THE ISSUE

While it's no longer the core of the B.C. economy, the importance of forestry to the province shouldn't be underestimated. The industry is the major employer in many rural communities, provides 14 percent of employment and generates 15 percent of all economic activity in B.C.

Of course, it's complicated

Forestry is currently experiencing a boom - but it's fueled in large part by the boom in cutting to eliminate trees infested with the mountain pine beetle. As the infested trees are removed in the next 10 years, the cut rates will drop, leaving some rural communities with substantially less economic activity. Also, bigger forestry companies have consolidated, and the government has eliminated rules that keep mills close to logging communities. And public oversight has diminished, and the provincial forest service cut 800 jobs over the last three years.

The bottom line

When the cut rate falls, what will your government do to deal with the consequences for rural communities and the forest sector? Should government take a stronger role in regulating sales and mergers of forestry companies? How will your government ensure that rural communities continue to thrive while balancing the business needs of forestry? What is your long term vision for the forest industry?

THE ANSWERS

Green Party of BC

B.C.'s forest industry has immense potential to create jobs making a wide variety of high-value products. The Green Party would put the industry on the path to sustainability. We would set stumpage rates at fair market values, accelerate tenure reform to require that at least 50 percent of public forest tenures are held by small local forestry companies, establish competitive log markets, and establish a "funding reserve" to enable increased forestry restoration activities. In regard to the pine-beetle devastation, we will require that harvesting in pine beetle areas must focus on pine beetle damaged trees, and establish an emergency fund from stumpage revenues to facilitate the economic transition of affected communities to other industries.

Democratic Reform BC Answer is pending.

BC Liberals

Forestry Minister Mike de Jong says on the BC Liberal website that the Liberals are trying to recoup as much as they can from beetle damaged timber. They've created emergency management zones, they've tried to market fiber aggressively, and they've created a task force working with communities affected by the crisis. He says they're trying resolve a decade-old problem that could have been handled by former NDP governments. On top of that, the Liberal platform pledges $101 million over the next three years to "promote the use of pine beetle-damaged timber, to support affected communities, and to reforest affected areas." A further $30 million will be supplied to northern B.C. communities via the Liberals' proposed Northern Development Initiative. The Liberals say they also have $100 million in new federal funding for these aims. The Liberals' 2003 Forestry Revitalization Plan aims to allow the market to set stumpage rates and reallocate 20 percent of forest tenure to First Nations and small businesses. Forestry experts at UBC say the plan may be more effective in creating job opportunities, if the market reforms do indeed create long term competitiveness and profitability. However, conservation groups like the Dogwood Initiative say Port Alice lost its mill as a result of such market-oriented policy reforms.

NDP

The NDP platform promises to send stumpage fees from the artificially amplified cut rates straight back to communities affected by the beetle infestation. That should amount to roughly $40 million, according to a Prince George Citizen article that outlines the NDP plan. Prince George-Omineca NDP candidate Chuck Fraser explained that while the Liberals' money will come through the regional boards composed of MLAs and municipal leaders, the NDP will give the money directly to the communities. The NDP platform states it will restrict raw log exports and make sure that local communities benefit from local logging. The NDP says it will consult with First Nations and other local communities to determine their priorities on "job creation, industrial diversification, value-added manufacturing, research, training and other key benefits." It also promises enhanced silviculture to create more high-quality wood. The NDP platform decries the loss of forest-service jobs, but doesn't specify how they will rectify the situation. They pledge to "enhance compliance and enforcement services."