The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - A5

“ONLY a small percentage of the wood in the northwest is saw log quality. The rest is highly decadent pulp quality wood. Many people b believe
the province should recognize the unique makeup of the forest here by creating a special economic zone. That's Kewal Bal with a load of
jumber made the first day t the Terrace Lumber Company fired up. lagt year. It Ss now shut down indefinitely.

From front —

Calls for forest help grow

FILE PHOTO

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He’s not ‘the only one e making the call.
Darrel Wong, the president of the Steelworkers

° Union local 2171, says the zone is overdue. ,

“I think there’s needed to be immediate action

"for the Terrace area, quite frankly for a number of

“Et

years,” Wong says. “It’s not that you have a new
crisis there" s been a crisis in that area for the last
five years.”

Wong has sat at the opposite side of the negoti-
ating table from Dan Veniez, the former owner of
doomed New. Skeena Forests Product and a man

known for his radical and dramatic forest reform
- ideas. a
But on this issue the two. have found common

ground. .

Veniez lobbied the provincial government and
Gordon Campbell personally to create such.a
zone in 2003.

“Peter Pierce (November 2001), Wes Cheston
(2000), and Duncan Davies (1983), among others
have documented the decadent state of the fibre
basket in the Northwest. They have all offered
prescriptions for the rehabilitation of the forest.”

“All have been ignored,” Veniez wrote in an
Oct. 18, 2002 letter to. Gordon Campbell.

His views have not changed.

“Where the government can certainly help is
to take the lead in an intensive road-building and
infrastructure upgrading program, reforestation
effort, and to provide the regulatory conditions so
that investment in the northwest becomes a viable
and sustainable economic proposition for all con-
cerned,” Veniez says.

“That can only happen through the creation of
a special economic forestry zone in the northwest
that recognizes the wood quality challenge and
plans for its long-term rehabilitation.”

~ Roy Nagel, the general manager. of the Cen-
_tral Interior Loggers Association (CILA), says the

creation of such a special economic zone is criti:

cal. ° “
“You have the highest cost and lowest quality

timber. there and if you don’t create something

that recognizes that as was recommended: in the

_.Wes Cheston report you are never going to get the

forest industry back on its feet,” he says.

He concedes the government will lose some
~ revenue by creating a special zone but he believes

the government will make it up through increased
revenues from income taxes, reduced payments to

“| don ‘t know how many reports
you need to read before somebody.

acts on it. | think it’s a God-given

fact that the government has

done nothing for the people in

that area over the last five years,”
- Darrel Wong, IWA

1

northwest communities in terms of social services

and more stability in terms of property taxes for .

municipalities.

“Tt’s far bigger than cutting a sweet deal for a
mill” he says. “This is really'a community sta-
bility issue — it’s not just Terrace but’all the little
communities around it as well.”

Despite the repeated calls to develop such a
zone in the northwest the man in charge-of the
province’s forests dismisses the concept.

“T don’t know that a special economic zone is
a quick fix,” says forests minister Rich Coleman.
“Time is probably the only ally we have in the
northwest.”

He believes the second growth potential i in the

region will help bolster the industry here. —
But the second growth won’t be ready to cut

for another 10 or 15 years and even then an age

gressive approach to silviculture in the area is
needed to accelerate the potential.

Coleman. argues the industry is suffering. all
over the province, not just in the northwest.

“We have a little bit of a storm taking place in —
forestry,” Coleman says, pointing to the high Ca-
nadian dollar and soft international lumber, prices.
“The two commodities are moving in two differ-

“ent directions.”

- Coleman is. planning t to come to Terrace some-

~ time, within the next month and wants to hear

what industry’ representatives have to say about
the situation in the northwest.

But many are shaking their heads at the notion
of studying the situation in the northwest anymore
given reports such as Cheston’s.

Darrel Wong argues doing more studies won’t
make a bit of difference.

“| don’t know how many reports you need to
read before somebody acts on it,’ Wong says.

“T think it’s a God-given fact that the govern-
ment has done nothing for the people in that area ,
over the last five years.”

He cuts straight to the chase about government
taking a first, but important, step toward recogniz-
ing the conditions here — reducing stumpage rates
for the wood in this area.

Roy Nagel agrees. ~

“Tt would have to. recognize the quality and
cost of extraction problem in terms of stumpage
rates — that’ $ not a subsidy, it’s just good econom-.
ic sense,” Nagel argues.

“The appraisal system already recognizes that
a little bit — this is not the unknown, this is just the
extension of current policy if you want to look at
it that way.”

