Council Asked to Adopt Natural Resource Policy

By 250 News

 The United Steel workers have launched a campaign to “Restore the Forest Industry”

Donald   Iwaskow of local 1-414 presented the campaign to Prince George City Council, asking Council to support the campaign which has a six point Natural Resource Policy:

1. Stop the killing,  reduce accidents through more inspections and better enforcement of  safety standards
2. Halt the flood of log exports
3. Increase investment through the creation of a  forest sector investment fund
4. Restore the social contract including requirements for domestic manufacturing and local job creation in return for Crown  timber rights
5. Provide a skilled, trained and safe workforce
6. Fight the Mountain Pine Beetle crisis by direction “uplift stumpage” into a future investment fund.

Iwasko also asked Council to draft a letter of support for this Natural Resource Policy and send it to the Premier, the Prime Minister the local M.P’s and the local MLA’s urging them to do the same.

Iwasko says the time to act is now as there is uncertainty in the sector with mill closures, job losses and  lack of investment. "Compounding these difficulties are forest practices" says Iwasko, he pointed to a lack of safety measures in the bush and on the roads.  He says  while there was a significant  decrease in the number of fatalties between 2005 and 2006, there was no significant drop in the number of serious injuries.

He says if there was a day of mourning "Each and every time a forestry worker was killed. The enormous cost to the companies when this takes place, one would find they would soon place safety ahead of pofits."

Mayor Colin Kinsley says there is a need to do the homework, and it is his experience that  while the there may be some who support  stopping the export of raw logs, there are some communities which need those exports to survive.   "I think we need to be reminded  that one size does not  fit all."

Council agreed to see the matter sent to the Resolutions Committee for further  study.

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