I.W.A. Forest Policy

Continued from page seventeen

We therefore reject as false environmental-
ism many schemes for the cessation or reduc-
tion of commercial forestry.

Many such schemes are wrong, in part be-
cause they fail to realize that the world’s cur-
rent demand for forest products will not
cease simply because Canadians stop or re-
duce our harvest of timber. Instead timber
harvesting will simply be transferred to other
nations and regions where forest practices
are not as stringently regulated or as well en-
forced, are less efficient or require the de-
struction of tropical rainforest, with resulting
deforestation.

These proposals are wrong, as well, be-
cause they would also result in the substitu-
tion for wood and paper such products as
aluminum, steel and other metals; plastic;
concrete; brick and other non-renewable sub-
stances, all of which require more energy at
very stage from production through recy-
cling.

Finally, they are wrong, as we have earlier
stated, because it is wrong for some parts of
the world to forego production of necessary
products from their land and resources, sim-
ply to consume those produced in other
parts of the world, out of other peoples’
stock of resources and by other peoples’
labour.

Unless they are needed to achieve long-
term sustainability, then, reduction of timber
harvest levels in Canada would do little to im-
prove the world’s environment. It would do
much, however, to eliminate job opportuni-
ties, disrupt communities and damage or de-

18/LUMBERWORKER/APRIL, 1997

stroy the economy of forest-based towns
across Canada.

We will therefore carefully scrutinize all
proposals for removal of lands from the work-
ing-forest. They must be justifiable as essen-
tial to the biophysical well-being of the
forests; they must be shown to be better can-
didate areas than others that do not require
disruption of the forest industry. We will par-
ticularly reject proposals based on aesthetic,
cosmetic or other considerations that lack
any scientific basis.

There are many reasonable ways to reduce
the visual impact of forestry: while these
should be implemented wherever it is eco-
nomic or safe to do so, the Canadian public
and visitors to this country must learn that
timber harvesting and forestry contribute vi-
tally to our economy and they must expect to
see our traces on the landscape.

It is also important for Canadians to under-
stand that low-elevation, flat and fertile lands
are often best suited to forestry, since these
lands often offer the best growing sites and
because forestry on these lands is usually
safest, requires less road building and con-
sumes less fossil fuels.

At the same time, we commit to implement
forest planning and carry out forest activities
in ways that minimize environmental risk and
reduce environmental damage.

To this end we agree in principle that:

e harvest practices should generate clear-
cut openings that are consistent with natural
disturbance types for the affected ecosystem;
blocks should be consistent with worker safe-
ty and ecosystem health;

e land-use decisions should reflect broad
environmental considerations;

e road-building should be minimized and

roads should be built to the highest possible
environmental standards;

e domestic water, wetlands and fish habitat
should not be adversely affected by forestry
activities;

¢ rotation age should depend primarily on
the needs of ecosystems and the dictates of
long-term sustainability;

* chemical use should be minimized and
when absolutely necessary to the health of
the forests, their use should be closely and
strictly monitored from the standpoint of the
health of the workers, the community and the
ecosystem. This includes care in the choice of
forest fertilizers used in intensive silviculture;

* to the extent this is consistent with the
need to retain course, woody debris on log-
ging sites, measures must be taken to reduce
waste of wood through stringent utilization
standards, higher stumpage, product develop-
ment and recycling. :

We are prepared to work with conservation
groups, communities, industry and others
who share our vision and support our pro-
gram. At the same time, we absolutely oppose
groups that adopt terrorist tactics or who or-
ganize environmental boycotts of our forest
products. In particular, there is no place in a
democratic society for tactics such as indus-
trial sabotage or tree spiking, which threaten
to maim or kill forest workers and others.
Governments should adopt and enforce laws
that specifically prohibit such actions and
that carry severe penalties.

Because forest products represent Canada’s
largest single source of export earnings, har-
vest reductions will reduce our ability to “pay
our way” internationally and reduce our abili-
ty to buy other nations’ products. They would
reduce the tax dollars that flow into provin-
cial, federal and municipal treasuries. And
they would disrupt the unique way of life that
forest employment makes available to work-
ers in a diversity of Canadian towns, villages
and rural communities.

Haggard Interview

Continued from page ten

We wild-catted on a regular basis. I began to
get involved in union affairs because we were

in so many fights in that camp on a regular ba-

sis. I took an interest in the union fairly early
on in my work life in the forest industry and I
just progressed through that.

Lumberworker: Who were your mentors in
the local union, then at the provincial and the
national level?

Haggard: Well, I always like to think a cou-
ple of my old cronies were always there to
give me advice when needed and to show me
in the direction that they thought was correct.
They were never critical when I didn’t follow
their lead. They were always there to offer
their help and advice and that’s John Isaac
and Aubrey Price who are a couple of old fall-
ers in Franklin River and were on the commit-,
tee and active in the union from the day that I
stepped in there and for many years before
that. So, I think those two guys really showed
me an opportunity to be able to expand my
thinking and my abilities. As far as into the lo-
cal and national levels, I always like to think
that it’s the membership who gave me the in-
sight to be able to do my job better and gave
me the tools that I have needed to progress as
a trade unionist and to the job that I now
have.

Lumberworker: Do you have any one goal
right now that you can set out as your most
important one to acheive during your time as
the national president of the I.W.A.?

Haggard: | think the major thing that I
want to help accomplish is making our union
into a truly national organization and pulling
the east and the west together as one unit. I
think that it is a challenge that nobody's really
jumped on yet. I really think that it is impor-
tant for us to be truly representative of our
membership in this country and I think that
we can do that through organizing and
through a greater presence in all provinces. I
think that we all have to accept that challenge
rather than sitting back and protecting only
our own domains. I think that we have to kick
those doors down and move on.