Mike de Jong and Pat Bell

Beginning with the province’s chief forester, B.C. Liberal leadership candidate Mike de Jong says he will make relocating the main offices of the forests and lands ministry to Prince George a top priority if he becomes premier. “How about locating the ministry to where actual commercial forestry is actually taking place?” de Jong said Thursday morning during a low-key media event at Kordyban Lodge. …Some 13 years to the day, a pilot project was launched that saw chief forester Jim Snetsinger working out of an office at the University of Northern B.C, de Jong noted. But the move was not made permanent. …Former Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell made it clear he supports de Jong. In introducing him, Bell credited de Jong for developing an export market to China for B.C. lumber.