367 BC-Canada

Index:

–British Columbia: 1) Land Developers finally getting busted for bribery, 2) 100 protest premier Cambell’s forestry roundtable, 3) Exposing the Marmot recovery scandal, 4) 463-km pipeline approved, 5) $1.7 million for 44 new jobs doing trail work, 6) No one is gathering data on Great Bear ecotourism? 7) Save the Garry oak of the Nanoose peninsula, 8) Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, 9) Shuswap to build pellet plant,
–Canada: 10) Hundred of millions spent on promoting clearcutting, 11) Report on Gov’s forestry overhaul, 12) Poplar River First Nation still trying to protect their land,

British Columbia:

1) A pair of Vancouver Island developers will face trial on charges involving the alleged bribery of a B.C. government official in a case resulting from the 2003 police raid on the B.C. legislature. Following several days of preliminary hearings in May and June in Victoria, Justice Ernie Quantz has ordered Anthony Ralph (Tony) Young, 76, and James Seymour (Jim) Duncan, 64, to stand trial for three counts each of fraud and one count each of breach of trust over allegations they paid $50,000 to David Basi in 2003.At the time, Basi was ministerial assistant to then-finance minister Gary Collins. The Crown alleges the money was paid in connection to an application to remove property from the B.C. agricultural land reserve for Shambrook Hills Development Corp., now known as the Sunriver Estates, which has developed a residential subdivision near Sooke, west of Victoria. Evidence from the preliminary hearing is under a publication ban. The two men left the courtroom Monday without making any comment. Basi has yet to go through a preliminary hearing on three counts of fraud and one of breach of trust relating to the alleged bribery. He and two other former government aides are facing separate corruption charges related to the Liberal government’s $1 billion privatization of Crown-owned BC Rail. Basi, his brother-in-law Bobby Virk, and his cousin, Aneal Basi, are accused of fraud, breach of trust and money laundering activities in the case, which is underway in Vancouver. Virk was the assistant to Judith Reid, the minister of transportation. Aneal Basi was a public affairs officer with the B.C. government at the time. They are accused of trading travel, food and job possibilities for government information. http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080702138921/wire/bc-news/vancouver-island-developers-to-
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2) About 100 people attended the protest rally Wednesday at Beban Park to greet Premier Gordon Campbell’s roundtable on forestry. The roundtable, which includes new Forest Minister Pat Bell, Nanaimo-Parksville MLA Ron Cantelon, and others drawn from industry, communities, labour and universities, has been touring the province seeking solutions to the ongoing forestry crisis in B.C. But forest unions and the province’s NDP feel the roundtable is not inclusive and is a waste of time and accuse the government of doing nothing while one of the province’s most important industry flounders. Not all at the rally were confident the NDP would save the industry if they were elected in 2009. NDP Leader Carole James, who spoke at the rally, was interrupted by a laid-off mill worker who called on her to promise to stop raw-log exports if elected. Pat Bell said the roundtable is inclusive and open and pointed out that Bill Routley, president of United Steelworkers Local 8 was invited to speak at the roundtable while in Nanaimo. “We’ve invited lots of union representatives and others who are interested in exploring options for the industry (about 50 were scheduled to speak Wednesday) to the roundtable as we’ve toured the province, but they have to be productive and standing outside protesting doesn’t do this,” he said. http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=50b8772f-eb40-4b8b-9f7a-12887de68ba1

3) Two recent Times Colonist articles have quoted Environment Minister Barry Penner and Victoria Jackson of the Vancouver Island Marmot Foundation, who promoted the oversimplified assertion that wolves and cougars are primary factors in the decline of Vancouver Island marmots. In fact, the marmot survived with these predators in the landscape for millennia. What has changed is the landscape itself. Extensive conversion of ancient forests to tree farms has reduced deer numbers, the primary prey for wolves and cougars. Under these scenarios, predators often consume alternative prey like marmots. Extensive logging road networks now grant hungry carnivores easy access to marmot colonies. Likely, logging has had additional and more direct effects. For years, researchers have hypothesized that high elevation logging has lured dispersers — critical individuals in marmot society — into clearcuts, which offer ephemeral, low-quality habitat where survival has been low. Predation might be one of several contributing proximate causes of marmot declines, but the ultimate cause is landscape change wrought by logging. Looking forward, a more honest and broader view would focus on the remaining vestiges of so-called “critical habitat.” This is why the provincial government ought to swiftly identify and protect these areas. If B.C. cannot comply with this essential responsibility under the Species-at-Risk Act for Canada’s most endangered mammal, then I fear that the rest of the province’s threatened organisms and habitats will likewise face an uncertain future. –Chris Darimont, conservation scientist, Raincoast Conservation

