The BC NDP Government says they’re cleaning up the forestry debris left by the former Liberal government as they make adjustments to the forestry act.
But Liberal Forests critic John Rustad says a proposed harvest reduction will have a ripple effect through the entire industry.
“What we’re seeing in the log harvest being reduced, and the mills taking down time because they don’t have logs,” he said.
Mid-Island Pacific Rim MLA Scott Fraser says the Coastal Forest Sector Revitalization Initiative will make more fibre available to mills and restore many of the forestry jobs lost under the Liberals’ watch.
“These guys oversaw 30,000 job loses, 100 mills closed, massive increase in raw log exports and the demise of the industry from a workers point of view as they catered to whoever donated the most to them,” he said.
Fraser said it was clear the system needed fixing when Catalyst Paper was forced to buy wood chips from Oregon made from BC logs a few years ago.
He predicts a reduction in raw log exports as local mills get increased control of timber.
