BRITISH COLUMBIA

The changes in forest policy an-
nounced last Tuesday by provincial Min-
ister of Lands and Forests Dave Parker
conceals a major giveaway to the forest
Monopolies in line with the Socred
government's privatization policies, while

demands to curb some of the excesses of
the forest companies.

_ The most harmful change is the deci-
Sion to increase private sector domina-
Hon of public forest lands through a vast
€xpansion of tree farm licenses. At pres-
ent, about 29 per cent of the annual
umber harvest comes from existing tree
farm licenses. Under the new policy the

FL program will be expanded to pro-
vide 67 per cent of the annual
Cut — more than doubling the existing
tree farm licence program.

This is a basic change in forest policy
and the most important one in Parker’s
announcement. It means that the giant
forest monopolies will have a more pow-
erful grip on B.C.’s forest resource than
€ver before. The Communist Party has

Consistently proposed the phasing out of
the TFLs over a number of years and
Teturn of control and management of
Public forests to the public sector.

To make this change in policy even
More inimical to the public interest, the
New policy provides for an extension of
the term of tenure of TFLs. At present,

FLs are issued for 21 years. At one time

they were granted in perpetuity but pub-
lic protest forced the government to

Far from negotiating a fair settlement
With the Aluminum Company of Canada
(Alcan), federal Fisheries Minister Tom

\ddon “just caved in to Alcan’s demands

_ nthe Nechako River,” the president of the

ited Fishermen and Allied Workers’

nion charged Sept. 18.

In addition, Jack Nichol told a press con-
*tence at the union’s headquarters, the deal
Could well be the first move towards the
Privatization of B.C. Hydro, allowing

Ican to increase its power generating
“apacity at the expense of water flows on the

€chako River.

“We've had an opportunity to review the
agreement of Sept 14 and we can’t help but
Teach the conclusion that Tom Siddon
faved in to the demands of Alcan and caved
N to the demands of ‘the provincial
80vernment which had supported Alcan’s

_ Water licence,” Nichol told reporters.

hile Alcan gets out of the agreement
Pretty well everything it wants,” the deal
Will reduce flows on the Nechako River by a
Urther 40 per cent and provide dubious
Safeguards for the fishery. According to
°cuments appended to the agreement by
‘lsheries officials, the agreement will result
™ water flows that are only a fraction
— less than 14 per cent, for example, for the
Months of July and August — of the flows
°Tginally sought by the department.
The UFAWU, together with the Rivers
fence Coalition, which had opposed
Alcan’s plans for the Nechako River, is

&

demanding a review of the Sept. 14 agree-

Ment before the standing committee on
'Sheries which Nichol said should conduct
Public hearings in B.C. as part of the review
Process,
“The agreement should be shelved until
there has been a full examination,” he said.
With the Sept. 14 agreement, the federal
partment of fisheries and oceans backed
Way from a seven-year-old court fight with
Ican, agreeing instead to allow the alumi-
‘um multinational to reduce flows on the

Making some concessions to public _

The province

Maurice Rush

change that policy. Now tenure will be
extended.

Nowhere in Parker’s announcement,
however, is there any indication how
long the new term of tenure will be. That
will presumably be decided by the Socred
cabinet at a later date. Again, the devel-
opment represents a massive shift
towards privatization of B.C. public
forest lands.

Another provision which is equally
dangerous to the future of B.C. forest
resources is the announcement that the
private sector will now have full respon-
sibility for carrying through reforesta-
tion. That sounds good on the surface,
but what it means in practice is that the
fate of B.C.’s forests will depend almost
wholly on the willingness of the private
sector to invest in replanting pro-
grams — and that willingness certainly
hasn’t been there in the past.

The failure of many forest companies
to carry through adequate reforestation
programs’ has «resulted in millions of

Changes hint at forests privatization

acres of forest lands being depleted or
understocked. When reforestation inter-
feres with the profits of the forest com-
panies, it will be sacrificed.

In a letter to the government on the
forestry white paper issued earlier this
year, the Communist Party advocated
that a massive reforestation and silvicul-
ture program of $1.5 billion over the next
five years be undertaken by the govern-
ment to restore the depleted forest
resource. The letter also advocated that
the cost of that program be borne by a
reforestation tax of 15 per cent on the
value of all trees cut in B.C.

Only such a large scale public refores-
tation program can restore B.C.’s forests
and ensure an active program of forest
renewal. The present proposal of the
government not only extends the domi-

_ nation by the private sector of the forest

resource, but also places the future of
that resource in the hands of the private
sector — a frightening prospect for
B.C.

friendly manner .

‘This government likes to treat corporations in a
.. the agreement is sheer

capitulation to the interests of Alcan.’

