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‘|: sutake Is prized in Japan.

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PINE MUSHROOMS

Klondike days may be over — and now is
the time to guide the way to the new order

Stories by
; JEFF NAGEL
FEAR IS: THE main response of
northwest pickers and buyers to

~~ proposals-.to regulate. the ‘pine oo

Mushroom industry, .
“And: that fear is what north

westerners will have to overcome .

if they are to have much control
“over whal- eventually: develops,
say key industry participants.
“Think the top priority is to be

involved in the regulations,’’-says
picker: “and
Greycloud, “IE there’s going 10°

buyer Aaron:

be regulations: we have to be part
Of iL?

~ 2.411 easier. to create regulations | -

and: policy than it isto change
-them once they’re in place,”’ says
Stephen . Mills, -a -buyer/exporter
“with” Tsunami
Lid, of Comox. ‘*I am’ going to

do everything I canto help them
- gel good information and hope-

fully make good decisions al the
end of this.’’

* The harvest of pine mushrooms
for: export to Japan brings un-

known millions of dollars into the

northwest -— up to $20 million

_’ last year by some estimaics.

But the: fact that few if any
pickers pay {ax on their earnings
tums the whole” business un-
derground and any suggestion of
government involvement . rings
alarm bells.

“There is so much distrust,”’
says one picker. ‘The pickers

— don’t trust each other. The pick-

ers don’t trust the buyers. ‘The
buyers don’t trust the exporters.”’

_“T?’s only natural that none of

them are. going to trust the.
- government,’” .

More. than 70 pickers. and
buyers jammed into a room al the
Terrace -Inn on July 4 to inter-
togatt Melanie Milum, of the
forest . . ministry’s
Management branch
‘about the recommendations of the
Pine Mushroom Task Force.

“The recommendations — are
‘aimed al’. getting. information _
aboul-the-industry, so the: govern-
ment:can: decide what- kind of
regulatory structure will make the

_. plained.

indusiry safe and sustainable over
the long term. °

Bul most pickers believe it’s
just ihe first t move towards a2 tax

“grab.-- phan:
“There is no > hidden ‘agenda,” ”

said Milum..‘*We don’t. have the

‘script written, We've just ‘pul a

suggestion on the table.??

~ Some. think government. offi-

cials will lose some “of : their
enthusiasm for‘regulalion if they
can. dispel: the notion that profits

' are eXCESSive. ‘

“Ips not the glory-hole. some
people think it is,’’ Mills ex-
“T’ve put lots of

«othe ..ground.- ‘that. the-..

regulation if their aim is to ensure

the long-term sustainability of the

industry.
“By the time this study’ Is 0 over

mushrooms: grow on. will’ be

“mostly gone,’’ Penner said. ‘It’s

going to’ be cul. It’s going t to ‘be
gone. ”? .

. Within five: ‘years there won't :

be any left if. we don’t do some-

thing now,”’ adds picker Ric! hard,

Galiz.

Even if there was a mechanism ©

to protect patches, the secrecy of
pickers places them ina dilemma.
“The attitude is: ‘Don’t cut

-pine-.-

.Mushroom:* Co. .

THE PLAN

not take effect until 1995:

locations.
prohibit:

waste.
g Distribute

ing the patches.

tance.

sociation.

Pine Mushroom Task Force recommendations would ~

mg Make mushroom buyers purchase a buyer's licence.
m™ Require buyers to disclose general information
about volume, sales, number of pickers, and general

@ Increase enforcement of existing regulations that
littering, picking in provincial parks, un-
licensed hunting or fishing, and unlicensed dumping of

educational
experienced pickers learn how to pick without damag-

m Support scientific research on the ecolagy of the
pine mushroom in B.C. and its socio-economic impor-

@ Support formation of a pine mushroom industry as-

material. to help in-

integrated.

mushroom pickers on the bus or
gave them money to get their last
tank of gas and get oul.’’

But lo veteran picker Brie Pen-
ner, the real issue is the destruc-
tion ~ of . mushroom-productive
groves by logging.

