James Steidle

In the wake of sawmill curtailments and shutdowns and the permanent closure of Canfor’s pulp line at Prince George Pulp and Paper, a group of concerned stakeholders is gathering Feb. 28 at the University of British Columbia to discuss future of our forests and how they should be managed to increase sustainability and maximize job potential.  James Steidle, the organizer of the Future of Forestry in Our Region: A Community Conversation, says the forum is needed to inform the community about alternatives to existing forest practices and what should be done to protect species habitat, promote forest vitality and minimize the effects of logging.  “It’s not just about growing plantations for sawmills that are throwing everybody out of work,” said Steidle. “There’s other values there, there’s tourism, hunting, trapping and ranching to consider. We want to talk about tenure reform and talk about maybe getting a community forest for Prince George and alternatives to clear-cutting.