— Jack Nichol

Nechako River and increase power genera-
tion from the Kenney Dam, built by Alcan
in the 1950s as part of the huge Kitimat-
Kemano project. .

In return, Alcan agreed to “‘abandon its
rights in perpetuity” to further development
on the Nanika and Morice Rivers and to
construct an additional facility behind the
Kenney Dam to provide for the release of
cold water into the Nechako River to pro-
tect fish stocks.

Significantly, the agreement was reached
without any consultation with the Carrier-
Sekani Tribal Council despite the fact that
the federal government has accepted for
negotiation their land claim in the area. The
Carrier Indians were the first to be affected
by the decline of salmon stocks on the river
following completion of the massive
Kemano development.

In 1950, Alcan was granted an unprece-
dented water licence on the Nechako River
system by the province of B.C., allowing the
company to construct a dam to generate
power for its aluminum smelter at Kitimat.
Since that time, the company has launched
a number of project proposals for further

_dams and water diversion but has shelved

them in the face of opposition from fisher-
men and environmentalists.

‘In 1980, following the passage of the fed-
eral Fisheries Act, the federal government
took Alcan to court and was successful in
forcing the company to increase water flows
from the dam’s reservoir to protect fisheries.
But Alcan, backed by the provincial
government, challenged the government’s

jurisdiction and the case has been before the
courts ever since.

It was to have returned to the courts for a
judicial ruling following a deadline on nego-
tiations of Aug. 31 but Fisheries Minister
Tom: Siddon suddenly announced the
agreement Sept. 14.

Yet the federal government had no rea-
son to fear a court challenge of its
legislation — which had already been
upheld in a 1980 case — and the deal which
the government signed is full of unanswered
questions, Nichol said.

“Why the minister should fear a chal-
lenge of its legislation is absolutely beyond
me and the members of our executive,” he
told reporters. “The federal Fisheries Act is
a very powerful piece of legislation if it’s
used properly.”

Former Liberal fisheries minister Romeo

' LeBlanc used the act successfully to get the

court injunction in 1980 compelling Alcan
to increase water flows.

But the philosophy of this government is :
“to. deal with corporations in a favourable ©

and friendly way,” Nichol declared, calling
Siddon’s decision to reach a settlement
“sheer capitulation to the interests of
Alcan.” =

Nichol also noted that the sections in the
agreement which state that Alcan “‘aban-
dons its right” to development on the Nan-
ika River system could be interpreted to
mean that the provincial government does

_ have the right to grant water licences.

He said that Siddon “flared up” when he
questioned him on the issue but only replied

The increase in stumpage rates has
been long overdue and the low rates
formerly charged were scandalous.
Likewise, Section 88 of the Forest Act
which allowed companies to charge the
cost of road building, reforestation and
bridge building against the stumpage
payments, has also been a scandal and its
removal has long been overdue.

But these concessions, important as
they are, are far outweighed by what the
Socred government has now given away
to the private sector.

The new forest policy pays lip service
to secondary manufacturing of wood
products, more research and the creation
of new jobs in the forest industry. But
nowhere in the government’s announce-
ment are there any concrete proposals
for expansion of manufacturing and
processing or for a jobs program in the
forest industry.

Higher stumpage rates should be
introduced at once. The rest of the new
Socred forest policy should be set aside
and a independent Royal Commission
on Forestry established to examine at
public hearings all aspects of forest pol-
icy. The Sloan Royal Commission
recommended a Royal Commission be

_ set up every-10 years. It is now more

than 10 years since the Pearse Royal '
Commission. Only a full public airing of

the problems of the forest industry can

begin to examine the changes needed to

save the forest industry on which the

future of B.C. depends.

_ Gov't ‘caved in’ on.Alcan.agreement...

that he “wasn’t a lawyer.” The deputy min-
ister, who had been the key negotiator for
the agreement, also stated that he wasn’t
clear on the ramifications of the section.

“I find it astounding that the federal
government would enter into an agreement
... where the minister and the deputy minis-
ter don’t understand the language,” Nichol
said.

In fact, the deal could well be part of the
provincial government's plan for privatiza-
tion of B.C. Hydro, allowing Alcan to “get
in on the ground floor,” he emphasized.

He noted that the company is already
generating more power than it needs for
aluminum production and is selling the sur-
plus to the B.C. Hydro grid, generating
revenues of $1 million a month.

Under the agreement, Alcan will increase
its generating capacity. “But it won’t be for
jobs,” Nichol emphasized, “because there’s
already a three-year stockpile of aluminum
and Alcan has been closing down some of
its aluminum capacity.

“T think it’s clear that it is part of the
mentality of the government for privatiza-
tion of anything — including the major
water courses in the province.”

ALCAN’S KENNEY DAN ... flows on
the Nechako will be reduced by a further
40 per cent.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 23, 1987 ¢ 3