New Democrats Attack Bell’s Tenure In Forests Ministry
Saturday, February 4, 2012 @ 8:01 AM
KAMLOOPS – The B.C. New Democrats are claiming the Forest Practices Board has confirmed that former forest minister Pat Bell has been grossly understating the true problems facing B.C.’s forests.
New Democrat forest critic Norm Macdonald said Bell needs to explainwhy his estimate of crown lands that have not been adequately replanted was less than 10 per cent of the total the Forest Practices Board revealed Thursday.
"Either the minister was badly misinformed or he was purposefully understating the problem facing our forests," said Macdonald. "The Liberal government has utterly abandoned B.C.’s forests. Treeplanting and silviculture work has been reduced even after cutting increased and at a time when fire and pests like the beetle are already taking their toll on the forests."
Last February, respected forester Anthony Britneff released a report showing that the total net Not Satisfactorily Restocked land was approximately 2.3 million hectares; the gross NSR land – including forest land not restocked after fire, pests or disease – is around 9.1million hectares, three times the size of Vancouver Island.
Minister Bell, as forest minister, claimed the total NSR land to be around240,000 hectares.
Thursday in Kamloops, Marvin Eng of the ForestPractices Board confirmed that Mr. Britneff’s calculations were closerto the truth. "Compounding the problem is the fact that we just don’t know the full extent of the problem," said Macdonald. "Even Mr. Eng acknowledged thathis figures were based on old data.
"This government made massive cuts to the forest service, which has left the service unable to paint a true picture of what’s actually happening on the forest floor."
In the 1990s, the province spent an average of $22.25 million annually on programs assessing forest inventory. By the last budget, that had shrunk to $7.5 million.
New Democrat leader Adrian Dix delivered the keynote address to the SCA convention Thursday evening, saying the forest health crisis was an ssue the provincial government must immediately address.
Since 2001, more than 70 mills have closed and the forest industry has hed more than 35,000 full-time, family-supporting jobs. Adrian Dix and the New Democrats believe that B.C. logs should support .C. jobs as part of a forest strategy that respects First Nations, nvironmental and local needs.
Comments
Soon the Fib – erals will be WIPED OUT.
It is just a few more months of having to tolerate the LIES and arrogance from these LIARS. All bell can do is send out raw logs to china. But the real funny part is how when the raw logs come back from china made into CHEAP furniture these stupid peopke here actually buy this junk. You can see it yourself just drive past any of these places and see the stupid people in these shops buying this made in china GARBAGE. Want to shut off this system? Just refuse to buy anything made in china. Not only will you help our country but maybe we might get our jobs back here. As long as YOU keep buying this GARBAGE cheap made from them, they will keep sending it to you. Myself, I do everything I can to not buy ANYTHING made in china. It costs a little more but I can not stomach anything made by them. For example just last week I wanted to put new light fixtures in my new house. I had to special order them from mcguiness lighting in order to get some made in Canada. So next time you think about this pipeline or wonder why all our mills closed and all our jobs is now done by commie slaves just put that cheap made item back on the shelf and walk out the door. It is time to just stop giving any money to china. They should be starved out. Please do not buy any more things made in china. Just try doing it for a while say until the election when we can finally obliterate these LYING liberals and extinquish the hst.
Give me a break. I am sick and tired of people complaining about the Liberal Party. You seem to forget all to quickly the mess that the NDP put British Columbia in. Well, I don’t! Pat Bell and Shirley Bond have worked continously to better BC.
Do you really think that the NDP is going to come in and suddenly make everything perfect? Pat Bell is not a magician but a dedicated citizen who works his butt off for British Columbia so get your heads out of the sand and get a reality check.
Commie??? ……. hmmm … visions of the past.
Put politics aside and have a look at what Pat Bell has done for the forest industry in the North during the worst economic crisis since the great depression. He is the only reason that the north got any kind of representation from government during this time. And he would do exactly the same thing if he was wearing the NDP banner.
opinionated You are writing sarcasm, right.
Thanks NDP for not allowing the logging of the bettle kill when it started and now look what we have
opinionanted…you’re kidding..right?
You are an intelligent person…you don’t really believe that about Pat Bell and Shirley Bond,or do you?
How about Rustad…you forgot to mention John Rustad…the most usless B.C.Liberal politician ever to come down the pike.
The idea that these self-promoting political whiz-kids work for the betterment of the taxpayers is long outdated.
They work for themselves…it’s a job,and a very well paid job at that!
Would they work for less money,a smaller pension,and fewer perks?
