Don Kayne

At Canfor, we’re proud to have been operating in the province for over 80 years. …Like all British Columbians, we want our forests to be diverse, thriving ecosystems. We employ hundreds of professionals, like foresters and biologists, who work hard every day to ensure our activities are environmentally responsible and will contribute to healthy forests for generations to come. …We follow rigorous environmental standards and get permits from the government for all of our activities we undertake in the forest. …In addition, we greatly respect the rights and title of First Nations on whose traditional territories we operate and their valued roles in stewarding the forests. That’s why we’re deeply concerned that the BC government has decided to defer 2.6 million hectares of old forests based on the advice of only five people. Government has not engaged with a broad group of Indigenous leaders, labour leaders, forest professionals and communities. Many important voices have been left out of this critical discussion. …To develop that plan, we are asking government, on behalf of our employees, Indigenous partners, contractors and communities, to immediately take the following steps: 1. Use the facts, based on objective and transparent science and Indigenous traditional knowledge, to identify potential old growth areas and deferrals. 2. Undertake a collaborative process that includes Indigenous leaders, labour leaders, forest professionals and communities to develop the old growth plan.