British Columbia: Loggers want it all, now their whining about a Billion loonies that was “promised” them!

Citing fear that the federal Conservatives have abandoned a pledge to
provide $1 billion in beetle aid, the B.C. First Nations Forestry
Council has submitted a direct request to Finance Minister Jim
Flaherty for $75 million in assistance in the next three years.The
federal government has already put up some money to help mostly B.C.

First Nations communities fireproof their communities, about $7.6
million across the province, according to information on a Canadian
Forest Service website. Of that, just more than $1 million has been
spent in northern B.C. in First Nations near communities like Quesnel,
Burns Lake and Fort St. James. However, Atkinson says it is not enough
pointing to the First Nations’ estimate of $135 million needed to fire
proof their communities. Dave Porter, a member of the First Nations
forestry council, said so far fire proofing has been largely
restricted to reserve land, and it needs to be expanded to the
surrounding forest. He added it’s imperative to start planning this
winter, and get work underway in the spring before the next fire
season. Northern B.C. NDP MP Nathan Cullen said the Conservative
government has been slow to roll out the beetle aid, and this is
another example. “One of the jobs of government is to bolster the
confidence in our economy, and the way they’ve done their economic
update, the way they’ve handled funding to communities, it’s had the
opposite effect. It’s created uncertainty,” said Cullen. He said he
believed the First Nations have a strong case to get funding for fire
proofing for their communities. “You either spend the money on
prevention or you spend the money evacuating communities,” said
Cullen. http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20081218166761/local/news/forest-lobby-hopes-flaherty-hasn-146t-squashed-beetle-cash.html

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