That is the other great fear of

‘pickers —-that some day they’l!

go out’to the bush and find that
their patch has been logged...

Penner ‘worries: that provincial
‘government officials will wait for
completion of a five-year study of
pine mushrooms, before taking
_ Steps! lo-protect. patches. .,

at

i joa -“T can see an end toit,’’ Penner —

“Thal, he ‘says; shouldbe the

‘main objective “of ‘government

THE
CROP

_. mt Commonly known as
pine mushrooms, the mat-

Consumers shave a little bit
off the mushroom for
flavouring in soups and
meals. “It gives them the
feeling of strength, vitality
and one-ness with nature,”
“Says one exporter,

@ Mushroom buying sta-
tions spring up each fall

around Terrace and near
the picking sites. Tons of
mushrooms are flown out of
the northwest each fall.

Hi Pickers say hype about
earning up to $1,000 a day
picking mushrooms creates
false impressions of the in-

' dustry In the eyes of both
the public and government.
Even the best pickers can go
for days without breaking

‘even because of the expenses
‘of food, gas and lodging.

@ Prices have been on the
rise in recent years, how-

ever, The 25 per cent

- devaluation of the Canadian
dollar against the Japanese
yen over the last four years
means Japanese buyers can .
afford to pay pickers here

. more while charging the
consumer the same price. If
the currency trend con-

- tinues, prices could continue
fo climb. That could attract
more people and put more

eo

_ pressure on the resource.

down my patch, but [ won’l tell
you. where. my patch is.’,’’ says
buyer Harold Smith.

As forests are logged, the num-
ber of productive. mushroom
patches declines, ‘increasing the

number of people working the.

remaining patches.

That, says Penner, will increase
the pressure and tension in the
bush, and. could prompt in-
creasingly | restrictive measures
from government.

Blunily put, the days of plenti-
ful mushroom picking are num-
bered.

said. ‘The only thing that I can
see thai could stop it is a full-

scale land claims settiement. And
after that you'll be into a different
kind of fight,’ -

Norm: Parry, the forest minis-
try’s~-local-- staf£~ member -wha--|--

deals most closely with pie

Mushrooms, ‘agrees thal there is
_ no specific recognilion of pine

mushroom . values in -, existing

“regulations ‘or “the new Forest

Practices Code.

_ But*he predicts there will be -
more opportunity to protect the

fungus in the future,

Parry thinks the forests minisiry
will be able to. get guidance on
how to handle pine mushrooms
and ‘sensitive patches from com-
munily resource boards,

Those are organizations of in-
feresied people from the com-

-munily aimed at giving grassroals

consensus recommendalions on
how to manage the forest.

And Parry confirmed thal local
forests ministry staff already take
important mushroom paiches into
account in decision making on an
unofficial basis.

They do it by configuring cut —

Dlock plans to skirt valuable
patches they know about, or by
nominally including those
patches in areas reserved for old-
growth bicdiversity or wildlife
protection,

Greycloud wants to see pickers
fet organized fast so they can ef-
fectively lobby the goverment.

But some, like Mills, say they
will lobby individually even if
there is no formal group formed.

Milum said some pickers are in-
terested in getting involved in the
process because they think it’s a

‘way to somehow get a secure

tenure or acquire rights to pick in
acertain area.

But she says there are no im-
Mediate plans to award
mushroom-picking fights for

"specific areas to either individuals
. Of groups.

The government’s past record
of awarding forest tenures isn’t
exactly stellar, she noled, and of-

ficials are in no hurry to try to.
regulate pine mushrooms in the“

Same Way.

eee tt

Gaines iaaltien ts.

A GIANT CAMP of pine mushroom pickers brought in from across the country in 1992 by a compa-
ny called Natural Excellence Industries was one of the key incidents that spurred the government
to probe the unregulated pine mushroom industry.

Gov't looks for info

REGULATION of the pine
mushroom industry is probably
coming — but not this year,

Recommendations contalned in
the Pine Mushroom Task Force's
report — released in April —- are
to be in place for the 1995 pick-
ing scason.

