Dear Editor,
The plan of the BC post COVID – 19 Economic Recovery Task Force will be announced soon.
A viable plan will identify different and new demands affecting natural and economic forces determining post COVID -19 success and survival.
This could be a positive turning point for BC forestry. Downward trends since 1987 project diminishing returns with the status quo:
This could also be a missed opportunity. Civilization after civilization has risen and fallen when the quality and abundance of their natural resources were exhausted.
It will not be enough to simply reduce current problems. The aim must be to create the future we all want.
Getting the fundamentals right, will focus on:
* Managing liquidities: Putting financial strength before earnings. The federal Government is selling bonds to the Bank of Canada, increasing cash, without increasing debt.
* Managing and conserving productivities: (source of all forest values). This requires:
– decisions made on best available knowledge;
– forest conservation – when both people and forests are better off, we have conservation. When either one is failing, we do not;
– innovation – organizations need both an operational budget (90 percent) and innovations budget. To innovate successfully, top management will commit half their time to each.
– meaningful work – people need jobs to feed their families.
– Paying the full stewardship costs of the future in the present. Only planting costs in BC forestry are paid now.
Set high standards. People perform better when keeping score. Character is destiny.
Ray Travers, RFP (Ret.)
Victoria, BC