I doubt it.
Even their fearless leader Christy Clark will quit if she can’t be Premier.
Just watch.
wow I can’t believe how short peoples memories are when it comes to the NDP history and how they killed this province
Keep trying to spread the BIG LIE Brownshoe and all you other Fiberal trolls! The power of the internet makes it easy to look up the real numbers on money, jobs, taxes, paying off witnesses etc. etc. Never mind the record setting cost over runs the Liberals ran up or how they hide billions in accounting practices that would not be allowed anywhere else. The BIG LIES on the HST and the BCR will haunt the liberals well past the next election.
Posted by: Brownshoe on February 4 2012 9:48 AM
wow I can’t believe how short peoples memories are when it comes to the NDP history and how they killed this province
Why can you not come up woth something other then the mistakes made 20 years ago? I seem to remember the 90s as a time when life was at least affordable. Before these LIARS came along and started immediately screwing the people. I seem to recall gordy as a first order of business in 2001 reduing corporate taxes. Then we the people get to pay more. And it’s beeen the same story for the last 11 years we just keep getting screwed and screwed by these LIARS and we the people is going to eliminate the LIE – berals as soon as possible. Bell did not stand up for the people of this riding when the HST was rammed through. Bell is going to be FIRED really soon. Along with all his lackeys that just keep screwing us more and more and more. The NDP never did any of that. The NDP made these greedy corporations pay. That is what the voters want. Soon the LIE – berals will be WIPED OUT. Just wait and see.
I worked for the Forest Service during the NDP reign in the early 90’s. I came from a union background and a family of teachers. I always voted NDP – Provincially and Federally. I believed that the NDP party was better aligned with my personal values and beliefs and I trusted them when they said that by increasing regualtions, and promoting a higher, more “fair” corporate tax regime that there would be more money available to fund our vitally important education and social programs. Boy was I ever naive back then. I had a front seat as the BC Public Service suffered massive cutbacks – BEFORE the liberals came into power and the increased regulatory structure drove thousand of jobs from the Province and the only means to fund things like education and social programs was to increase debt. The NDP managed the Province so poorly that there was no money to fund the services that were at the core of their system of beliefs. When I look back on the reign of the NDP, I am furious that they mismanaged our Province so badly during a time that we could have done so much better. There was no other reason other than the terrible policies and economic climate created by the NDP that literally thousands of businesses left this province and thousands of jobs were lost. It was completely unneccesary. I shudder to think about the state we would be in if the NDP had been at the helm during these past few years. I have neither seen nor heard anything in the intervening years that would make me remotely comfortable voting for the NDP again. Provincially or Federally. Personally, I enjoy having the opportunity to rail against the Liberal government for their terrible communication of the HST and many of their other mis-steps. But I will never forget what happened under the NDP. Not Ever. I would way rather complain about the liberals over the dinner table in my home with my family than be thankful for the the NDP’s increased regulations and social program funding in the un-employment line.
Got to get me a job like the NDP critics. All they do is complain, critize,take on any public complaint looking for votes but never offer any insite on how to correct problems and that includes when they were in power. Got to keep the fast ferries in public view.Lest we forget.Brownshoe I agree totally with your comment. Probably have commenting about the Liberals were not living in BC then or just don’t want to remember.
Got such a laugh out of these posts, holy cow, should be called Mudslingers Anonymous!
However, I have to agree that we have some very hardworking MLA’s in our area, who have done more than any others I’ve seen in decades. And I appreciate that.
Zack, I enjoyed your intelligent, historical post.
Just can’t believe the NDP still get the support of unions for which they return nothing. But this is just my opinion, like all the others. Lets try to voice our own opinions, not crap on others just because they don’t follow your holy line.
Pat’s success at opening the lumber market in China for dimensional lumber enabled us to reopen closed mills, start new mills and expand existing mills. This is of course frightening to those who wish for the demise of the free enterprise system and subsequent prosperity for all. NPD does own the beetles.
You are so right retired senior. I forgot the almost 100 BILLION those ndper’s hid in the P3 accounts! We will be paying for those debts for a long time. Oooooooh Sooooo sorry – that was the Fiberals doing that! The best way to fix this big problem BC has right now is to fire all those liars in the Liberal gov.t , give them their big fat golden handshakes and get rid of them before they give away the rest of the province and screw it up for generations to come.
What’s up with leftists & all the stupid, made-up names for everybody & everything? Why would anyone take an opinion seriously when it appears to be written by a 10 year old?
It truly is amazing how the actual truth comes out in the end.
