RE; HAIDA GWII

For many years the Haida Nation along with their neighbors, have been working toward a future that maintains respect for the land as the foundation of Islands cultural and economic well-being. They have worked hard to resolve their issues in an orderly way through negotiations, diplomacy, and through the Courts. The BC government has shown nothing but contempt for the Supreme Court ruling with continued attempts to run ‘roughshod’ over their interests, stalling, sharp dealing, trickery and deceit.

In British Columbia big industry and government have always been pretty cozy partners whenever the word “development” was in the air and there was a buck to be made. The B.C. Liberal's have put economic interests before the well-being of the land and her people and have ridden rough shod over whatever was in the way.

With the passing of bills like The Significant Projects Streamlining Act things have gone from bad to worst. No longer is the government making any pretence of stewardship or community interest. They aren’t even partners in resource development anymore. The B. C. Liberals have legislated the Province right out of the picture and is clearing the path for industry to have at it.

After an 18-month ‘Land Use Planning’ process and strong consensus amongst the Island people, the BC Ministry of Forests continues to compromise the outcome through approval of logging inside of areas cited for protection.

Weyerhaeuser has shown no respect for the land, the culture, or the people who have worked for them. Weyerhaeuser has also shown no respect for its own word. In commitments made to the Council of the Haida Nation, the communities and the people who work for them, five of the six commitments have been violated. Now the company is poised to sell its interests and in its final hours is attempting to strip all that it can from this land. The Haida people now say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH and so do we!

Weyerhaeuser and the Ministry of Forests have shown complete disregard for our communities’ needs and wishes. This was shown when the BC Liberal government compromised the Land Use Plan by approving cutting in areas that the Islands community had designated protected. The Land Use Plan was designed by all Island communities to ensure a sustainable future for Haida Gwaii.

The changes in the law are drastic. Environmental and social values are out the door and unfettered development is in. In its publication Cutting up the Safety Net the West Coast Environmental Law association calls the legislation “unprecedented in modern democracies.”

Here’s why:

No public accountability:
- The new act allows the BC Cabinet and ministers to overrule any law, regulation, bylaw, policy or government program that is seen to get in the way of development.

- Government officials were given the power to decide on the basis of their opinion whether or not any project would need an environmental assessment. No information needed.

The Forests:
- Logging companies get to write their own rules. If they don’t like the new Code they can propose their own “alternatives.”
- Logging plans can’t be rejected for failing to “manage and conserve” the public forest resource.
- If a company professional forester says a plan is good, government officials have to approve it, even if they “believe the plans do not comply with the law.” This means if the government is forced by its own laws to approve a plan, then they cannot be prosecuted for damage to the environment.
- Environmental protection can only be applied if measures do “not unduly reduce the supply timber” and do not affect the ability of logging companies to remain “vigorous, efficient and world competitive.”
- Government approval is no longer required for the transfers of Crown-granted timber rights.
- More log exports.
- Logging on private lands has been deregulated.

BC for Sale
- Land and Water BC is selling off vast tracts of public land – $73.5 million each year for the next three years. Large areas of land are being privatized with sales made behind closed doors.
- Lands and Water BC is leasing and licensing other large areas of land on instructions from the Premier to “optimize the financial return from the use of Crown land and water resources.”
- The Crown agency becomes salesman and promoter “an advocate for economic development and revenue generation by aggressively pursuing and encouraging investment and optimal use of Crown land and water resources.”


On Haida Gwaii, the logging industry wants to get at the best of the last now, and the province plans to keep at it until all the old growth forests are gone. Nobody – no Crown agency or elected official or forest license holder is legally responsible for the impacts of the forest industry or the well-being of threatened species, ecosystems and local communities.

While the Supreme Court of Canada has directed the province to seek reconciliation of Title issues in fair and honourable dealing, the province is making up and legislating new laws to hide behind. The government is avoiding its fiduciary duty to consult and accommodate with the Haida Nation and has handed everything over to industry to the point where it has weakened its own authority to act for any of its citizens.

This must stop! The people of this province want our environment back. The people of this province expect government, both provincially and federally, to do what it is the PEOPLE ask you to do and NOT what the corporations ask you to do. YOU are our duly elected representatives…..we have put you in place! Stop this nonsense and get your morals and values back into place. Deal with the Haida nation honourably as you know full well you have a responsibility to do. Get rid of the “Forest Revitalization Act”. Get rid of the “Significant Projects Streamlining Act”. Govern for the people and not the corporations!!

We will be standing shoulder to shoulder with the Haida Nation, supporting them!

Sincerely,
June Ross
Nanaimo, BC