Bob Brash

It’s been three years since government received the Old Growth Strategic Review and promptly proceeded to accept all its recommendations. While debate continues about the overall merits of that decision, we need a reminder of the two key transition recommendations that were endorsed by government:

• Once developed, implement the new policies and strategies for the management of old forests through mandatory provincial and local transition plans that define, schedule and monitor the process.
• Support forest sector workers and communities as they adapt to changes resulting from a new forest management system.

Today, where are we at with these mandatory transition plans that support forest workers and communities as they adapt to the changes being imposed by government? Three long years later, I think it’s fair to say they remain non-existent.

Instead, the focus appears to be vaguely expressed through the future state of government’s newly proposed “paradigm shift” with all the necessary steps for a transition basically missing. And those opposed to forestry consider this “paradigm shift” to mean we stop harvesting all together. The TLA has long been on the record for recognizing and supporting change in BC’s forest sector. In fact, most of us have been transforming our sector for our whole careers. However, there are essential elements that need to be in place for any transformation to be successful. …Recently, Premier Eby challenged the forest sector to come up with “creative solutions on their own” to address current challenges. Well, we’re ready, with the caveat that it needs to be done together with government and must include effective actions to enable a successful transformation.