests, Canfor is giving the public the impression there is some new or hidden supply of fibre out there. With global warming fires, there are no guarantees.
I support investing in sustainable forest jobs. I have worked with foresters, ecologists, researchers and the public to develop sustainable plan options which maintain local forestry jobs and our economy while maintaining a healthy forest ecosystem.
These potential local solutions met dead ends because our forest legislation, stumpage system and volume-based tenures prevent them from being implemented.
I disagree with political guarantees of economic fibre based on lobbying and I am for corporations making their own economic decisions. These should be based on economics, risk (including fires), and retooling for second-growth fibre.
I understand ministers and politicians are trying to do the best for the environment while supporting economics, communities and jobs. I believe we can find solutions and that problems have been professionally described in the reports referred to.
I ask those being lobbied not to fetter planning options for the future by promising fibre supply already fully (over)-committed.
Sincerely,
Anne Hetherington,
Smithers