Tree huggers and clearcutters

in the spring of 1995. The
letter demanded a reduction

By JOHN FARRELL

HOW DO you get tree-
huggers and clearcutters to
agree on a way lo manage
the forests without conflict?

Better still, how do you
get such’ traditional adver-

saries to ensure that ecologi- .

cal.° sustainability and
forestry jobs top the agenda,

While. it’ sounds’ next ta
impossible outside the realm
of the -province-led CORE

and LKMP master plans, the.
people of Queen Charlotte ©

Islands/Haida. Gwaii-
done just-that.-

The fruit of that achieve-
ment was ‘signed on the ‘is-
lands Monday, Sept. 23 be-
tween the communities and
the “Ministry. of Forests’ in
the form. of-a Memorandum
of Understanding.’
agreement that also’ comes
with the support. of such
logging giants as MacMillan
Bloedel and _TimberWest
‘Forests Ltd,

"Civil disobedience in the
woods began 13: years ago
at the blockades on Lyell Is-
land,’ says Dale:Lore, chair
of the Islands Community

have

Stability Initiative,.a board «

of community leaders spear-
heading the process.
‘‘Now from the same is-

I's an

lands we've found a better
way to approach resource is-
sues through consensus
among communities. This
way everybody wins.’’
While the agreement docs

not promise - such” radical :

Measures’ as tenure. reform,
it does™ set outa’ plan for
‘protected areas rich in old
growth,’ provides: a- com-
munity” forest ‘licence “and
establishes” a .local’ -forest
council, whose: job willbe
to-ensure a balance belween
timber ~ and'» non-timber
resources... -

“The :story ‘of this unique

process begins with a crisis.
Years of overcutting, in ‘the
timber. supply area in partic-
ula, finally caught up with
the islands‘and became: pub-
lic. in’ a teport. released’ by
the: ‘Ministry. of Forests: lwo
years ago.-

The forecast was ugly —
there were: more than twice
the ‘number:of trees being
harvested: ‘then the forests
could sustain and only 14
per cent of the jobs derived
from the Timber Supply.
Area were held by «local
people. .'

In’ response, representa-

lives of all community and
regional electoral areas sent
a letter to the Chief Forester

of the annual cut to a
sustainable level ~ within
three years and that all areas
considered for — exclusion
from harvesting be removed
from the annual allowable

By the fall, the local. dis-

trict manager of ‘the ‘forest -

service. proclaimed that -the
industry: onthe’ islands: had
“hit’ the. wall.” The - prog-
nosis for 1996 was grim —
the forests” ~~ ministry
projected 2 30° per. cent
decrease in the annual al-

lowable cul levels ‘resulting |

in immiediate job floss —
and the fookout for 1997,
worse yet.

The ‘Islands communities
wee challenged. by~ the
forests ministry to sit down
together and’come up with
solutions to the timber supp-
ly erisis.. The . -ministry
warned | that
munities failed to-, make
progress by Feb, | of this
year, the government would
be forced to -make decisions
for them.

What followed was a
scries of meetings among
community leaders, an: ex-
haustive schedule of public
consultations to secure a

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wr sense”

the: Islands

if the. com- ”

mandate, and then negotia-
ions with both industry and
government,

. While it can be said the
group was established to
solve.a timber supply. crisis,
Cammunily
Stability Initiative (ICSI

. went beyond such a limited

mandate to design a process
ihat puts decisions affecting
islands: - forests’:

“A core group of nine men
and women logged more

“than

i into ~ the.
hands of local communities.

than 4,000 volunteer hours
over a period of 11 months
to come up with a partner-
ship agreement with’ the
forests ministry.

“There's more to forestry
logging,’ / said
Guujaaw, who sits on ‘the
ICSI board representing the
Haida of Skidegate Village.
‘And there’s- more to com-
munity. stability ‘than eco-
hontics.. We now have an
opportunity to* move -alicad
in an orderly manner know-

ing what will remain of
these islands.”’

A signing ceremony and
feast were. held this’ past
Monday at the “George
Brown Recreation Centre in
Skidegate: with ‘forests -‘min-
ister. Dave . Zirmhelt © and
deputy premier. Dan Miller
in attendance.

John. Farrell is .coa-

‘ordinator for the Islands

Community Stability Initia-
five.

TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE 1.W.A.
FOREST INDUSTRY PENSION PLAN

You have only until

DECEMBER 1, 1996

to prove your past service.

Past service is time worked prior to the
date your employer joined the Plan.

For more information please call:

1-800-828-2279

&

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the world...
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