<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=3DGENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV>RE: Politics in the BC Forest Stewardship Council<BR><BR>Regarding = the=20 recent email about the Forest Stewardship Council in British<BR>Columbia = circulated by Mr. Patrick Moore, a paid spokesperson for the = BC<BR>timber=20 industry, the following clarification is provided from Sierra Club<BR>of = BC.<BR><BR>1. WHAT IS THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (FSC):<BR><BR>The = Forest=20 Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international membership = based,<BR>democratic=20 initiative that has been set up to support environmentally<BR>sound, = socially=20 beneficial and economically viable forestry management, and<BR>the = labeling and=20 marketing of forest products from such forests.<BR>Membership is open to = a range=20 of interests and is organized into economic,<BR>environmental, social, = and in=20 British Columbia, aboriginal chambers. The<BR>FSC is structured so = that=20 each chamber has equal representation through<BR>equal board membership = and=20 weighted voting. This was done so that no one<BR>chamber can have = more=20 influence than another.<BR><BR>The Sierra Club is a member of the FSC, = and has=20 been actively involved in<BR>the FSC in the United States, Canada and = British=20 Columbia since it began.<BR>We see FSC could be part of a solution to = move=20 toward better forest<BR>stewardship. It is a way environmental = groups,=20 workers and companies can<BR>work together on solutions guided by the = ten=20 Principles and fifty two<BR>Criteria of FSC.<BR><BR>Because of its = growing=20 international acceptance in the market place, FSC<BR>has the potential = to define=20 a new approach to forestry in British Columbia.<BR>The FSC regional = standards=20 for British Columbia (BC) are presently under<BR>development. <BR><BR>2. = THE FSC=20 PRINCIPLES AND CRITERIA - HOW BC SHAPES UP:<BR><BR>Clearcut logging in = old=20 growth has never been certified by the FSC, thus,<BR>some of the key = Principles=20 and Criteria under FSC would appear to be<BR>difficult for corporate = timber=20 operations in BC to meet under their current<BR>practices.<BR><BR>- = Primary=20 forests (Principle 9) -over 90% of the logging in BC is done in<BR>old = growth or=20 natural forests. The FSC advocates that these ecosystems not<BR>be = transformed to plantations, and that the precautionary principle = be<BR>applied.=20 Currently the BC timber industry relies almost exclusively on = very<BR>large=20 openings of the canopy, even-age management, artificial = regeneration<BR>and=20 extensive use of herbicides.<BR><BR>- Environmental Impact (Principle 6) = requires that forest management shall<BR>maintain the ecological = functions and=20 conserve the biodiversity of the<BR>forest. Currently about 97% of = the=20 logging in coastal rainforest is done<BR>by clearcutting, creating large = openings that are not natural to this wet<BR>and steep coastal = ecosystem. =20 92% of logging in all of BC is done by<BR>clearcutting. In addition, = there is=20 not a comprehensive protected areas or<BR>'core' reserves in BC, and in=20 particular on the coast. Currently only 6%<BR>of the coastal = temperate=20 rainforest in protected.<BR><BR>- Indigenous People's rights to own, use = and=20 mange their lands, territories<BR>and resources shall be recognized and=20 respected (Principle 3). Currently<BR>the First Nations whose = traditional=20 territories are being logged do not<BR>have decision making authority = over that=20 logging. FSC requires that First<BR>Nations delegate control with = free and=20 informed consent. Recent court<BR>decisions such as Delgamuukw and = Haida=20 Nation are further clarifying the<BR>definition of aboriginal rights and = title,=20 but the issue of rights and<BR>title to the land is not settled in BC.=20 <BR><BR>3. GOOD SCIENCE IN BC - THE CLAYOQUOT SOUND SCIENTIFIC=20 PANEL:<BR><BR>There has been some excellent work done by experts on = shifting=20 forestry to<BR>a sustainable footing in BC's coastal rainforests. = The=20 Clayoquot Sound<BR>Scientific Panel (CSSP) was a panel of blue ribbon=20 scientists, First<BR>Nations and experts who were brought together to = determine=20 how to log in<BR>Clayoquot Sound in order to maintain ecosystem = integrity and=20 long-term<BR>social and economic needs. (Clayoquot Sound is a = coastal area=20 of<BR>rainforest on Vancouver Island, BC.) The CSSP produced a set = of<BR>recommendations outlining a type of logging that is very different = from=20 the<BR>current methods of clearcut logging used on the BC coast. =20 <BR><BR>The CSSP recommended that: <BR>- Clearcutting be phased out and = replaced=20 with variable retention systems.<BR>According to the CSSP, variable = retention is=20 not clearcuts with reserves.<BR><BR>- 'Natural disturbance regimes = be=20 followed', which in coastal temperate<BR>rainforests the Panel found to = be=20 "just a few trees falling over", rather<BR>than large areas = affected=20 by fire. This means that canopy openings are to<BR>be small ie no = more=20 than 2 tree lengths wide.<BR><BR>- Landscape level considerations taken = into=20 account. Appropriate planning<BR>to take place on the regional = level to=20 determine areas with no logging,<BR>corridors, etc.