Worker says province must step up

By ALAN
_ ~CHESTERMAN
WHEN the provincial
government abandoned
the forest industry in the
northwest region in 2001,
. they did so knowing full well

‘the extent and-reach of the

problems and challenges.
Instead of addressing
those challenges, it has
spent the ensuing years ig-
noring, or trying to distract
the people of the northwest
from complaining about the

lack of action from the gov-

ernment.
Provincial
Forestry Act

The 20 per cent take back |

of Tree Farm Licenses and
-.Timber Supply Areas was
‘particularly hard in this
region. The large multina-
tionals who had holdings
in the region (West Fraser
and Interfor), were allowed
to maximize their province-
wide requirement within this
region. This in direct contra-
. diction to the public and pri-
vate reassurances of the Pre-
mier, Gordon Campbell, that
this would not be allowed.
As well, they were given
_ the green light to high grade

as much high value timber.

as they could before actually
turning it back to the govern-
ment and BC Timber Sales.
This in turn made future har-
vesting of those lands a less
profitable venture.

‘ The exponential increase
in log exports has exacer-
bated the poor quality of the
fibre basket in the northwest

region. As only the best

‘timber is sold in the export —
market. This has resulted: in.

large quantities of pulp and
low grade merchantable tim-
ber being left in the woods.”
When BC Timber Sales
places wood out to tender,

only those sales that are
comprised of a high percent-'
- age of marketable (read high

value) saw logs are being bid
on — why bid’ on something
you can’t sell? To have any
hope of improving the qual-
ity of. the fibre basket, at the
very feast, the. government

needs to insist on cutting to.
the profile of the resource in .

the region. ©
Softwood
Lumber Tariffs

The Terrace Lumber
Company (TLC) is a small,
independent, primary lum-
ber. manufacturer.

It has no timber except

what it can buy on the open

log market. It is completely

reliant on the marketplace.

for its survival. ;
West Fraser, Skeena op-
erations, is a company that

is a small part of a large
multinational company. It.

also buys timber of the open

’ market, but only to supple-

ment the supply of timber
it receives from the various
licenses it holds on Crown
land.

ber it ships to the American
marketplace.

West Fraser, on the other -

hand, pays a tariff of four

TLC pays a tariff i in ex-
cess of 20 per cent on lum--

Alan Chesterman

per cent to ship into the same
marketplace.

TLC has appealed three
times to the American Com-
merce Department, and has
been denied justice twice.

Two companies operating
on the same playing field,
playing the same game, for
the same spectators.

’ Two different rule books.
‘Regional Investment

There is no history .of
investment by the forest li-
censees in the northwest re-
gion of the province, there
has only been a history of

high grade and get out, or rip ©

off and run.

The mills that exist in n the ;

region were built. as inde-

‘pendents, or as a minimum

requirement for access to
timber. Crown Zellerbach,
Macmillan Bioede] and In-

terfor took the high value,

easily accessiblé timber,

‘built nothing and departed
the region taking the money ~

and leaving the stumps.
Conclusion
There are undoubtedly
challenges that face this re-
gion’s forest industry. Most
of the problems are govern-
ment, and government agen-

- cy creations and are within
~ its ability to solve.

The difference in treat-
ment of the fibre in the
northern’ interior and the
north coast is unacceptable, .

If it is acceptable to sub-
sidize the harvest of fibre
on the basis that a. relative-
ly small percentage of the
beetle damaged wood is of
lower economic value when
manufactured, then it should

be acceptable, to subsidize .
the harvest of wood where a

large percentage of the wood
is of low economic value for
manufacturing. —

The lack of a pulp mill or |
other manufacturing facility
-to make use of fibre not suit-

able for lumber, and a lack

of a suitable port to ‘move
product to alternative mar-.

kets both now or in the fu-
ture, have added to the costs
of manufacturing in this re-
gion. Until such a time as
an adequate port to handle

forest commodities is built,

government needs to con-
sider a subsidy to cover the
increased shipping costs.
Alternatively, the gov-
ermments should consider
two low cost. loans or out-

right grants for the develop-
ment of biomass generation
systems. | :

The exponential. increase
in log exports does nothing

to improve the fibre bas-

ket of this region, in fact, it
seems to have no economic
benefit at all. Though per-
haps it has allowed some
contractors a thin lifeline to
grasp for a short while. It has
become obvious from some
of the names of contractors
that have left the industry in
this region that the will to
hold on has weakened. .

It should be remembered

‘that the forest resources of

this province belong to the
citizens of this province.

It is the responsibility of
the government in power to
maximize the return to the
citizens of the province.

This is not done throug
the taxation of the resource,
but by the creation of em-
ployment - ever single direct

job will create five other jobs
‘in the region — in a sustain-

able and ethical manner.

There are very few indus- _
tries that create wealth in a
sustainable manner, forestry —
can be one of them.

And in turn, it will al-
low citizens the opportunity
to sustain those. jobs. that
we believe makes us an ad~
vanced society.

