Revisit of tree farm licence issue requested

Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
When Arnie Campbell thinks of what the Juan de Fuca electoral area has lost due to removal of private land from tree farm licences, he gets hopping mad.
Looking at how residents of the Kootenays were treated when the provincial government allowed private lands held by bankrupt Pope and Talbot be taken out [...]

Interior’s trees get a better deal

Times Colonist
Vancouver Islanders were reminded this week of how terribly the provincial government betrayed them in allowing vast tracts of land to be removed from tree farm licences.
In the Interior, the government has just approved the removal of 4,341 hectares from a tree farm licence. That is about 15 per cent of the area that [...]

Former B.C. forests minister cleared of conflict in tree farm decisions

Former B.C. forests minister cleared of conflict in tree farm decisions
(CP)
VICTORIA — British Columbia’s former forests minister has been cleared of any conflict of interest in land use decisions he made while his older brother held managerial positions in the forest industry.
“There’s no question, it’s a vindication. It’s absolutely a vindication,” Rich Coleman, who is [...]

Coleman cleared in forest-lands decision

Commissioner finds former B.C. forests minister was not in conflict
Lindsay Kines, Times Colonist
Former forests minister Rich Coleman was not in a conflict of interest when he allowed Western Forest Products to remove private land from tree farm licences on Vancouver Island, B.C.’s conflict of interest commissioner said yesterday.
Paul Fraser said no well-informed person would reasonably [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]