A2- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 20, 1994 Area told its voice needs to be heard CORE gets a slap of sorts WHAT BEGAN as an attack on the way the provincial govern- ment deals with land use issues became almost & grudging accep- tance by the time a meeting ended here last week. Sponsored by the Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce, the meeting examined the eco- nomic impact of the forest indus- try and what could happen if log- ging was cut back. Before any decisions are made about logping, said speakers, communities should organize to ensure their opinions are heard, But Mike Morton from Share B.C. and B.C. Forest Alliance president Jack Munro said the provincial government’s way af making decisions — the Commis- sion on the Resources and En- vironment (CORE) model — didn’t work on Vancouver Island and in the Cariboo. | “You can’t take groups with opposing values and interests — especially one group with the un- ending agenda of no logging, It’s difficult to reach a compromise,” said Morton who works on behalf of nearly 30 groups in B.C. loose- ly joined in the Share movernent. The Share method involves set- _ ting up groups in smaller com- munities so they have a place in the debate over land use and resulting affecis on the forest in- dustry, he said. Yet Share’s participation in CORE on Vancouver Island was frustrated because those who wanted more parks and protected areas tefused {o budge, Morton added. He said CORE groups have no problem in protecting land from logging as long as there is a balanced approach. When the CORE approach failed to come to an agreement, Morton said a report written by CORE commissioner Stephen Owen on whet: should happen was biased toward parks and pro- tected areas by boosting protected lands beyond 12 per cent. “Our interest wasn’t recog- nized. We agreed to 12 per cent Gn park land), not 13 per cent, not 21 per cent,” said Morton. Forest Alliance president Jack Munro added to Morton’s com- ments, saying communities, can’t let decisions rest in the hands of government bureaucrats. “People starled to speak out in every community on the top end of Vancouver Island. They had a 1,000 people out to mectings several nights a week because that (Owen) report don’t make sens¢,’” said Munro, ‘Insteed of drawing lines around things you can’t log or taking away from what you can’t log, we’ve got to find out where the working forest is and then get these characters to commit heavi- ly so what we ar doing is sustainable,’’ he said of how the government should work. Munro did admit that forest companics can’t continuc as ihey did in the past. by cutting more than they are growing. Several questioners told Morton and Munro that a local group is already working to reach agree- ment on land use in the Terrace area that’s not already allocated to forest companies. The Kalum South Resource Management Plan group has been working for three years on a way to include all kinds of resource use, they said, Jim Culp, a member of the audience, said something along the lines of CORE isn’t wrong or bad. *F agree,” responded Munro. Forest dollars big up here THE FOREST INDUSTRY is far and away the biggest economic player in the northwest, a Skeena Cellulose official told a meeting last week. It employs more than 13,000 people indirectly or directly, said Derrick Curtis who spoke to a chamber of commerce meeting on the economic impact of the forest industry, With that kind of impact, lands Protected from lagging will affect jobs, he said, “TE we start impacting on the foresiry side, it'll change the entire structure of the north- west,'’ Curtis added. Curtis used charts to describe gross and take home pay of forest workers compared to other in- come earmers. Nisga’a leader States case FOREST COMPANIES shouldn't: be trying to frighten people about the prospects of na- tive land claims, the executive director of the Nisga’a Tribal Council told a meeting here April 4 “Yowre trying to scare the heck out of people here,’’ Rod Robinson told Skeena Cellulose official Derrick Curtis after he said the biggest uncertainty hang- ing over the forest industry is land claims. Curtis was one of three speakers at the meeting sponsored by the Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce on the impact of the forest industry to the area’s economy. “We are not opposed 10 devel- - opment. But the only way devel- opment can be done is so that there’s something ‘eft at all times,”’ said Robinson, “Up in the Nass, we don’t know what’s left there. Most of the trees are gone,’’ he added. Robinson sald the interests of forest companies and others are represented in land claims negoti- ations now going on between the Nisga’a and the provincial and federal governments. “We're not going to put any- body off the land,” sald Robinson. The reality of a settled land claim will be the need by the Nisga’a to buy goods and scr- vices boosting the local economy, he added, “Don’t put the fear of God into people,” said Robinson. He estimaled the Nisga’a spend about $12 million a year in the Prince Rupert and Terrace economies. Robinson also noted there will be a cost to rehabilitate logged land within the Nisga’a claim once it is settled. Nisga’a, provinclal and federal negotiators have been talking for three years now on how to settle the Nisga’a claim to the Nass Valley and surrounding areas, In both categories, forest workers cara more and contribute more to local economies, he noted. ; Overall, Curtis noted that forest workers play a large role in the provincial economy. He said that some areas of the province are under represented when it comes to park land and protected areas and some areas are over represented. “We have to look at what areas will be set aside here,’ Curtls added. “If we take away from the working forest, it will have an impact here.’ ; Curtis said land claims settle- ments will also affect the forest industry because it has already been given ‘tenure on areas under claim. “What are the types of settle- ments are we to see in this area,” asked Curtis. “‘When they do come, govern- ments have to have a strategy to look after non-native com- munities who are resource depen- dent at this time,’’ he said, THE Bavorian Inn Restaurant The triendilest “Inn” town! Make our place "Your Place” to enjoy an evening 4 of intimate dining with reasonable prices! ; CAJUN PRAWNS on Spinach Fettuccine Look What's Cooking! TIGER PRAWN SAFARI _ SHRIMP STUFFED PRAWNS with steak fries & cacktail sauce Your choice of the above $1 5.50 CAN'T DECIDE? 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Toward the end of the meeting, Share’s Morton said his group supported the CORE method when those involved want a com- promise on land use. oe eo Turnout liked TERRACE AND District Chamber of Commerce president Sharon Taylay said she’s pleased at the turnout to last week’s meet- ing on the forest industry and the local economy. form of a Share group would come about as a result of the meeting. “It seems there could be a grealer level of interest in the Kalum South Resource group or another group,” More than 150 people said Taylor afterward. came, a sign there’s great Taylor noticed several interest in the forest industry people talking to Mike here, said Taylor. Before ‘the meeting, © Taylor said she hoped a Morion, one of the meet- ing’s speakers and executive director of Share B,C. McDonald’s is offering the biggest tastiest meal deal of the year! 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