This week: and a hard place Part Ill Last week we left forester Herby Squish in a state of dis- tracted contemplation, mulling over the past management deci- sions of Jovial Logging he had been forced to comply with and wondering how the impending forestry disaster facing him had really come about. This week we find him out in the bush, gazing over the wreckage of a phase contracting logging show, on a dreary late fall day in 1995. Herby Squish no longer won- dered why he had driven the route he had. It had become obvious to him. If he wanted to look at the big picture this was the best place to begin. It was in phase contracting that the woes of the forest industry could most easily be understood. Top-down management. At the top, there was the board of directors who ran the affairs of the industry by remote control. There was Milton Jovial, the president of the board and in reality the man who pulled all the strings. There was the token manager, Milton’s son RJ, who blindly administered the wishes of his father’s board. Then there were the dozens of department heads and foreman. And the usual complement of sundry management staff who seemed to have no real purpose in life... No other job than the job itself. It was a directionless, burgeoning and confused bureau- cracy. Leading, and yet not leading, those at the bottom... Their army of mindless slaves. And defending the rights of those: at the bottom was the union. They had a similar sys- tem, but designed to counter the wishes of the board. It was for the protection and betterment of the worker, they said, who with- out a union would be vulnerable to management greed. ,the — cynical Again, Squish worried about nature of his thoughts. Strong words, he decided, perhaps too strong. But on the other hand, he faced a grave situation and that perhaps justified his choice of words. Maybe it would take words like these to open the board’s apparently blinkered cye, an eye in good health but handicapped by the fact it was connected toa brain that said, "If you see something I don’t like, Pll turn you off." Cynical? No, Squish decided. Depressed by the simple facts of life. A single ray of sunlight pen- etrated” the layers of cloud above. Squish hadn’t noticed the rain had stopped. He watched as steam began rising from soaked Between a rock | Fo restry Insignts by Tod Strachan, in consultation with Rod Amold and Doug Davies seedlings. "Wonder if that’s the light at the end of the tunnel," he joked, And this reminded him of a sign posted on his office wall. "Due to financial restraints, the light at the end of the tunnel will be turned off." Squish laughed, "Is this what happened to the forest industry? The top brass turned off the lights and we ended our downward spiral in the dark? Couldn’t see the curve in the road, and in ignorance drove right off the edge of the cliff?" The break in the clouds grew and so did Herby’s optimism. "We haven’t quite driven off the edge yet,” he decided. "But that curve is coming up fast and it’s time to slow down. Time to turn on the lights and look at the truth... And tell the truth. Tell everyone that’s on this ride with us that our collective livelihood is on the line, We either take evasive action now, or prepare for the worst." Squish climbed out of his truck and tested the air. It was invit- ing... Warm and dry. He wan- dered off the road, into what was once a forest, and reflected on the events that had brought him here. He had been very busy in 1991. The main emphasis was on implementing quarterly manage- ment plans to counter disasters before they occurred. It took a lot of his time, and that meant he had to ignore a few of his other duties, one of those duties —~ Continued on page 8 de & Vi Efforts at education bring frustration, “discouragement To the Editor; Bad luck is apparently dogging my steps these days. About a year and a half ago I made the decision to bring for- ward major career changes. I’ve applied for funds after funds. I’ve tried without success. I’ve taken evening courses and I’ve taken part-time courses to meet the _ requirements needed to begin this new career. I remember that when I first sought advice, I was told that in order to get into the business administration course, I had to take first-year office careers. Well, after unsuccessfully applying for funds for this program, after months of trying, 1 was only to realize (through another advisor) that I do not need first-year office . careers — I need to upgrade my mathematics, — Now, because there had been no financial help or encourage- ment from any sources for first- year office career studies, mathe- matics upgrading was a little more encouraging. So I took my sum- mer and upgraded because I was told there’d be possibility I could enter my career choice in Septem- ber. Well, sometime during mid-. stream summer rules change — there are higher requirements needed to enter this program. I didn’t quite make it. - _ Somewhat disappointed, I con- tinue the challenge I’ve put upon myself, having been told, “You have a seat in January — that seat is there for you.” In the meantime, I apply for funding. Again I put my life on hold — very sure this time that “I’m in”, I’ve finally found a couple of sponsors. And now January is near, I’m told I have no seat. I am aware of the increasingly intense competition for admission ‘to enter college. It seems require- ments and rules change only too ‘often, - I am sickened and sad. I have ‘tried so hard without success. I've met others who have gone through the same disappointments and rejections that I have. I congratu- late them — they knew better than I and dropped out. They've given up hopes to a better education. I want the persons who make and continue to change rules in mid-stream constantly to be aware of just how discouraging and Explosive encounter a lesson: small charge creates big bang To the Editor; I am writing to clear up some mistakes in the article written in ‘your paper on Wednesday, Nov. 13 about my accident with fire- crackers, The headline said “Boy ‘lucky’ after homemade bomb explodes in hands”. What really happened was that the homemade firecracker (made from a screcher) was much small- er than a bomb, being only a few inches long, but to my surprise it still had great explosive power. It did not go off in my hands but on the ground. Apart from injuring my hands, face and legs, I also spent three days in hospital (not five), and my ears didn’t stop ring- ing for a whole day. Another reason I am writing is to warn other kids of the dangers of misuse of fireworks, Before my accident I never thought anything bad would happen to me, that it would always happen to someone else, but now I know better. I have thought since the acci- dent that I was very lucky, Had it exploded near my face or chest I could have been very scriously injured, maybe even blinded. I have a fecling God was watching after me that day, and { hope other kids will learn from my mistake. Mike Barilctt, age 14, Terrace, stressful all of this really is. Is this the kind of fighting that will go on when my son is ready for his career? What future do we really look toward? How can we encourage others, when these are the games they'll have to play? | I am very frustrated, disap- pointed and so very discouraged by all of this. Frances Stanley, Terrace. Methods of fish . catching need review To the Editor; In response to the letter pub- lished in your Nov. 13 issue, sub- mitted by Des Nobels of the Northern Gillnetters’ Association: Your membership must under- stand that no one has implied your jobs are at risk. The near-extinct status of some stocks in the Pacific fishery is an indication that all user groups, including yourselves, must re-evaluate traditional har- vest methods and search for a modern management plan before we lose both our jobs and the fish. Your comment about the sport fishing sector having few con- straints on their growth requires some clarification. The Skeena sport fishery is the last gauntlet for migrating fish, and when not enough spawners make it home, that fishery is the first to get shut down, whether or not the sports fishermen were totally at fault. The newly implemented Angling Guide Policy was a sclf-initiated solution, introduced by business people who recognized the prob- lems created by overcrowding and the downward trend in the quality and viability of their industry. That policy changed their liveli- hoods. For you to say you will not accept change is being irrespon- sible. Since your main concern appears to be allocation, or how much of the pie you get, perhaps you should consider the idea of area licensing as part of your “giv- ing” contribution. I’m sure you would prefer to fish amongst the historical number of boats, com- pared to the armadas witnessed in previous years. Enhancement does have its positive side, but should not be the first course of action, The Depart- ment of Fisheries and Oceans must take positive action now, and start exercising some of their Vision 2000 harvest management policies Frank Thodt, President, Terrace Angling Guides’ Association.