Conservationists hopeful about forest management plans

Larry Jenkins

- April 3, 2011 at 09:47:14

It is interesting that Mr. Goudie "knows" that the "public favours using the forests for recreation and outfitting purposes over simply allocating the resources for fibre supply, which includes clearcutting." The public must tell him this after they drive on woods roads, shoot moose in cutovers and pick berries on cutovers.

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Jason Bull

- March 31, 2011 at 18:02:56

From the Auditor General's report (referring to forest management)... "Not all required annual operating plans and annual returns were on file... the Department did not have an adequate system to monitor whether all required annual reports were received... was not verifying actual harvest levels. There were also no established measurable targets for all indicators in the 10-Year Provincial Forest Management Strategy and no annual report was prepared for the House of Assembly on the progress towards the implementation of its Strategy. Contrary to its 2003 Strategy, the Department neither prepared ecosystem-based planning guidelines nor reviewed the 1998 environmental protection guidelines." By not verifying harvest levels they are REALLY mismanaging. I'm quite concerned about our forest resources here on the Eastport Peninsula for some of the very same reasons John Noseworthy has pointed out. This is just one of the reason why we fought the plan to clearcut around our community during the last planning process.

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John Baird

- March 31, 2011 at 15:53:33

Yesterday evening I attended the forest management planning session in Gander for Districts 4, 5, 6 and 8 on behalf of the NL Lumber Producers Association. It was very encouraging that more than forty people attended. Unfortunately the intended agenda fell short because a few participants persisted in taking up time on their personal issues. The forest district planning process is far from perfect. It is imperative that ways be found to make it better. But often those who are most critical of the process and dispute its outcome are the very people who ambush the agenda. My advice to those people if they want a more effective process. Stop being part of the problem. Become a part of the solution.

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Wayne Holloway

- March 31, 2011 at 15:22:55

This certainly sounds positive, but, I have learned to judge the actions rahter than the words. I am fresh out of one of a series of meetings of a similar process of " forest eco-system management" for forest districts 4, 5, 6, and 8. Participants are expected to deliver an agreement on the next 5 year plans for these districts while working within a time line that is 3 to 5 months short of what it should be, and with a set of guidelines that, at best, are interim. This, in light of the fact that the process has been in place for 8 years, and following a scathing review of the process by the Auditor General. There however is hope that the new broom will sweep clean.

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  dan curran

  - April 2, 2011 at 19:01:41

  Nothing left to cut me byes.....flown from St.j to Gander lately...upper Gambo pond is devastated