“This year we are only requesl-
ing information,’’ says Melanic
Milum, of the foresis ministry’s

" integrated resource management.

branch, ‘This is a way of gather-

. ing information to belter under-

stand the industry.”’
The plan to regulate buyers and
gei information from them on the

size and scope of the industry is
not a plot to begin taxing people,
she says,

Milum conceded that other
levels of government — such as
Revenue Canada ~~ could try to
make use of any permit system
that regulated pickers,

But so far that idea has been
discarded as too cumbersome to
administer.

- Better information would help
them determine what kind of
permanent regulations would
work, ,
Government’s fear, she said, is

ihat conflicls over the resource
will intensify over the next
several years to the point that
they wish they had examined the
industry earlier.

“We're trying io maintain the
pine mushroom industry in the
long run,’’ Milum said.

It takes time to get that informa-
tion and get a picture of what the.
industry consists of, Milum says.

Nothing is certain, she added,

> “In five years we could decide
this is really more trouble than
it’s worth and shelve it,”’ she
said.

Mushroom research begins

A RESEARCH PROJECT to in-
-vestigale the pine mushroom and
its harvest is getting underway in

‘the Nass Valley.

Is’ being conducted by. forest
‘milnistry researchers: in conjunc- °
-_ tion with the Nisga’a. © _

Both. Nisga’a. and non-native

pickers in the 5,700 hectare plot

will pick there, but they will: be ._
“required fo. give. information on

whai they pick.»
‘The. goal is to wel information

_ about wes

M Pine mushivom ecology.

M@ The sacic-economic benefits .

of the harvesi,

M@ Environmental and health
problems associated. with camps
and picking.

The study area is on. the north

"side of the Nass River, above the’

old Alyansh Indian reserve,
This, year’s: study: will: last the
duration of mushroom season, but

_ parent
it's’ expected: to. be the first-year
Of a detailed five-year. study, of
on pine mushroom issues.

The ecology portion of the

study is being coordinated by Dr.
Shannon Berch, a forest soil
ecologist.

We're trying to figure out
what the mushroom is really
‘doing in the forest, becduse no-
‘body really knows,” she said,

Researchers hope to learn more

‘about: the pine -mushroom’s: ap-
relatlonsiip

symbiotic: :

with the surrounding” trees;
Berch also hopes detailed map-
ping of the study area will help

idenlify what factors —_ like

elevation, iree species, tree age,

and soil type — are required for

- good mushroom production. ~

- That knowledge,’ coupled with

‘existing forest. Inventory. data,
"could be used to predict the loca-
‘tons of: Hkely. piné mushroom

patches elsewhere in the region.
‘For. more. information on. the

project, contact Norm Party.at.the -
forest: service: office,’ or Steve
> Azak at. Ahe Nisgi’a a Telbal Couns: .

cil.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 13, 1994 AS

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

Names best avoided

Dear Sir:

‘Jacab Nyce’s criticism of MP Mike Scoll is problematic. I gen-
erally disagree with whal Mr, Scott has to say, but [ will defend
him to the extent that he has the right to express himself without
being attacked personally.

It seems if someone criticizes land claims they? 1e “*biased”’,
using '* fear tactics”, are ‘‘redneck’’ or, as others have said, racist.

Personal attacks and*name¢’ calling (‘‘He’s‘a big bag of wind’)
do nothing to’ resolve: differences and do a lot ta reinforce
prejudice. When someone attacks someone personally it does
more {o prove that they don’t have much of a counter argument; if
is known as an ad hominem argument (arguing to the man), and it
is a fallacy,

Mr. Nyce says, fil show him that. we gol nothing for our land.
Thal land was taken away” from us.” That argument is only par-
tially correct,

In my mind, the people of the Nass. left. the tand (ic. land
reliance) as much as others look it from them; they’ve became
city dependent as much as’anyone else. What determines whether
itis “our land’’? People have rights to land to the extent that they
respect and work the land and take on responsibilities.

