URGENT: STOP the BC Liberal Government’s Proposed Forest Giveaway THIS WEEK!

Recently, the BC Liberal government introduced a bill that, if passed into law, could be used to massively expand private property-like rights for major logging companies on BC’s public forest lands and on unceded First Nations lands. The proposed law, included within a larger omnibus bill, Bill 8, would empower BC’s Forest Minister to readily create new Tree Farm Licences (TFL’s) that give exclusive logging rights over large expanses of Crown lands to major companies who currently have “volume-based” logging rights (ie. in cubic metres of wood). This undemocratic, anti-environmental proposal could increase the claims to compensation – to be paid for by BC’s taxpayers – by major logging companies in light of future conservation designations and First Nations treaty settlements.

1. Undermine forest protections for wildlife, scenery, water quality, and recreation, by making it more difficult and expensive to create new protected areas.
2. Further entrench the current unsustainable rate of overcutting taking place in BC’s forests.
3. Make First Nations treaty settlement on their unceded lands more difficult, lengthy and expensive.
4. Privatize forest inventories into the hands of logging companies.
5. Result in more locked gates and obstructions to forest recreationists.