By Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
A plan by the province to create a commercial forest reserve is being attacked by environmentalists who fear it will put huge tracts of land off limits to future forest conservation.
Ken Wu, campaign director for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, called the commercial forest reserve announced this week by Premier Gordon Campbell a back-door way of reintroducing the unpopular “working forest” proposal.
The working forest was a government proposal to designate almost half the province as forestry areas to give more certainty to logging companies. The plan was abandoned in 2004 after an outcry by environmentalists.
“This is a form of pseudo-privatization for the exclusive benefit of the major timber companies that hold logging tenures on our public lands,” Wu said.
Setting aside a commercial forest for intensive logging would mean other uses such as parks, drinking watersheds, scenic viewscapes and deer and elk winter ranges would not be considered, he said.
However, Forests Minister Pat Bell said areas with other values will not be considered for the reserve, and protecting drinking water will always be a priority.
Bell said the process for creating intensive forestry areas will be similar to the collaborative approach taken in the Great Bear Rainforest, where government worked with environmentalists, forestry companies and First Nations to allow some logging in the central coast area, while protecting large areas.
“It’s intended to secure a source of fibre for the forest industry with more flexibility for intensive forest management,” he said.
Pilot projects will take place in key areas of the province that are particularly good for growing trees, Bell said.
No targets have been set for the size of the commercial forest reserve, he said.
