Coleman cleared of conflict

By Tom Fletcher – BC Local News
VICTORIA – B.C.’s Conflict of Interest Commissioner has cleared cabinet minister Rich Coleman of any inappropriate behaviour regarding a decision benefiting the forest company where his brother works.
Coleman asked for the review himself, after being notified by the Auditor General that his relationship with his brother was being examined. [...]

WOODS WAR II?

-Konrad Yakabuski, Globe and Mail Report on Business
Clayoquot Sound was a historic green victory. But now the coalition that barred forestry from Canada’s last, best place has come unstuck. With natives logging for themselves, will things come to blows amid the old growth?
By the time I catch up with Gary Johnsen, president of native-owned Iisaak [...]

Raw Log Exports: The Way of the Future

-opiinion 250
Prince George, B.C. -Forest industry experts say that while there is much talk about restricting the export of raw logs from Canada to China or the USA, the reality is that is becoming the future of logging in at least some areas of the province of BC.
One industry expert puts it this way, “I [...]

B.C. plans to clean up logging

Gordon Hamilton, Canwest News Service
VANCOUVER — The provincial government launched a new plan yesterday to reduce the millions of cubic metres of wood being left to rot after logging by changing the way it values timber.
Forests Minister Pat Bell announced the changes — to be introduced in small pilot projects around the province this fall [...]

CRD defends bylaws to protect forest land

By Andrew MacLeod, The Tyee
Lawyers for the Capital Regional District were in B.C. Supreme Court in Victoria this week defending a down zoning on lands west of the city against a challenge from the Association of B.C. Landowners and Western Forest Products.
“It will go down to a point of law and not what the public [...]

BC Forestry down 36 per cent: ‘The industry is in a tail spin’

By Andrew MacLeod TheTyee
Finance minister Colin Hansen released British Columbia’s First Quarterly Report showing a steep drop in government revenues from the forest industry, but an unexpected large increase to the overall projected surplus.
“The downturn we are seeing in the forest sector is unprecedented,” said Hansen.

Raucous meeting leaves lands in limbo

Despite residents’ anger, decision over ex-TFL lands around Jordan River remains with official
Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
In the wake of an impromptu public meeting at Shirley Community Hall Tuesday evening, the future of waterfront land around Jordan River, Muir Creek, Shirley and Otter Point remains in the hands of the Highways Ministry approving officer and a [...]

Hearings a must on WFP plans

Times Colonist
Provincial government mismanagement created a development crisis in this region, undermining years of regional planning and threatening green space, waterfront and park buffer zones on land between Sooke and Port Renfrew.
It is inconceivable that, recognizing its failure to consider the public interest in allowing development on protected forest land, the government would now deny [...]

Development open house hijacked

Attendees oppose forest company’s plans for lands west of Sooke
Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
An open house organized by Western Forest Products was hijacked by frustrated opponents of the forest company’s development plans last night.
About 120 people crowded into the tiny Shirley Community Hall, ostensibly to look at tables covered with plans for 319 acreages around Shirley, [...]

Action Alert! Western Forest Products Open House

Action Alert!
What: Western Forest Products Open House
Where: Shirley Community Hall, at the corner of West Coast and Sherringham Rd, 21 km past Sooke.
When: Tuesday September 09, 2008, 7:00pm
Transportation: Vehicles will be leaving from three locations at 5:30 sharp: (1) the UVic Cinecenta parking lot, (2) Vic High parking lot on Grant street in Fernwood, and [...]