POWELL RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT
5778 MARINE AVENUE ~ POWELL RIVER, B.C, V8A 2MM4

Telephone 483-323)

- F No,
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES October 3, 1989 Our {Le i)

Mayor Len Traboulay and Council
City of Port Coquitlam

2580 Shaughnessy Street

Port Coquitlam, B.C. V3c 2A8

Dear Mayor Traboulay and Council:

The following motion was adopted by the Board of the Powell River
Regional District at its September 28th, 1989, regular meeting
requesting an independent public inquiry on Forestry:

TT I ee + semen te Mtn ete mene eee
AO tr ne ere et beeen,

WHEREAS overwhelming public testimony provided in the recent “~~~
province-wide hearings on tree farm licenses Clearly demands that
either an independent full Royal Commission or a Public Inquiry
oo ——~under--the-Inguiries -act.must be. conducted on the general subject 0
forest management in British Columbia; .

WHEREAS the annual allowable cut (AAC) on the public’s crown land
is much greater than the amount which can be sustained in B.C. and

there is no regulation of the amount cut on private lands;

WHEREAS over 20,000 direct jobs have been lost in the forest
industry from documented poor utilization, excessive waste,
increasing automation and increasing exports of unprocessed logs.
AS a result of the mismanagement of public forests, many

communities are facing economic and environmental criSes from the
rapidly approaching falldown effect;

WHEREAS the lack of effective watershed protection and the failure
of the government to respond to a growing public demand to preserve
13% of the province as wilderness has caused increased
confrontation anW civil disobedience across the province;

WHEREAS the new Forest Resources Commission is strongly biased in
favour of industry and has not been given the necessary full powers
of inquiry including subpoena and full protection of witness; and

WHEREAS it is essential that the investigation is conducted
independent of the Forests Act and the Ministry of Forests. Because
the process must be seen to be impartial by all parties involved,
it is also essential that the composition of a Royal Commission or
Public Inquiry be led by a small impartial team of judges, be given
full subpoena powers, and include environmental, native Indian,
union, tourism industry, fisheries industry, and general public
concerns in balance with logging industry interests; and