the paved BC and put up a wal mart...sha-ooo sha sha sha...

January 23, 2003

Nearly half of the Canadian province of British Columbia could be

opened to logging and other commercial interests if the provincial

government has its way. In an effort to encourage business and

stabilize B.C.'s economic base, the government is proposing to set

aside 48 percent of the province, or some 45 million hectares, as a

" working forest, " a designation that permits logging, mining,

ranching, tourism, recreation, and other commercial activities. Of

that land, 23 million hectares are already open to the timber

industry, while 22 million are not currently being harvested. Stan

Hagen, minister of sustainable resources management, said

environmental concerns would still be taken into account in assessing

the future of the region's forestlands, but that they would be

secondary to commercial interests. Environmentalists are decrying

the proposal as " perhaps the most-sweeping anti-environmental

forestry legislation in B.C.'s history, " in the words of Ken Wu of

the Western Canada Wilderness Society.

straight to the source: Vancouver Sun, Craig McInnes, 23 Jan 2003

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do good: Take action to protect British Columbia forests

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