Provincial minister of forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development Doug Donaldson joined Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons for an NDP-hosted event at Wildwood Public House on Wednesday, April 24, to speak about his ministry’s work.
Donaldson, first elected as MLA for Stikine in 2009, noted that he and Simons worked together for eight years in opposition while the BC Liberals were in office.
“We’re in government now, and it really is something to behold that we can make a difference at the policy level,” Donaldson told attendees. “We can make a difference with legislation, regulations and with policy, and we’re doing that.”
Donaldson explained that his ministry comprises a broad range of policy areas, and said that implementing all the changes his government wanted to make would take time.
“After 16 years of having a different perspective from the government, I realize there’s a lot of pent-up energy to make changes more quickly,” he said.
However, the minister said changes to the Forest and Range Practices Act and Forest Actwould be forthcoming on the government’s legislative agenda.
“These will place public interest criteria on the trading of forest tenures between major licensees,” explained Donaldson. “We’re intent on putting the public back in the management of a publicly held resource.”
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