Re : Sustainable Forestry Questions
Forestry is an important BC election issue. Whoever is elected October 24 will have an important responsibility to ensure our vast public forests are well-managed and conserved for present and future generations.
Done well, our forests will continue to provide many values and benefits like the air we breathe, the water we drink, wood, worker’s jobs, revenue, fish and wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation. Done poorly, we could lose many of these public values and benefits.
Citizen owners (everyone) need an open, government and a responsive public process to ask the Province important forestry questions, at any time, not only during an election.
These questions include:
“¢ What do we want to sustain?
“¢ Where?
“¢ For how long?
“¢ For whom?
“¢ To what standard?
The role of government is to facilitate a well-informed public process that enables citizens to arrive at a working consensus so effective government action can be taken. With public support, our forests with sound policies can and will be sustained, even in a time of climate change and COVID-19.
In Sweden, their forest ethic (governing principle) is “freedom with responsibility.” Their country globally performs well above their weight, ecologically, economically and socially.
During the October 24 BC election campaign, ask candidates what they believe our forest responsibilities should be, and what leadership and direction, if elected, they would provide.
Ray Travers, RFP (Retired)
Victoria, BC
