The Municipality of North Cowichan wants the province to streamline its permitting process for timber harvesting in an effort to assist Western Forest Products, one of the municipality’s biggest taxpayers, but the province says the current process is working in a timely manner. In a letter to Forest Minister Bruce Ralston, North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas said the ministry’s delays in its permitting process for harvesting in a number of farm-license areas continues to be major issue for WFP, which employs more than 340 people at its three facilities within the municipality. “The problem also affects the supply of residual chips vital for the operations of our coastal pulp and paper mills, including Paper Excellence’s (Crofton) mill,” Douglas said. …WFP has recently curtailed operations at the Chemainus mill due to, in part, a lack of log availability. …The Ministry of Forests said there is currently no backlog of permit applications on the coast.