Annette Tanner — June 2008
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Mid Island Chapter’s Forest Land Resolution proceeds to the Union of BC Municipalities, Calling for a Stop to Vancouver Island’s Forest Land Liquidation
After the recent Forest Land deletions, the Mid Island Chapter began working on a resolution for the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) to address the conservation challenges for the under-protected east (E & N) side of Vancouver Island. The resolution was accepted by the Town of Qualicum Beach and then passed at the Victoria AVICC conference in April this year, with a 100 % majority.
What numbered, off-shore and private companies are able to do in these early stages of their forest land sell-off deals, will determine whether the E & N lands which comprise 23 percent of Vancouver Island, can obtain significant public benefit in exchange for the forest land removals which have already taken place. The creation of a protected area strategy for this historically under-protected region of Vancouver Island is of utmost urgency.. As a result of the famous E & N land grant to the Dunsmuir Family, only 2 percent of this magnificent and rare Mediterranean-type coastal region of the Island has been protected as parks.
Protection of community drinking watersheds, wildlife corridors , the survival of the threatened Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem, access to recreational land and to safe, locally grown food, depend on sustainable land use planning, which must put the benefit to the public ahead of private profit. The recent sell-offs and rezoning of private forest lands since 2002 would go far towards achieving benefits to the public when an audit is finally agreed to.
The resolution also addresses other points, such as the fact that the original withdrawal of E&N lands from the public domain in the late 1800s occurred without recognition of Aboriginal title. Reduced taxes on private forest lands as a result of forestry licensees entering into tree farm licenses were part of a social contract with British Columbians in return for sole access to public timber with an objective of stable employment in dependent communities.
Please join our Mid Island Chapter in writing letters every week to ensure that a protected area strategy will be developed for Vancouver Island’s “East Side” and that all of Cathedral Grove and the Crown land around Cameron lake will be set aside as a provincial park for future generations.
For more information please contact Annette Tanner at –
Tel: (250) 752-6595. Fax: (250) 752-7085. E-mail wcwcqb@shaw.ca
