MORE THAN ©
OLD TREES

The Old Growth Committee hears from Terrace...
briefly

war

ch, .

‘ TT exsace re reviews on ithe draft strategy of the Ministry of Forests’ Old Growth Strategy : 2

Project. appear: +o range from lukewarm ‘to cold. Four: project representatives spent L

March: 11 in Terrace. In the. -afternoon: they spent three hours with local resource _
a agencies. In the évening they. hosted a three-hour public information and question and J!
answer session at the Inn of the West attended by about 45 local people.

- Those who attended the public session learned a little about the project and heard

cite specific questions answered by a four-person panel consisting of Pat-Fechtner, Colin
Rankin, Andy MacKinnon::and Ken Zielke. Topics included rumours of political
_. intervention in the committee's workings, claims of poor representation, concerns about
-. site- specific logging moratoriums, management practices, the need for remanufacturing |
.. . facilities, and the futility of. devising a strategy that might ultimately be derailed by
; native land ‘claims. |.

. Most disappointing at ‘the public meeting, perhaps, \ was the fact the city’s Forestry

Commission chairman Gerry Dodd delivered the city’s official critique at the door and

not.in person. For that reason those in attendance weren't apprised of the content of

i . that: report or the réaction of the panel to the city’s official position, a position’ that
is suggests: “We don’t need you. We don’t want you.”

In the absence of public discussion on the city’s submission, we contacted a.

an ; _miember of the Old Growth Strategy committee for a response. The following is the
an complete text of the, “City of Terrace Forestry Commission Report to the Old Growth
Strategy Working Group, March 1992," and the paragraph-by-paragraph response of

Andy MacKinnon. ~~” :
- MacKinnon, besides. being: one of 80 Old Growth committee members responsible

a : for the draft, is a. professional forester, a member of the project’s Old Growth Research’
~ and Inventory Team, and is employed by the Ministry of Forests’ Forests Science
| Research Branch in Victoria.

‘Sitting. on: the city’s Forestry Commission are. » Rod: Arnold, Alec Bolton, Don

: a Chesley, Gerry. ‘Dodd, Alec Houlden, Wilfred McKenzie, John McMynn, Surinder
a Malhotra, Pat Ogawa and Dan: Tuomi. |

"The City of Terrace recognizes the importance’ of Forestry to the local economy. As

7 a result i in, 1990. the. City. formed a "Forestry Commission" to advise it on forestry issues.
“ Tn. the eet year. isaties such, as s TSA. Plans, Parks Plans, Wilderness Plans, a Forest