<BR> <BR>- = First=20 Nations of the area have greater control and decision making = over<BR>land-use=20 decisions in their traditional territories. In Clayoquot this = is<BR>under the=20 Interim Measures Agreement rather than the Science Panel, but = the<BR>Interim=20 Measures agreement is a good model for First Nations = and<BR>certification, as it=20 is the only way to really talk about "free and<BR>informed = consent" ie=20 the First Nations are consistently involved in<BR>planning, in that they = can=20 veto individual logging plans.<BR><BR>These were agreed to by the = provincial=20 government, local communities,<BR>First Nations and environmental groups = -=20 making this the only forestry<BR>standard produced in BC in the past = decade with=20 such broad consensus support.<BR><BR>** The FSC BC Steering committee is = advising certifiers to use the<BR>Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel=20 recommendations as the interim FSC<BR>standard for coastal forests in = BC. =20 <BR><BR>The Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel recommendations and the=20 Interim<BR>Measures Agreement were accepted fully by the BC = government. =20 <BR><BR>Clayoquot Sound is the same biogeoclimatic zone=20 (ecoprovince<BR>classification) as most of the coast of BC. It is = logical=20 that this<BR>standard be used in other areas of the coast, and that the = science=20 that<BR>supports these recommendations be used by the FSC, in particular = for<BR>coastal BC. These recommendations are consistent with FSC's = guiding<BR>principles. <BR><BR>4. WESTERN FOREST PRODUCTS AND=20 FSC<BR><BR>The first audit for FSC certification in BC has been = requested by=20 Western<BR>Forest Products for their operations in coastal old growth=20 rainforest.<BR>SGS, one of the accredited FSC certifiers, has been = contracted by=20 WFP to<BR>carry out this audit. This will be an interesting audit = due to=20 the<BR>location and method of logging of Western Forest = Products.<BR><BR>In=20 addition to the above mentioned issues, there are a number of = related<BR>issues=20 specific to Western Forest Products application for FSC = certification:<BR>-=20 Approximately one in ten logging jobs in the central coast region = (known<BR>as=20 the Great Bear Rainforest) goes to local communities, while 9 out of = 10<BR>jobs=20 go to workers from outside of local communities. This does = not<BR>'maintain or=20 enhance the long term social and economic well being of = forest<BR>workers and=20 local communities'. (Principle 4)<BR>- In the central coast region, the = current=20 rate of cut is almost twice the<BR>government determined sustainable = rate.<BR>-=20 Almost all of WFP's logging is done in old growth (primary,=20 natural)<BR>forests.<BR>- Almost all logging (over 90%) is done by=20 clearcutting.<BR><BR>FSC requires that there is outreach and input from = a wide=20 array of<BR>stakeholders. SGS sent their draft 'checklist' for the = WFP=20 certification<BR>to an original list of almost 150 stakeholders, of = which less=20 than 20 were<BR>environmental groups. The BC FSC steering = committee=20 requested that each<BR>member of FSC BC steering committee solicit more=20 stakeholder input,<BR>including environmental input. = <BR><BR>Getting=20 more involvement in FSC is not manipulating the process - it is = how<BR>the=20 process works.<BR><BR>5. WHY THE SIERRA CLUB OF BC IS ACTIVE IN THE=20 FSC:<BR><BR>The Sierra Club is a member of FSC because we see that FSC - = based=20 on the<BR>ten Principles - could be one method for achieving good, = ecological=20 and<BR>socially responsible forest practices. We are involved to = support=20 FSC in<BR>British Columbia to succeed in that goal. We encourage=20 individuals and<BR>companies which truly support the Principles and = Criteria of=20 the FSC to<BR>become members. We encourage logging companies who=20 demonstrably support<BR>the Principles and Criteria to become certified = by=20 FSC.<BR><BR>The Sierra Club of BC is not against logging - we advocate a = move=20 to<BR>ecosystem based forestry, and an end to clearcutting. The = Sierra=20 Club of<BR>BC is for more jobs for every tree cut, and more local = informed=20 community<BR>control. We are for a reduced and sustainable rate of = cut.<BR><BR>We are an environmental groups, of the community of = environmental=20 groups<BR>that created this initiative, and will continue to be an = advocate=20 for<BR>ecologically responsible forestry through the FSC.<BR><BR>I = encourage any=20 of you who have read this debate to come to BC for yourself<BR>and see = what is=20 going on, meet with First Nations, workers, companies = and<BR>environmental=20 groups, and see our coastal ancient rainforests, a = globally<BR>significant and=20 rare ecosystem. Contact us and we will do our best = to<BR>facilitate a=20 positive and informative tour.<BR><BR>Regarding Patrick = Moore:<BR>Patrick Moore=20 works with the Forest Alliance, an organization that was set<BR>up by = the forest=20 industry on advice from Burson Marsteller, one of the<BR>largest public=20 relations firms in the world to, to speak on behalf of the<BR>the forest = industry. Burson Marsteller is best known for its work = with<BR>Exxon=20 surrounding the Valdez oil spill, Union Carbide surrounding = its<BR>Bhopal spill,=20 and with Chile's former Pinochet regime surrounding human<BR>rights=20 issues. <BR><BR><BR>From:<BR>Merran Smith <BR>Forest = Campaigner,=20 Sierra Club of BC<BR><A=20 href=3D"mailto:Forests@islandnet.com">Forests@islandnet.com</A><BR><BR></= DIV></BODY></HTML>
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