When Mr. Nyce-say he'll show Mr, Scott ‘*what we’re doing to

- bring back the salmon habitat’, thal is right on. To the extent that

the people of the.Nass take-on responsibilities and labour for land
they have rights and my support for land claims.

Let’s stay away from name calling and false arguments.

. ae . . Yours,

Wiliam Hayes,

Terrace, BC,

It’s easy to complain

Dear Sirs

Mike Scott, MP Skeena, scems to have some fundamental dif-
ficulty understanding the Canadian political system and the Land
Claims process. He would have us believe that there has been no
opportunity for representatives from the forest sector to voice
their concerns.

Fact: There. is a forest sector committee with broad representa-
tion from the forest industry that meets directly with the Federal
and Provincial negotiating teams. They meet often and on a regu-
Jar basis.

Mike Scott either does not understand what is going on or is
deliberalely distorling the facts to further his own agenda. His
threat to hold his own hearings is nothing more than cheap grand:
standing on an issue that is golng to take a huge amount of leader-
ship and goodwill to get through.

It’s a lot easier lo whine, complain, and criticize than to come
up with answers to enormously difficult problems. So much for
Reforms promises to be positive and ‘*change’’ ihe face of Cana-
dian politics.

His opposition to the land claims process is an ill considered ai-
tempt to sustain a status-quo that hasn’t worked for anyone. It is

_ tronic, and unbelievably sad, that the véry.ones that decry the

"present situation are the first to criticize any honest attempt to dis-
mantle the paternalistic sysiem that is one of the Toot causes of
dysfunction in Native communilies.

I am not a believer in collective guilt but there is a | fundamental
issue of justice to First Nations that must be resolved. Is it dif-
ficult and painful for us as Canadians to come to terms with the
enormity of what happened io the indigenous people ; of this. coun
try? Yes.

Will it require open hearts and open minds to resolve? Yes.

Will the solution completely satisty any of the parties involved?
Probably nat:

Mike Scott should take the time to ‘ponder ‘the heartbreak that
Nisge’a parents must face when they contemplate the future of
their children -- 90%-unemployment and fish stocks in decline.

The saddest part of it all is that we as a society do not have the
resources left to bring justice to this issue. How could we ever
compensate First Nations for what has been done to them? What
would Mr. Scott consider just compensation for the kidnapping of
Native children into the residential schools, and the horrors that
went on there? What is a lost childhood worth? How would he
place a value on the loss of innocence?

Does he deny that racism is a factor thal Native people have io
live with every day of their lives?

If My. Scott goes ahead with his idea of meetings I can only
hope that First Nations will use it as an opportunity to educate the
public, and Mr. Scott, on wliat is really at sake here.

Most Canadians want to see certainty and justice come to this is-
sue. For most Canadians the greatest fear is that this process will
drag on forever...

That is why Mike Scott’s cheap grasianding on this issue is
unforgivable. He brings dishonour to himself and-to our com-
munity. Shame on him, And shame on the Standard for the lack of
_ balance Init its’ reporting on. this issuc. |

Terrace, I}C,

For more letters, see page A&.

THE START IS FOR PEOPLE LEARNING TO READ

Bruce Hill, '

_ The Start

Save VIA rail

-IF ALL communities in the northwest work together,

the VIA rail passenger train service could be saved.
:; So Smithers council] wants Terrace and others to
‘come up with the money needed to carry out a study.
The study would show why keeping the passenger
train is important for people living here.

Terrace is being asked to give $2,500 towards the -

cost of hiring someone to do the study. Council has
asked one of ils committees to look at the request,

‘More fish facts:

FISHERIES department staff hope a project being =
- carried out this summer will tell them a lot more about
‘steelhead runs.

-The federal fisheries department will use up to five
‘boats to net steelhead, Radio transmitters will be at-
tached to about 350 fish so they can be tracked as they

‘swim into the Skeena river system. The: ‘tiny ‘trans-

milters cost $300 each.
By counting the number of fish with transmittérs that

_ get to the fish spawning grounds, it should be possible
to calculate’-how. many steelhead | in” total are in the

rivers that flow into the Skeena.,,