es] Banning snowmobiles Leave the benches alone A league of their own can go\NEWS A7 Local residents meet to decide where in the backcountry people Vandals can’t keep their destructive paws off the memorial benches at the library\COMMUNITY B1 The Northwest Merchants fastball team is topping the charts in Prince George\SPORTS B5 ~ STANDARD $1.00 PLUS 7¢ GST. ($1.10 plus 8¢ GST outside of the a Terrace area) |). : VOL, 12 NO. 10° Skeena Cel goes for the gree Company says it needs independent certification of its logging practices to satisfy Europeans By JEFF NAGEL PRESSURE from environmental groups has forced Skeena Cellulose to seek a green stamp of approval to keep selling pulp in Europe. Activists there have had a trickledown ef- fect, forcing publishers to push paper pro- ducers, who in tum are pushing pulp sup- pliers for assurances of sustainable forest management, Skeena Cellulose now has no choice but to follow the lead of companies like Mac- Millan Bloedel in seeking independent cer- tification of its logging operations, says forest resources manager Archie Mac- Donald. “We can’t afford not to,’ MacDonald said, ‘‘Things have been progressing to the point we could be restricted from market access if we don’t react.’” Despite the B.C. government's develop- ment of the Forest Practices Code to give assurances of proper logging practices, MacDonald says the international market is insisting on independent audits that are out- side the control of local governments. Skeena Cellulose will initially go forward with the casier-to-achieve Intemational Standards Organization (ISO) 14001 certi- fication on all its forest holdings. At the same time, MacDonald added, SCI will also seek the more desirable Canadian Standards Association (CSA) certification’ of its tree farm licence and Kalum timber supply arca holdings — basically the Ter- race area forests, but not ones in the Nass and around Hazelton and Smithers. *Burope wants more than ISO, and that’s where CSA comes in,” he explained. Buyers from Europe purchase about a third of Skeena Cellulose’s pulp. “Things are moving pretty quickly,” he added. ‘With what’s happening we’re being forced to pursue the CSA designation a lot faster than we anticipated.” The company first looked into certifica- tion in 1996, but the idea was put on hold when the firm was cut loose by patent com- pany Repap Enterprises and the restructur- ing crisis ensued. “It's going to cost us some moncy,”’ MacDonald said of certifcation. “We think the benefits will outweigh the costs.” Besides being a good marketing and com- munication tool, he said, certification can also improve practices, adding it's basically good for business, “I don’t think it’s going to be that cost- ly,” he said, noting SCI has a good record of Forest Practices Code compliance, Clearcutting, MacDonald said, is allowed under 1SO certification. Under CSA certification, however, final say on issues like that rest with a com- tunity board who represent local wishes and are to take into account environmental, social and economic factors, The importance of public involvement in cerlification is also why the company is planning a public meeting to give an initial explanation of its certification plans. It’s scheduled for Thursday June 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Terrace Inn. MacMillan Bloedel was the first B.C. company to get certification on its North Is- land licence, followed by Weldwood and Weyerhauser. Olher companies are now also looking into certification, he added. “It’s a new world and we're diving in,”’ MacDonald said, Fleeing car kills grads trip w Ro WILLIAM and Isolde Boehm were basking in the sun as they cruised into town from Dawson Creek. The two have been on the road for two weeks and are a glimmer of hape that the slow start | to tourism in the north will pick up as the weather gets better, Talstra refutes claim he’s a party man IMAYOR JACK TALSTRA says he resents MP Mike Scott's suggestion he’s just a dutiful pawn of the fed- eral Liberals for his support of the Nisga’a treaty. “T resent Mike Scott lumping me in like that,’’ he said, ‘‘If there's anybody that does not toe the party line it’s probably me." They mayor was responding to a June 3 exchange in the House of Commons in which Indian affairs minister Jane Stewart suggested Reformers look to the support of the Nisga’a treaty given by Ter- race’s mayor and council. Scott had fesponded that Talstra is known as Road puts grizzlies in jeopardy Report may affect approval of $30m road to Kincolith A PLANNED $30 million road ‘ connecting the coastal village of Kincolith with the rest of the Nass Valley will affect vital grizzly bear habitat, indicates an environmental assessment of the project. And the chances of increased contact with humans after the road is built could result in grizzly deaths beyond what is suslainable, a ‘‘good Liberal’’ and can be ex- pected to fall into