Independent MLA Bob Simpson went head-to-head with Minister of Jobs Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell over public consultation and timber supply shortages.
During question period in the house Tuesday, Simpson questioned the minister on a report titled Mid-term supply project. The “confidential draft” was mistakenly made public on the Internet and immediately pulled after Simpson brought up its content.
“The current mountain pine beetle epidemic in interior British Columbia will result in a drastic decrease in timber supply in some areas, with potential for significant negative economic and social effects to the forest industry and forestry-dependent communities,” the report reads.
“These communities have expressed concerns over the short and medium-term sustainability of their communities as a consequence of the projected timber supply decline.
These concerns are evidenced by the UBCM resolution at the 2010 Annual Convention requesting government attention to the matter.”
The 24-page report analyzes four timber supply areas: Quesnel, Williams Lake, Prince George and Lakes.
For Quesnel and Prince George it states: “Under current lumber market conditions, it is uneconomical to harvest dead pine located at long haul distances from the mills.
Licencees have indicated that the economic supply of dead pine varies from 1.5 years in Quesnel TSA to about 5 years in the Prince George TSA.”
That means, Simpson said, under current market conditions and current land use plans “we have 1.5 years before we start to see mill closures.”
Which is why, he added, government needs to make the report public and ensure communities are equipped to deal with a “worse case scenario.”
“Quesnel has very little time to plan,” he said.
“Government needs to get the conversation started asap.”
During question period Simpson also questioned when the minister and government planned on revealing to the public options government is considering to increase midterm timber supply in mountain pine beetle-impacted areas.
“There is a lot of work going on,” Bell replied.
“It is in the broader mountain pine beetle region. We are likely a month or two away from having a broader public discussion.
“I think that dialogue is important and it is a dialogue that we’ll be encouraging as we move into the summer months.”
Simpson continued to push for public consultation, highlighting the report’s prediction of 1.5 years of commercial timber left and the loss of “1,600 jobs if mitigation measures are not made.”
Bell said Simpson’s suggestion “that government is not interested in consulting is completely inaccurate.”