Boiled Bark

Sounds contagious but was wondering what the unemployed workers were counting on for dinner and came up with Boiled Bark. That was harsh killing trees and there are stories about trees,you know as having life. They definitely give life and they burn nice in fire places and outdoor fires. And its okay to cut some down of course as we plan on these things. And the weirdest thing I started to visualize this poor log screaming for help out of the fire. And then thought no some things are just meant to be sat on.

not sure how...

How do we balance preservation of old-growth and social justice for communities depending on logging and milling jobs with whatever contracts the government (whatever parties) are bent on fulfilling to keep forest industry investment in this province?

Could we somehow have a massive treeplanting effort (mixed warmer climate species please) among the pine beetle stumps, and some funding for pine beetle wood creations other than 2x4s (or talk to me about nonprofit affordable housing built with it in mill towns with mills rented from bankrupt companies - don't let them just sell all the machines out of province)... government should rehire workers to produce those for the big big recession stimulus...

Or, if lumber is truly the best use, what about some pine beetle lumber supplied at cost (lower due to need to harvest and non-perfect coloring) to repair leaking condos and for landlords to repair homes where rent won't be subsequently hiked as the repair costs were subsidized?

Old growth cuts should stay out of the picture, as so few lowland OG forests of appreciable size and value remain. Too bad our forest companies or government didn't stockpile any of it ourselves deep underwater the way the Japanese did, as an investment. Some of it needs to stay representative of relatively untrammelled habitat, because we don't understand how to replace it or how it compares to the disturbed habitat. Carbon credits of regrowth are not everything - habitat is also important.

What about some business education and grants for out of work mill workers and loggers so the apt ones who'd like to stay can learn to set up businesses run by BC residents that use/manage/replace pine beetle timber, diverting provincial revenue's focus from the liquidation of our old growth forests? That is a longer-term promise of provincial stability than stumpage give-aways to the international corporations who just lease our timberlands for shortish terms.

Talking about the fate of the forestry workers...

I sympathise with their plight, but what can I do about it? They were part of the machinery that overcut the forests for decades. Now we are in an economic slump, the falldown effect (no timber left worth cutting) couldn't be better timed.

As for the unemployed workers - what have they done for me with their money? They will have to join the unemployed fishermen. There never was any guarantee that natural resources will always be there. Fish and forests both have to be managed, not exploited to death.

The fish and forests have both been mined. Live with the results and stop whining. It is tough all over. Go back to school and learn a new career. I did at age 44; you can too.

sunshine coast girl

"I'm one of those NDP supporters who actually support forest industry jobs in this province.

WCWC is not the forest industry workers friend; but neither is the provincial government and apparently, neither is the party that I support.

I don't know what is going on in this province and in my party. The whole thing is going to hell."

THAT PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT UP FOR THE NDP.

Harcourt could have stopped old growth logging 20 years ago, BUT HE DIDN'T BECAUSE THE NDP DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, THEY WORK FOR THE CORPORATIONS WHO WANT TO MAINTAIN BUSINESS AS USUAL.

Typical, a young person from

Typical, a young person from Victoria who thinks they know everything about forestry.

Halting old growth logging will cause an extreme fall down effect for the AAC on the Island, resulting in more mill shut downs and more displaced forest workers. Mr Wu knows nothing about forestry, and if he did, he would not state such outrageous demands. Much of this old growth is in high elevation areas and isnt really that old (average 350 years.) Continually withdrawing land from the operational landbase isnt proper forestry and is poor long term planning. Besides, there is nothing seriously unique about high elevation old growth, I have walked in plenty of it.

As for private lands, has anyone noticed that Island Timberlands is the only forest company making a profit right now? Well it is because they do not pay stumpage (private land) and they only hold private lands in their operational landbase. Private land is a more secure form of investment, just like a homeowners own property, and you cant tell the homeowner what he does on his own land!