line with the party’s wishes. Talstra sald he’s taken provincial Liberal leader Gordon Campbell to task on some issues despite an af-. filiation to that party and says be’s also supported the NDP goverm- ment at times, “They were right in supporting SCI. And-I think they’re right in supporting the trealy process, too,’ he said. ‘“There are also idiotic and stupid things the NDP has done and we've called them on that,’’ He said there needs to be greater flexibility for politicians to the federal-provincial report says, The report says the 24km road route will go through the forage ter- ritory now occupied by between 40-60 grizzly bears out of a regional population of between 175-270 grizzlies. “Even with a complete ban on legal hunting, mortality could still be at unsustainable levels as a, result of illegal hunting and ‘problem’ bear control,’ notes the Teport in comments from provincial environment ministry biologist Tony Hamilton. represent their communities rather than their parties. “That’s what’s wrong with politicians today,” he added, “They can’t get away from the party line. They are yessirs and yes" men for whatever the party or the - leader of the party might come up with,”’ he said. The same is true for Reformers, he added, “They've done asinine things in following Preston Manning. No wonder federal and provincial politicians are held in low esteem. As soon as they’re elected they shut’ down their brains and follow the “The direct mortality is expected to be 4-6 animals per year, depend- ing on the tevel of bear/iuman con- flict, a level that could exceed the limit for all human-caused mortalities scross the entire [grizzly] population unit,”’ Hamilton's comments continue. The report’s warnings about griz- . zly deaths and habitat loss are enough to have some provincial of- ‘ficials worrted about how the pro- ject will be judged as it’ gocs. through a combined federal. provincial approval process,” leader, even if it means going over a cliff.’ Talstra added city declaration of a week in appreciation of the Nisga’a in April — cited in the House by Stewart — was in recognition of their economic role here and of their convention being in Terracc, rather than support of the treaty. “They are an important con- tributor to our economy. If the truth be known they probably kept our community afloat during a recession-like time,”” he said. “It was nol specifically about the treaty, although we do support the treaty.’” A review of the environmental assessment is now underway in or- der to determine what can be done about the impacts the road will cause, Depending upon what happens from the review, @ project certifi- cale could be granted as carly as this fall. A provincial highways ministry report circulated at the April Nisga’a Tribal Council convention here notes, “Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency ~ Continued Pg. A2 Chase was justified, police By CHRISTIANA WIENS RCMP say they were following new provincial rules governing high-speed [& pursuits when 1 stolen vehicle they were chasing hit another car Friday night, kilt ing two Caledonia students due to graduate this month, : Laura Alison Lee, 17, and Renaud 1 Maurice Fontaine, 19, died instantly at § the intersection of Hwy 16 and 37 a 1:38 a.m. when their car was struck by a 1992 Hyundai Sonata police estimate wis wavelling al 140 kilometres per hour, ; RCMP officers who were in Thornhill 10 investigate an unrelated report of gun- fF shots chased the car three kilometres f from the far end of River Dr, after dis- § covering it had been stolen an hour ear- lier, said RCMP Sgt. Darcy Gollan. It had not been speeding or doing any- thing suspicious when officers gave chase, Gollan said. - He said police used sirens and flashing lights in the pursuit and were contem- plating the use of spike belts w stop the fleeing car when it hit the Toyota curry- ing Lee and Fontaine at the four-way stop. New regulations adopted a year ago require police to continu- ally assess public risk as circumstances of a chase change. Pursuits can only happen if an officer believes the offence is say Renaud Fontaine - serious enough and the need for immediate apprehension out- - weighs any risk to public safety created by the chase. Gollan said the decision to pursue was based on the light traf- fic that night, road conditions and other faetors, . Asked at what point police. would have broken off the chase had it continued at high speeds over the new bridge and onto Keith Ave, Gollan would nat sity, ne “That would be speculation,” he said. “Uni not Buing to go there.” _ : “This was the start of a pursuit,” Gollan stressed, The occupants of the fleeing vehicle - 18-year-old Terrace men Aaron James Douglas and Jeffrey Louis Payne ~ were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Continued Page A2 where two Caledonia graduales died Friday night after thelr car was hit by a stolen car fleeing police. *