UPDATED APRIL
4, 2004
Prince
Edward Island Federation of Labour Forest Policy Submission
March
16, 2005
-The
P.E.I. Federation of Labour is pleased to be able to present our
thoughts on the ongoing forest council hearings. We approach
this issue as an issue regarding the sustainability of an industry in
order to provide long term and quality employment and a means to create
good work opportunities for Islanders. The non-economic
benefits of the forests to our overall quality of life (water quality,
soil quality, wildlife preservation, landscape preservation) must all
be considered as part of its value.
-One of our major concerns is that
across Canada and in particular
Prince Edward Island, that we need to focus on creating long-term,
valuable and sustainable value added jobs and we should not merely be
“hewers of wood” only. In the first eight
months of 2004, Canada exported $144 billion worth of commodities ($65
billion more that we imported); but we imported $151 billion worth of
value added products ($17 billion more that we exported). We
are basically selling our natural resources without considering how we
should add value to them. This is very apparent in our
current forestry policy. Provinces like P.E.I. which depend more on our
primary resources are particularly vulnerable when we export raw
products and reap fewer rewards and benefits.
-We should be ensuring that we can
use our trees by stopping destructive
and job shedding practices such as clear cutting with giant machines
where few jobs are created. It would be both more
economically beneficial and more sustainable to harvest the wood
selectively through the use of well paid, highly trained workers using
the best sustainable forest practices so their children can continue to
be employed. The use of large clear cutting machines does not work in
the types of forest we have on Prince Edward Island and like using
large draggers to catch our ever decreasing supplies of fish this is
unsustainable over time thereby endangering existing jobs in the long
run.
-The Federation also harbours great
concerns about some individual
woodlot owners who have used the phrase that government should not be
engaged in making policy in this area and that it hurts their property
rights. A simple reading of Island history should dispel this
argument as if our government did not act in the interests of Prince
Edward Islanders in the late 19th Century we might still be ruled by
Absentee landlords nor would we be able to enact favourable legislation
such as the “Land Protections Act.” The
above argument does not take into account that
governments are elected to act in the public good. The delay
in addressing the sustainability of forests for future generations has
hindered efforts desperately needed to preserve this resource.
-We would like the council to
envision policies which will stop
“job killing” and
“unsustainable” harvesting practices. We
do want to ensure that private woodlots are protected from those
poaching ground hemlock , a resource only recently highly valued for
its healing properties. It also illustrates that the true
value of our forests may go unrecognized and that preserving a diverse
eco system is healthy not only for our province but for our planet.
-The amount of wood harvested must
be based on ensuring that the supply
of wood remains sustainable. We must not mortgage the future
of next generations of Islanders including wood workers and
craftspeople. We must remember the lessons of the past where
we cut down the original Acadian forests and sailed away with the
results leaving us a legacy of trying to restore a healthy, mixed
Acadian forest. Value added efforts must be intensified so a
greater number of jobs are created on P.E.I. by processing the wood on
P.E.I. or even developing wood furniture or handcrafts for sale on
P.E.I. or export. We support a name change to the department of Forests
from the current title Department of Forestry to reflect a more
balanced and holistic view of the value of forestry. We also recommend
to the Committee that they examine GPI Atlantic’s approach to
calculating the value of the forest in providing clean air and water
particularly in light of Global Warming and other concerns and also
examine its report regarding the Nova Nada issue.
Good
luck with your deliberations.
Respectfully
submitted,
Prince
Edward Island Federation of Labour
March
2005
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