Since 2001, more than 70 mills have closed and the forest industry has shed more than 35,000 full-time, family-supporting jobs.
The very sad truth about this whole thing is they are not interested in the economics of keeping B.C. working and paying taxes. Raw Log Export. Pipeline.
This present Government favors big business. Big business does not want to pay a union wage. China just wants the resource. They have slave labor at home. Their Communist! Do as I say, not as I do.
This present Government is selling out B.C. for a penance.
I wrote about this 10yrs ago, but nobody wants to know or listen until it’s too late. Now Harper is jumping on the same band wagon. How does one fight a Government with just words if they are not willing to listen? A smart Government and a strong Country prospers if it’s citizens are healthy, working and fed. Continue to push it’s citizens into a corner will only lead to political up-rise. Learn from other countries that have dictatorship. It does not work. Not for the citizen’s that is. It is a slippery slope.
Good post hammy
One of you guy’s mentioned the Fast Ferries of the NDP. Well I rode on one of them and man were they cool.
They got rid of them because the Fat Rich Cats were complaining that the waves on their beaches were to high and their Yachts tied to the docks were being scratched.
I know I used to visit with one of them.
We all know what happens when rich boy’s not happy. They got rid of them, then the Liberals weren’t even in a year and THEY SOLD THEM FOR A DOLLAR!
Fast Cats yada yada yada. Seems to me they were sold to Washington Marine Group for a song and flipped to Abu Dhabi Mar for an undisclosed sum. ADM is in the business of retrofitting. Pure speculation but the cats could end up as someone’s yacht or a mideast ferry. (This whole site is speculation and gossip; ergo my right to speculate.)
Looking at things from another angle; didn’t the leaky new roof on Vancouver (I refuse to call it BC) Place cost more than the three Fast Cats? Damn good value eh wot?
Rumor has it the German built ferries have their own problems but we don’t want to hear about that do we. There are non so blind as those who will not see.
This one is for brownshoe. It traces the Mountain Pine beetles progress through BC from 1961 to 2009. I’d say numerous BC governments had a chance to stop them but just maybe we humans can’t stop nature from running it’s course. Do a little research and you’ll discover the present infestation isn’t the onliest infestation. I suspect previous infestation were taken care of by colder winters and/or forest fires. We are having warmer winters and we discourage forest fires these days.
I encourage you to check out the site brownshoe; it’s kinda like playing with your red crayon except the site does all the coloring.
[www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/health/overview/mpb_history.htm]
Some short memories here for sure.
Funniest thread I’ve read in a long time. Thanks guys!
And some so short that can’t remember a couple of years back.
Dix faked a memo for his buddy Glen Clark. That alone should keep any sane person from voting NDP.
“Meggs and Dix go back a long ways â right to the days when Clarkâs government imploded a decade ago over the Casinogate allegations in which the premier was accused of taking a benefit from a neighbor â to wit some home renovations â in exchange for considering his application for a casino license.”
http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2011/01/18/on-adrian-dix-and-his-faked-memo-and-support-from-vancouver-councillors/
Fame me once shame on him, fake me twice shame on me.
[url]http://www.wsca.ca/Media/Multimedia/Feb%203%20-%20NSR%20-%20FPB%20Backgrounder%20-%20Marvin%20Eng.pdf[url]
It is obvious that most on here have not got the faintest clue what NSR eeven means and why the definition of NSR is the key to the different numbers.
Lying is not at the forefront of the difference, it is simple opinion of different views of waht should be included.
I find the multi-coloured bar graph about 1/3rd down the link above to be the quickest tool to explain the notion of the various categories of land which can ve considered to be NSR.
Remove the 2 million + “low priority NSR reported” component and one focuses on the Ministry and Industry NSR.
So, who are the professionals in this case?
When a bridge collapses, even though the bridge is one “owned” by the province, engineers come under direct scrutiny. They are the ones who designed the bridge and guaranteed it structural integrity.
FOresters deem themselves to be professionals with professional liabilities. Where is the Association of B.C. Forest Professionals in all this?
They work for government and they work fro licensees. They keep a low profile. They do not seem to do any public advocacy work.
It was much more active in the 1980s when a similar problem occurred.
This is nothing new. Look at graphs once more and that 2 million plus hectares. It has not moved substantially until the MPB event.
