Ed Morrice

[Writing in response to July 23 editorial Look to the future when good news follows bad] Yes, forestry is in transition, but the current wildfire situation illustrates the absolute need for forest management that can only exist with a strong forest industry. Sure it will be different but it needs a leader to ensure we don’t just give into easy investment that abandons thoughtful forest management to development of oil and gas and mining extractive industries. We have run out of access to big legacy trees but are awash in growing timber. If it isn’t managed much of it will burn and destabilize other resource sectors. Who wants to invest in a place where wildfire is a major disrupter? Let’s hear the conversation about what forests can do for us, not put it on a back burner to become a future problem. Those conversations are happening. How about The Citizen bring us that story? [END]