Under attack
David Brindle’s business story [“It Happened in 2016: Business ups and downs,” December 28] is fraught with unnecessary negativity.
Brindle states that “forestry and the fishery remain under attack by environmentalists.” Our natural resources are under attack due to willful arrogance and woeful ignorance.
Brindle also states that “the business of Powell River was in a woebegone state for much of the year, and multiple marijuana dispensaries, a medical-marijuana facility or fixed-link bridges will not solve the problem.”
We should consider that there are challenges to master. Conversely, there are positive growth opportunities that lie directly on the horizon.
The environmentalists mentioned above are playing a pivotal role in the creation of new career opportunities in the medical-marijuana sector, an industry that does not run roughshod over the local landscape, but rather one which will afford the opportunity for hardworking individuals to become homeowners and contribute significantly to the trickle-down effect into the local economy.
Building blocks are currently under construction, laying out the foundation for the future. This is worthy of optimism and maybe even a hint of excitement.
Journalistic integrity involves balance. Unnecessary negativity is not impartial and creates a false perception in the reader’s mind. The reader deserves better.
Steve Perkins
Van Anda
Public benefit
The recent column discussing BC Timber Sales operations [“Where the Road Begins: See the forest for the trees,” December 21] displays some common misconceptions about forest management on the Sunshine Coast.
BC Timber Sales operations around Powell River occur primarily in previously harvested, second-growth forests. Most of the forests near residential areas were harvested around the turn of the century to supply a pulp mill in a burgeoning coastal town. Today, these stands have regrown, indicating that our coastal forests are both resilient and renewable.
Historically, loggers did not impose the same constraints we have legislated today (long-term sustainable timber supply, biodiversity conservation, tourism, recreation, etc.), yet the forests have grown back.
Currently, our plans are developed by highly trained professionals using the best available science who are informed by extensive feedback from local communities and reflect over 100 years of policy and research into appropriate forest management.
In addition, revenue generated by BC Timber Sales, over $20 million on the Sunshine Coast alone last year, pay directly for the public services we all enjoy (schools, hospitals, etc.).
While managing forests for a mixture of economic, social and ecological benefits is complex, we have come a long way since the early days of logging.
Both then and now, many communities in BC continue to rely on the range of benefits our forests provide.
Kerry Grozier
BC Timber Sales manager, Chinook business area
