Commentary I foresee trouble on the horizon over the new proposals to hand over stronger tenures to forest companies and to give them the prime responsibility for reforestation. ‘I'd like to cite a little past experience for starters. When, as assistant to the moose biologist in Ontario, I was entrusted with finding out why moose were declining through northwestern Ontario, I met a forester who gave me an . insight into why there were such ‘large clear cuts and seemingly little regenerated forest. __ I was particularly troubled by a patch ten miles long and a mile wide. He told me that the regenera- tion figures of the major com- pany were being falsified. ' He -said that regeneration surveys were in fact being con- ducted within stands of residuals left around swamps. He did not want his name mentioned, and he was deathly afraid of a scan- dal and retribution. I informed the chief forester, George Brown at that time, and he revoked the operating license _ ED STEWAR| RUSS SHALER Smithers Sates Prince Rupert ONice Manaqer Salas Aep KEITH WILSON by Jorma Jyrkkanen of the holder. He shut down the biggest company in northwestern On- tario until such time as they gave him a firm commitment to re- generation. Now, I am not suggesting that the companies in B.C. would do such a thing, but merely point- ing out the possibility that it will have to be guarded against, Those companies that have a cut-and-run attitude - and I know of more than a few-will be trying to get out of their respon- sibility once the cream of the crop has been, cut and sold, Enforcement to ensure com- pliance with the regeneration commitment, and penalties, will have to be worked out, as will costing of these new bureaucra- cies — perhaps these could be ticd to Tree Farm License tenure. The problem is that those companies that experience dif- ficult times — and almost all do during some point due to market downturns or as aa result of bad corporate decisions or lack of wood — will be trying to skimp on their regeneration commit- BILL WANOLER Smithers Smithers TOM ENDEAN Prince George Sales Rep. ment. Because of the future ramifi- cations of skimping of regener- ation, the public would not be well served by such a situation, and it should be guarded against. For this reason, I oppose handing over silviculture to companies. It is far safer en- trusted into the hands of a theoretically more impartial and financially well-off Public ser- vice, buoyed up as it is by tax dollars, It is too valuable an invest- ment to entrust to the vagaries of the private corporate world. On the matter of stronger tenure, I am also opposed, un- less there are criteria that are met, Often, I have seen small clumps of trees that could have been harvested more efficiently with smaller equipment, but it was impossible because it form- ed part of someone else’s Tree Farm License, someone who ‘wasn’t geared up to do such a fine-tuned job. I’ve also seen small operators crying for wood while larger Operators sat on it unable to commit the materials because of questionable profitability of small scale operations. ~~ Meet your new neighbours. We re > the Nelson Great Western Homes Team. a special place. you see. ,. Sales Rep. Con. Ca-ordinatar + Each one of us is a home building specialist who can help you with financing, design, choice of material and a whole lot more information that will help make your new home Call one of our Nelson Great Western Home designs. We know you'll like what LOCATION: The Smithers Safeway Mall Call Us Today: 847-9303 /624- 5335 $8.00 FREE! the attached coupon. home building specialists today and »+---~-----_ take a look at the wide range of (Name: OUR NEW SIGNATURE COLLECTION AND TOWN & COUNTRY SERIES Home Plans Books are now available. Total value Pick them up at our new Sales Office or mail | Terrace Review — Wednesday, April 13, 1988 7 - More tenure, fewer trees, big problems raning Tree Farm Licenses will favor the large operators, but I believe they are too ineffi- cient for carrying out many tasks and for taking advantage of many opportunities. Consequently, granting great- er stability of tenures will harm the small operator and cause the loss of many important oppor- tunities (that, incidentally, could be conducted in an environmen- tally sound manner) by small operators, Because of this, it is clear to me that it is important that Tree Ng a Farm License tenure should be tied to agreements to contract out special opportunities to small operators, within the Tree Farm License, if it is being managed in a way that over- looks these special opportun- ities. From this look at two issues surrounding Tree Farm License tenure, I am led to the conclu- sion that it is not in the public interest to go this route, and must go on record as opposing these new ‘privatization’ laws. - New chief at Thornhill An education professional with 24 years of teaching and ad- ministrative experience, Marion Desjardins, has been appointed to the principalship of Thornhill Elementary School. She will replace Bob Peacock, who has transferred to Cassie Hall Elementary School. Desjardins has worked as a teacher and teacher-librarian in Coquitlam and in Kamloops and has been the District Coor- dinator of Resources and Cur-: ticulum in Golden, Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Educa- WHO'S HERE MAIL 10: Address: Province: P. Code: | i | l | I City: _ | | | | | ph:__"_ 1-800-661-6534. Nelson Great Western Homes P.O. Box 620 Lloydminster, Alberta So¥ o¥s tion and a Master of Arts Degree in Educational Administration- Curriculum. She has done addi- tional post-graduate work at the University of Idaho in instruc- tional theory and at the Univer- sity of British Columbia in education administration and special education. Desjardins has been active in the ‘Effective Schools’? pro- gramme, in staff development, the implementation of the new math curriculum, the whole language approach to the lang- uage arts, and the introduction of computers to the classroom. 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