I think the professional association has a dutey to advocate for better forest practices. If they cannot accomplish that, they need to withdraw their services, otherwise they are nothing but puppets and should not be looked on as professionals.
http://www.wsca.ca/Media/Multimedia/Feb%203%20-%20NSR%20-%20FPB%20Backgrounder%20-%20Marvin%20Eng.pdf
The Liberals come out all smiles claiming everything is all fine and dandy here in “the greatest place on earth”. The only time they publicly claim things are not good is when the people aren’t handing over enough of their hard earned cash in order to make their corporate pals richer. I hope everyone that just had to have the OWElympics is happy. All the BS you see going on with the tax increases and massive spending cuts are due to having to pay the corporations for putting on the elites OWElympic party!
Is anyone tired of this government BS yet?
which gov?
http://www.policynote.ca/free-to-grow-or-free-to-fail-emerging-science-raises-questions-about-health-of-our-future-forests
That is a link to the WSCA conference of a year ago. Same issue.
That time, however, the notion of “free to grow” was included. When one looks at free to grow sites today, one sees areas which were likely planted prior to 2001 and can be as old as 15 or so years.
This whole notion is something which has happened under a variety of governments and has been managed on a day to day basis by the same professional foresters who are educated in this line of work no matter what political party is in power.
Ministers come and go. The Forest Service grows, shrinks, grows, etc. at the whim of government. The work gets done in house or through consultants. Sometime it is better than at other times.
We are dealing with a natural process. We might think we are God, but we are not. For her, it might be a perfect science. For us, it is far from it.
Ahhh. Good ole johnnybelt; just like a small dog. Always yapping just to entertain himself cause no one pays him any attention.
Ah joeboy, it’s good to know that I continue to get under your skin. Too funny.
Weaksauce: “What’s up with leftists & all the stupid, made-up names for everybody & everything? Why would anyone take an opinion seriously when it appears to be written by a 10 year old?”
Agreed. People who still think it’s clever to use the term ‘Lieberals’ or ‘Chrispy’ Clark have pretty much blown any credibility an anonymous opinion might have had, which wasn’t much to begin with.
Anyway, don’t worry all you NDP supporters, you’ll get your wish of Mr. Dix as the premier of the province after the next election. And then the real complaining will start!
I recall the 90s when the NDP were in power … and the economic crash of BC …. But I dont blame the NDP … I blame the Asian markets … the Asian market took a shitkicking in the 90s …. where does BCs exports go ….95% or better is pacific rim …. most of which is Asia …. in 2008 the American and Europeon markets went for crap …the asian markets … not so much …. that is why BC has been able to withstand this “economic meltdown” better than most…
That all said the NDP party has changed alot in that time … it has grown up …. But to those living in the past …. look past your front porch to see the bigger picture …
The NDP rant. WAAAA,WAAAA, WAAAA, I WANNA BE IN POWER, WAAAAA, WAAAAA!
Sorry folks, but after all the above posts today, (and I’m still laughing) I couldn’t help it. The NDP made me do it!!! LOL
When you have a two party system and both parties are the **pits**, then you have a serious problem.
There is no doubt the Liberals and their policies over the past 10 years have wreaked havoc on this Province. They are totally out of control when it comes to spending. Most of their projects were pure unadulterated BS. IE: Sea to Sky Highway, BC Place, Olympics, HST, Increase in user fees, New Port Mann Bridge, BC Transit, BC Ferries, BC Transmission Corp, ICBC (transferring funds), and no increase in the minimum wage for 9 years, plus introducing the $6.00 per hour training wage. BC Hydro and the run of the river projects, etc; etc;.
The problem is there is absolutely no reason to beleive that the NDP, could have or would have done any better. The NDP party is nothing more than a organization of people who have very few skills, especially when it comes to business, and for the most part would have trouble running a bath, let alone a Government.
So, we are in a bad position. Do we continue to get screwed by the Liberals, or do we vote in the NDP, who no doubt will continue to screw us????
Do we vote in the Conservatives, who may be better in the short term, but over time will morph into the same as the coalitionist Liberals?. Who the hell knows.
The citizens of British Columbia are entitled to a much better Government than we have had in the past 20 years. The problem is how are we going to get one.
As we know, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different outcome. Are we all insane???
We need some strong independent candidates to come forward in the next election, boni fide independents might be able to make a difference.
Any takers????
Good thing you give yourself credit johnny. Everyone else is laughing at you. Good night.
Did you hear Squire Barnes on Global TV ?
He said Christy Clarke look’s like Casey from the Mr. Dressup show. C’mon, that is hilarious.
yawn, yawn, yawn…the proof will be outed in 2013.
Well if we really wanted to mix things up ..why not vote Green?
We did, she is now our mayor.
Luv the sense of humor
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