4) The provincial government granted environmental approval Friday to a Pacific Trail Pipelines LP proposal to build a 463-km, $1.1-billion pipeline between Kitimat and Summit Lake, north of Prince George. Environment Minister Barry Penner and Richard Neufeld, minister of energy, mines and petroleum resources, made the decision following a comprehensive review by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office. The 91-centimetre-diameter pipeline is intended to link the proposed Kitimat Liquefied Natural Gas terminal, which would receive ship-borne imports of super-cooled natural gas, with the Spectra Energy gas transmission system. The proposed project, however, has a few more hurdles to overcome. It is still subject to federal environmental approval and must obtain provincial and federal permits. THE PROVINCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVAL IS CONTINGENT ON THE PROPONENT: 1) Assessing erosion potential and implementing erosion controls. 2) Mitigating potential losses of fish habitat. 3) Monitoring water quality in the Morice Water Management Area. 4) Developing a hydrostatic test plan to manage discharge water quality. 5) Mitigating potential effects on wildlife habitat. Managing public access into previously inaccessible areas. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=184c930d-cdf7-4f47-b8bd-155fb9a
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5) The city has applied for $1.7 million in forestry aid which is, if the entire amount is granted, enough to put 44 people to work until next spring. The money is for four projects and would come from $26.25 million funneled by the federal government through the province to help towns hit hard by the forest industry collapse. The four projects are for silviculture work, to fix up existing recreation trails and build new ones, do stream restoration work and to clear pine trees from the proposed airport lands industrial park before they are attacked and killed by beetles. “We’ve already heard back from the people doing the assessing and everything they say sounds like they’re going to support the proposals,” said local registered professional forester Rick Brouwer who took a lead role in writing the proposals. It means the city will now move to another approvals level requiring more detail. “But what that actually means in dollars, we don’t know yet,” Brouwer added. Jobs applicable to both outside forestry workers and inside millworkers would be provided to avoid the possible problem of having laid off workers in either area not have the skills required for the work available, he noted. “We’ve tried to create a balance for both,” said Brouwer. Terrace is on the list of qualifying municipalities by meeting a set of criteria for the period of May 2007 onward. http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/terracestandard/news/22724834.html