Alan Chesterman isa

laid off Terrace Lumber

Company sawmill worker.
He was the plant chairman
at the mill until it shut down
last month.

eww
CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

Nurse bridging coming
Dear Sir:
A recent letter to The Terrace Standard touched on
bridging opportunities for Licensed Practical Nurses

.(LPNs) into the Northern Baccalaureate Collaborative

Nursing Program currently being offered at Northwest
Community College in Partnership with. UNBC and
CNC.

We would like to take this opportunity to clarify the
status of this.

“ Work has been occurring between all three partner ine

stitutions to develop a process that will enable LPNs who

have completed a recognized BC LPN program and who »

have relevant clinical experience to enter the BScN Nurs-

ing program.”

This process will ensure each applicant's previous edu-
cation and experience is taken into account as determined
through individual assessments.

> Weare looking at an implementation timeframe of this

“fall to handle 2007 applications.

Those interested in learning more about the LPN pro- oo
gram or the BScN program can contact the program « coor-

dinators at either NWCC or UNBC.
Ian Blue, Prince George, B. Cc.
Chair, Nursing Program, UNBC

Katherine Mclndoe, Terrace, B.C.,
Dean of Instruction, NWCC |

Heli-angling wrong.
Dear Sir:

My comments pertain to. Rob Brown’s Skeena Angler
column titled “Heli Fishing” that appeared i in the June 7,
* 2006 issue of The Terrace Standard.

Over 35 years ago, helicopters were banned for hunting

because their use presented a conservation concern and |

was deemed unethical by both public and.government. A”
law: banning their use for hunting was legislated and be-

~ came part of the Wildlife Act and is enforced today.

, What is the difference between hunting and angling that
allows the use of helicopters for one.but not the other?. -.

’ Salmon and steelhead can be spotted from, the air and —
then targeted.

Is this fair chase that-our respected fish deserve? Is°

anglers? 2°
I. don’t think so.
" Michael Langegger, Kitimat, B. C.

Dogs. over kids

Dear Sir:

I loved Claudette Sandecki? s Through Bifocals column
about dogs and author’s bios. °

Actually I.am Goody’s adoptive mother, which still
_makes me his Mom right? Ask Nicole Kidman,’

‘And Goody has my last name...he’s Goodweather
Binks and darn proud of it.

I will admit, however, my kids were traumatized their
names didn’t make it into the bio and Goody’s did.

Perhaps I should have listed him as my boyfriend, best °
friend, confidante.

Ah well - you do your best.

Maybe Ill make him share his dog biscuits with them.

Georgie Binks, Toronto, Ontario

Combine for success»

Dear Sir:

If the merged credit unions would buy the old co-op
property, tearing down the old. structure to build a new
one and leaving the track-side portion of the property for
' the city’s second sheet of ice (albeit linear), perhaps Ken
Earl could assist with the construction? ©

C. Toews, Terrace, B. C..:

Flies threaten sickness

Dear Sir:°

What is wrong with our government when it’ comes to
flies at the egg farm? Don’t these people realize that these
insects could be spreading diseases to and from these birds
and to humans.

- In this day and age, we have to be very careful with-all
the communicable diseases going around - for example -
avian flu.

Why can’t Health Canada Step up and do something —
about this mess? ;

Terrace, B.C.

No to fish farming |
Dear Sir:

- Watching the provincial aquaculture committee in Ter-
race during its stop here recently, things were made abun- ©
_ dantly clear that the residents of the northwest do not want
open net fish farms.

Neither the hundreds who make a living by commer-
cial fishing, guiding or eco-tourism nor the First Nations

whose culture, history and way of life is tied to the salmon, | ;

as well as the rest of us who are here raising our families,
can see any advantage to trade satisfying. well-paying jobs
for a few low-paying and menial jobs.

Tons of scientific as well as anecdotal evidence. indi-

cate that open net farms kill the wild stock, even though i in

other parts of the world they are at least using local fish.

In B.C. they are using Atlantic stock, once again show-
ing that when ‘man starts playing, God and rearrange na- |
ture, it will backfire. oo

’ Ask an Australian about rabbits! ,

The fact that the MLA committee — because of an NDP
majority — passed a motion to ask the Premier not to allow
further open net farms at least until the committee reports _
to government is encouraging, if you disregard the fact
that this request was turned down once already.

Should the Premier and his cabinet turn this request.
‘down again he should halt the road show of travelling —
MLAs and stop British Columbians wasting their efforts. -
addressing a committee that is not taken seriously by the

government.
Why debate an issue that is already settled?
John J ensen,

Terrace, B.C.

About the Mail Bag

The Terrace Standard welcomes letters. Our address

is 3210 Clinton St. Terrace, B.C. V8G 5R2. You can
fax us at 250-638-8432 or e-mail us at newsroom@
terracestandard.com. No attachments, please. Name,

address and phone number required for verification.
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“this ethical angling? Does it meet conservation concerns? —
Does it respect and not diminish the experience of other

oy - Darlene Seymour, , ~

a