OP ED by Roly Russell, BC Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development and MLA for Boundary-Similkameen

Rural communities are built upon our relationships with forests; from the economic drivers to the quality of life delivered from those forests, [shaping] our culture and history.The strategic review for B.C.’s old-growth forests stated, “the overall system of forest management has not supported effective implementation or achievement of the stated public objectives for old forests. (Due to) a pattern of many choices made over several decades, within an outdated paradigm.” The forestry intentions paper is part of a road map to help us spur on the paradigm shift that Gorley and Merkel call for. …My sights are set on helping our government go upstream and move our forest sector to a place where we’ve shifted from decisions based on volume to decisions based on wrap-around value that works for our communities. …The most essential element in the old-growth report is the recommendation that we spark that paradigm shift in our forest industry.