6) Great Bear Rainforest does not appear on any official map, but the name evoking native myths and legends is key to protecting western Canada’s bears, whales, eagles and salmon. Once written off as the “mid-coast timber supply area”, the sprawling 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles) of vast wilderness is fast attracting eco-tourists as environmentalists seek to protect it from logging and mining. Bounded on the west by ocean fjords and winding inlets reaching deep into dense forest and the Coast Mountain range to the east, the remote central and northern coastline of British Columbia is one of the largest and last intact temperate rainforests on earth. As well as being the traditional land of the aboriginal people, it is home to fin, humpback and killer whales, eagles and three kinds of bears — grizzly, black and the Kermode or “Spirit” bear, as local legend calls the massive white bears. A series of conservation treaties have been put in place in recent years between aboriginals, the provincial and federal governments and environmental organizations. Foreign trophy hunters were banished 30 months ago when environmental groups bought out a commercial guiding company, said biologist Misty MacDuffee of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. And now even the bears are unwittingly participating in the new “eco-economy” having mostly lost their fear of people, and are now oblivious to tourists watching them as they feed. British Columbia eco-tourism “is the most rapidly growing sector in the tourism industry,” said Chris Genovali of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. As yet no one has done formal statistics of how many tourists have visited the Great Bear Rainforest, he added. Genovali said environmentalists remain concerned about mining and forestry on the edges of the protected area, and also about poaching of wildlife by illegal hunters.http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Spirit_of_Great_Bear_watches_over_Canadian_rainfores
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7) Garry oak ecosystems support high numbers of blue and red-listed species of flora and fauna. These plant communities are red-listed by the BC government and listed as rare and endangered by the federal government of Canada. The Nanoose peninsula is unique because it hosts all of the rare ecosystems that are associated with the Garry oak include maritime meadows, coastal bluffs, vernal pools, grasslands, rock outcrops, and mixed transitional forests. I started my hike after turning right off Fairwinds Drive onto Anchor Road, then Chain Road, and finally onto Link Road. After walking past a large holding tank for water built by Fairwinds I noticed new construction. A building site has been leveled next to an existing house. Several carcasses from Arbutus and Garry Oak trees lay in piles surrounded by newly exposed rock and debris. The view from the south face of the Nanoose Notch is spectacular, overlooking Nanoose Bay and the surround 2nd growth forest with Mt. Moriarty and Mt. Arrowsmith off in the distance. I can understand why someone would want to build a house there. How many more houses will be built on this slope? How much of the Garry Oak ecosystem will be blasted and leveled to make way for buildings and roads? Where they will get their water from? On the other side of the hill Fairwinds continues to blasts roads through similarly rare ecosystems and many more are planned. In their most recent newsletter Fairwinds states: The 1350 acre oceanfront community of Fairwinds has 700 acres remaining to develop which translates into 1600 to 1800 units depending on density. In order to meet the changing times and evolving needs of the community, a detailed master plan is being prepared with an emphasis on Community and the Environment. Public input is needed to protect the rare and endangered Garry Oak ecosystems found on the Nanoose Peninsula. There is an opportunity to significantly change the status quote by developing plans that protect key sites like the Nanoose Notch. Significant buffers around the two lakes, bluffs and meadows should be protected from development while enhancing the quality of life for those who live in the community. Nanoose is one of the last strong holds of the Garry Oak ecosystem, which has been brought to the brink of extinction in British Columbia by agriculture and housing development. –Richard Boyce

8) For generations, Hot Springs Island has been a site for healing. It is one of a group of islands in the Pacific archipelago of Haida Gwaii, as the Haida Indians originally called the Queen Charlotte Islands. Located 50 to 130 kilometres from the British Columbia mainland, Haida Gwaii is a powerful and often dangerous marine environment. Hot Springs Island, now part of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and a Haida Heritage Site, provides a sanctuary of warmth and peace from the wild, windswept sea. In 1985 an environmental standoff over logging old growth forests in Haida Gwaii led to an agreement between the Council of the Haida Nation and the federal government to co-operatively manage Gwaii Haanas National Park. From May to September, members of the Haida Watchmen live at the Hot Springs Island village site (and four other villages within the park), protecting the natural and cultural heritage while providing visitor information and emergency service. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/travel/story.html?id=47d6d453-a281-429d-8255-e27fcce1c86e

9) Shuswap bands are looking at developing a pellet plant at either Kamloops, Savona or Clinton that could ship product to Europe where it would be used to create bioenergy.The idea is one option to help First Nations communities deal with the economic impact of mountain pine beetle. Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Betty Hinton announced a $103,000 grant for the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council as part of pine beetle relief funding. The tribal council’s economic development arm will hire a consultant and prepare a business plan looking at alternative economic opportunities. Mike Lebourdais, co-chairman of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, said First Nations communities, just like other communities, corporations and government, face poor lumber markets and a long-term reduction in logging. “We (Whispering Pines Indian Band) have forest licences affected. Normally we’d take one million cubic metres a year of pine. With the uplift it’s two million. The landscape is changing and we’re determining . . . what does it take to develop and implement a pellet mill or chips?” All three locations being studied are on a major rail line. Lebourdais said one of the requirements for such a plant is an additional 300,000 cubic metres of timber each year. That would produce about 150,000 tonnes of pellets a year. The study will also look at opportunities in tourism, botanical products and recreation. Kamloops Indian Band Chief Shane Gottfriedson was also on hand for the announcement. He said the band is far less forest-dependent than other First Nations communities in the region because of its development interests. http://www.kamloopsnews.ca

Canada:

10) The federal and provincial governments have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on forestry programs that promote clearcutting, says a report commissioned for the Ecology Action Centre. And that has damaged Nova Scotia’s Acadian forest, says Jamie Simpson, forestry program co-ordinator for the Halifax centre. He said the report by the Halifax consulting firm Jozsa Management & Economics concludes the two levels of government have spent $650 million in taxpayers’ money over the past 30 years on forest management policies and programs that promote clearcutting. “Clearcutting is used probably more than necessary,” said Tim Whynot, a forester with the provincial Natural Resources Department. “It has been used a lot.” However, he said, it is an acceptable practice under certain conditions — when the trees are very old, insect-damaged or prone to being blown down by the wind. There is no doubt the province’s forests have been damaged, Mr. Whynot said, but clearcutting is not the main culprit. He believes selective cutting — picking out the best trees and cutting those down — is a greater cause of the degradation. The province is redirecting more silviculture money to methods other than clearcutting, Mr. Whynot said, and while it has taken a while for companies and woodlot owners to show an interest, the effort is now gaining steam. “More and more companies are moving in that direction,” and there is a waiting list for workshops, he said. Mr. Simpson said the province has set aside $9 million for silviculture but just three per cent of that will go toward alternatives to clearcutting. “That is a step in the right direction but a better balance could be achieved, even 10 per cent would be nice, but 97 per cent of the money goes toward practices that support clearcutting.” http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1065381.html

11) Last Thursday, the interim Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife, Julie Boulet, submitted a working paper to the National Assembly. Entitled L’occupation du territoire forestier québécois et la constitution des sociétés d’aménagement des forêts, the working paper reflects the government’s position at this stage in the policy overhaul. We find ourselves confused and very preoccupied by this document – both by its contents and by what it fails to include. We gather that Québec has chosen to pursue its agenda with utter disregard for the concerns of environmental groups and of the many users of the province’s public forests. Given the far-reaching implications of this policy reform, we feel obligated to publicly denounce a process which, in our opinion, is rapidly headed in the wrong direction. Reforming Quebec’s forest policy was certainly needed to replace the outdated regime of Timber Supply and Forest Management Agreements (TSFMA). However, it is important to bear in mind that the reform was largely necessary because of concerns over the state of our forest ecosystems. Recall the Coulombe Commission of 2004, which unequivocally concluded that Québec had overexploited its forests, that its network of protected areas was inadequate, and that a large-scale transition to ecosystem-based management was warranted. Evidently, these issues should be at the heart of Quebec’s new forest regime. Unfortunately, nothing in last Thursday’s document allows us to believe that our ecosystems will be spared the mistakes of our past. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/features/viewpoints/story.html?id=6b45dece-18a1-4c3d-8b3d
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12) In 2004, residents of Poplar River First Nation convinced the Manitoba Government to stop all mining and logging on their traditional land, 600km northeast of Winnipeg, for the next five years. Sophia Rabliauskas is a member of this community and at the forefront of their struggle for full protection. She is now being recognized for her tenacity with one of the province’s highest awards, the Order of Manitoba. “It feels great to be recognized,” Rabliauskas says. “It’s good because it gives the whole community of Poplar River the support we need and it’s also bringing a sense of pride to the community and the people.” In 2002, Rabliauskas, along with several other community members developed a comprehensive land protection and management plan for their territory-a precedent setting accomplishment among First Nations in the boreal. The plan outlines core elements for the protection of the forests, such as respecting traditional knowledge; benefiting from environmental analysis; developing economic opportunities, including protection of traditional hunting, trapping and fishing activities; and creating sustainable tourism opportunities. Rabliauskas is working with other First Nations in the area to safeguard an even larger section of the boreal forest and declare it a UNESCO World Heritage Site. She hopes her work will be an inspiration to other First Nations who face similar challenges protecting their land. Vast areas of Canada’s boreal forest have been clear-cut by logging companies and subject to invasive mining development. The Boreal Forest Network reports that nearly 65 per cent of Canada’s boreal forests have been slated for long term clear-cut. Environmentalists and residents fear that these boundless forests could be the next target of the world’s pulp and paper industry. Gaile Whelan Enns, Manitoba Wildlands director, says Rabliauskas’s involvement in her community has to do with preserving the traditional knowledge that has been passed down to her. In April last year, Rabliauskas was one of the six activists to receive the Goldman Environmental Prize in San Francisco for her work. Only three other Canadians have received the award. More information on her community’s work protecting the boreal forest can be found at: www.poplarriverfirstnation.ca – http://www.abcleaders.org/stories/61/sophia-rabliauskas