Voice of BC – Forestry Issues

While the forest sector in British Columbia has lost some of it's sheen from it's glory days of previous decades it is still responsible for generating billions of dollars for the BC economy. The U.S. market is finally showing signs of coming back and that along with the new markets in Asia could be a revitalized industry. The greatest challenge will be finding the wood to fill the demands and already two mills have had to close down due to a lack of available stock.

BC Liberal Forest Minister Steve Thomson discusses the challenges facing his ministry. He speaks with Vancouver Sun columnist and host of Voice of BC Vaughn Palmer.

Reason to Protect by Veronica Alice

Elphinstone Logging Focus, an environmental organization is working against all odds to protect a rare and threatened ancient forests on the badly depleted Mt Elphinstone, located on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.

I joined Ross Muirhead & Hans Penner on an organized group tour where Hans describes the natural history and cultural significance of this forest. He also takes us into a neighbouring forest to shows what will ultimately replace this now rare ancient forest if it is removed from the Mt Elphinstone slopes.

Currently this rare yellow-cedar forest is slatted to be auctioned by British Columbia Timber Sales this month (August 2012). In this this video Ross and Hans outline the reasons why this forest needs to be protected.

For more information please have a look at their website: loggingfocus.org

Town at the End of the Road

For the citizens of Mackenzie, British Columbia, forests and forest industry jobs are everything. For more than half a century, the isolated town has owed its very existence to this industry. Town at the End of the Road chronicles life in Mackenzie at the depths of the worst economic crisis to confront the community since its earliest days. Through the stories of mill workers, town councillors and local small business owners we learn why people living in isolated towns everywhere are demanding new policies that foster more stable, healthier rural communities.

British Columbia logging waste

A short video featuring CCPA resource policy analyst Ben Parfitt talking about the incredible waste in British Columbia's forest industry -- usable logs are being left to rot or burn at logging sites, at a potential cost of thousands of forestry jobs and big increases in greenhouse gas emissions.

Video by Goh Iromoto. Photos of BC forestry sites by Garth Lenz.

Read the policy brief and open letter to the BC Forest Practices Board at: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/reports/2009/03/woodwaste/