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   British Columbia's land-use planning directly involves communities, local residents and all other stakeholders in resolving land and resource issues that may directly affect them. The stakeholders in the land-use process include representatives from local government, First Nations, labor, forest and mining companies, tourism and recreation, environmental and other interest groups. Regrettably certain environmental groups choose not to participate in the effort to find balanced solutions, but rather favor actions such as logging blockades and misleading boycott campaigns. Their refusal to be part of the solution process is contributing significantly to the growing public frustration with these environmental groups. The province of British Columbia implemented the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act in June 1995. The Forest Practices Code was implemented to ensure the forest land in British Columbia was managed on a sustainable basis to meet present needs without compromising future needs. The Code incorporates extensive conservation measures, details planning processes, and sets out standards of forest harvesting and resource management. The Code also includes measures for the overall protection of streams and site specific streamside management requirements for fish-bearing streams and their tributaries. The Code also contains special measures to protect wildlife such as the grizzly bear. |
 Recently the government has undertaken several measures to strengthen protective requirements for water quality and fish habitat. The Fish Protection Act, the Water Act, the British Columbia Fisheries Strategy, and Fisheries Renewal British Columbia are recent actions that will ensure our important fish resources are maintained. British Columbia is also expanding its Protected Areas to include marine areas and marine resources.  The Forest Practices Code has provisions which ensure that essential habitat needs of wildlife are protected. The establishment of Protected Areas, Special Management Zones and Resource Management Zones also ensure that species such as the grizzly bear, and endangered species such as the Northern Spotted Owl. A grizzly bear conservation plan introduced in 1995 and the Spotted Owl Management Plan introduced in 1997 will protect critical habitat values and sustain the populations of these important species. It is estimated that there are approximately 25,000 grizzly bears remaining in all of North America. Of this number more than 13,000 or over 50 per cent are currently roaming the vast areas of British Columbia.  Some customers of wood products are starting to request that their suppliers have a certification mechanism in place to ensure that the timber resource products originate from sustainably managed forests. British Columbia forest companies are managing the forests of British Columbia in a sustainable manner and many are pursuing a variety of independent certification options to meet the needs of their customers. By the end of 1999, several of the largest forest companies will have achieved certification under one or more of the following systems: * The Canadian Standards Association (CSA), * International Standards Organization (ISO), * The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) The continued and sustainable stewardship of our forest resource base, including a commitment to prompt reforestation, will allow British Columbia forest companies to remain as stable and long-term suppliers of forest products to Japan. |
