A16 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 8, 2000

Forestry doesn’t look good

Dear Sir:
I agree with column-

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

loads hauled out of B.C.
forests annually.

ist Ey Bishop that the
sap of the forest is the
lifeblood of this region.
When she is searching
for balance on the issue
of exploitation, and pre-
servation of the environ-
ment, however, I think she missed her opportunity before
she, or I, learned to write.

Since 1975 over half of the trees ever commercially
harvested in B.C.’s public forests have been cut. When I
see the “logging feeds my family” bumper stickers, I'm
reminded of the thousands of worker’s families who are
not being fed by logging because their industry has con-
sistently valued profit, and efficiency over job security.

The logging industry and the provincial government
would have the public believe that it is the environmen-
talists who have caused the layoffs. In fact, it is the in-
dustry itself that chose the big machines and computer-
ized mills which require less manpower to do more work.

The tenure system for over 50 years has provided ex-
clusive timber rights to private companies in exchange
for a promise of a steady job supply. The people af B.C
have been betrayed by this lapse of responsibility by in-
dustry, and government.

There was a lot of focus this spring on the. termino-
logy used by environmentalists because it was unde-
fined. Tipping the balance, I would look at the term
‘sustainable yield’ which has been used to make the
public feel good about the 2.5 million Een truck

The Mail Bag

The truth is that there has
never been a sustainable
forest demonstrated to
have begun from a clear
cut system. The termino-
logy is empty of meaning.
There is nothing sustain-
able about the felling and removing a forest 150-1500
years old, and replacing it with an intensive silviculture
program to be harvested in 60-80 years. This process
simplifies ecosystems by ignoring steps that a mutige-
nerational forest takes to renew itself,

With the remoyal of. the bio-mass. contained in the
limber, there are significantly fewer nutrients in the for-
est with cach harvest. These simplifying factors, with the
addition of erosion, add up to unhealthy systems, which
makes reaching the government slogan “forests forever”
seem highly improbable.

The smell of a tree’s sap is indeed a wonderful thing,
Ev, and I apologize for using your: well-intended column
lo voice my concern, J really feel as though the reality of
the forests is not being properly portrayed to the people.

At current rates of harvest there is a space, roughly
the size of Terrace, created daily where old growth for-
est once stood, If these rates are maintained, only the
protected areas of the ancient forests will remain in 20
years time. Those are the numbers and areas — the real-
ity ~ that tempers my ideology.

Rob Mercereau,

Terrace, B.C.

Now let’s
think on this

Dear Sir:

Not long ago Stockwell
Day, Alliance leader, ad-
mitted on national T.V.
that he used marijuana.

The response from the
host on the Comedy Net-
work was, “Where can we
meet afler the program”. I
wonder what the federal
police think of this admis-
sion.

I would like to ask
Randy White, Alliance : Get $300

member and his strong law -
and order cohorts if they SATCASH
want this man to be the ofa 2 year Extended
leader of our country, W,
; arranty on your

especially representing our

rath population, Ther purchase of a 200!
Selected Model.

youth population, The con-
cern for our children is the
teason why many of these
people entered politics.

Let me suggest to the
members of the Alliance
that they dump Stockwell
Day in the same fashion
they dumped Preston Man-
ning.

VOTE
RHODA WITHERLY

Our Concerns, Our Community, Our Country

Authorized by the Official Agent for Rhoda Wilherly

| am worried
about healthcare

in our |
communities.

And | will do

W*iiberal

‘

something about it.

Andy Nabess,
Terrace B.C,

French get
the goodies

Dear Sir:
The French community
outside Quebec continues

SOON, THE POWER OF WIND MAY BENEFIT

THE SAME PEOPLE iT ENTERTAINS TODAY.

to receive a grossly dispro-
portionate amount of gen-
erosity from the federal
government.

In the fiseal year
1999/2000, the French lan-. ©
guage minority received
$62.5 million in govern-

ment grants. oes os our need for electricity

On a per capita basis
this is 25 times that re-
ceived by the English
speaking minority inside
Quebec.

When politicians conti-
nue to repeat that they are
seeking equality of the two
language groups, it makes
one wonder what they
mean.

Rob Hargrove,
Terrace B.C.

Water woes
chronicled

An Open Letter to Ter-
race City Water Users:
I'm looking to compile
a file of dissatisfied resi-
dential and/or industrial
water users who have no-
ticed a big change in the
water we consume since

the instaltation/ incorpora- cn. | Were measuring
; wind speeds at

tion of the new city water ; Best sites ni BC.
well located down valley whe!

of the Skeena Sawmills
site. ;

My pots and pans, my
fish tanks, my tub and
shower, my coffee pot, my
dog’s water dish, my
wife's canned pickles and
clothes iron (and, 1 sus-
pect, eventually my hot
water tank) have all gone
through a big. change for
the worse since the new
water has flowed,

If you have something
to add to my list, or would
like to just vent your
thoughts, please feel free
to write to me at 4116 N.
Sparks St. VBG-2W3 or e-
mail’ ome at
Chris —Spangh .bc.sympatico
cA

Chris Spangl,
’ Terrace B.C.

- : In British Columbia,’

“continues to grow. That's

a why BC Hydro is looking
- | into emerging technolo-
=» gies - such as wind power-
. as new sources of clean,

: “green, renewable energy
: “in the near future.

’ Given the right

wind could play a vital role

electricity needs, without creating a

conditions ~
speed, can-

sistency and location -

in helping to satisfy our

provinces ever-increasing

negative impact on our environment.
We're also working on micro
hydro turbines for operation on steep

creeks and streams to supply electric-

ity to homes and communities; :

~ hydrogen technologies

that will change the way

“ wefuelour - {time aly
hots ¥ >
vehicles;
and
biomass Windspeed V (nis)
‘ What da we sea in the wind?
generation Rescarch wiil soon tell.

that uses waste materials
to power factories, mills
and other businesses,

At BC Hydro, were
working now to create
smart new ways to power the future, |
Find out more at bchydro.com or call
our Power Smart information line at |
1- 877- 431-9463 to receive a copy of |

‘the Powering Our Future booklet.

BE hydro
e+ WER SMART

POWER 1S YOURS