Entries by TJ Watt

Environmentalists approve Liberal move on forest tenure

"It would have made it harder to establish new protected areas, to protect scenery, and tourism opportunities. It would have made it more lengthy and difficult and complex to settle First Nations treaties, and it would have also taken away a lot of lands that communities would have wanted for community forestry."

Environmentalists Sigh with Relief as BC Liberals Back Down from “Forest Giveaway Bill” to expand Tree Farm Licences (TFL’s) on Public Lands

Massive public uproar spearheaded by Independent MLA Bob Simpson and environmental groups causes BC Liberals to delete Section 24 (aka. “The Forest Giveaway Bill”) in omnibus Bill 8 that would have empowered BC’s Minister of Forests to grant exclusive logging rights over vast areas of public lands for major forest companies. Conservationists continue to push for old-growth protection legislation, sustainable second-growth forestry, and an end to raw log exports. Thousands of emails sent to BC government through https://www.BCForestMovement.com
 

Tree licence rollover has no public benefit

"At first glance Bill 8 — the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act — looks like housekeeping legislation. Read a little closer and one discovers one of the most pernicious pieces of forest legislation to be tabled in the legislature since a forests minister lost his job over the same issue in 1989. Bill 8 includes an addition to the Forest Act that would allow the forests minister to invite corporations to roll over their forest licences into Tree Farm Licences (TFL), effectively transferring private ownership rights to the corporation without any reciprocal benefit in the public interest…"

Activist Tackles Raw Log Exports

Thanks to the Powell River Voices, Sierra Club, and Communication, Energy, and Paperworkers (CEP) for hosting a great evening with a full house last night, with a presentation and discussion on raw log exports, TFL expansion/forest privatization, and ancient forest protection.