Concerned loggers take forestry rally to B.C. Legislature

Hundreds of forestry workers descended on the B.C. Legislature Tuesday afternoon in a rally to support the struggling sector.

"The forestry sector has been in a downturnall across the province," said organizer Carl Sweet."The economy sector on Vancouver Island around the old growth logging will slowly deteriorate until there's not much left."

Sweet said many workers are concerned the province's Old Growth Strategic Review, which is currently underway,might decrease available land for timber harvest.

He and others said they are in Victoria to deliver a petition to the B.C. government.

"That petition is an ask for government to start protecting the harvestable land base for the future," said Sweet.

Watch logging truck cavalcade as it descends on B.C. Legislature:

Hundreds of workers descend on the B.C. Legislature in a rally to support the struggling forestry sector

5 years ago

Duration 0:36

Rally organizer Carl Sweet says the petition has garnered 8,000 signatures in less than two months.

"We just had an eight-month strike on Vancouver Island ... and it's kind of given us a glimpse into the future of what it could potentially be like if we continue to lose our harvestable land base.

"Right now in coastal B.C. we only harvest on 30 per cent of the land base. The other 70 per cent is either protected, restricted ... or uneconomical for harvesting. With this petition and rally we're asking to maintain that 30 per cent."

Sweet said the petition has garnered 8,000 signatures in less than two months.

"I think peopleare misinformed aboutthe impacts of logging. There's a lot of professional foresters, biologists everyone that looks after the forest industry they're doing everything they can to ensure it'ssustainable."

B.C. Forest Minister Doug Donaldson acknowledged loggers'concerns with the Old Growth Strategic Review and promised they'd be consulted.

"I commit today thatbefore any recommendations from that process are implemented, I will be going out to communities...[and] rural areas to gather input on any ... recommendations that come from that report," he said.

Industry facing uncertain future

Finance Ministry budget numbers show forest revenues weredown 11 per cent last year and projected harvest volumes of 46 million cubic metres are the lowest in years.

Thousands of forestry workers have lost their jobs, as mills close across the province.

Last week, after more than seven months on the picket lines,a tentative deal between Western Forest Products and the United Steelworkers was ratified by union members.

It meant more than 3,000 peoplecan get back to work, although it is unclear when employees will be back on the job at six mills owned by WFP on Vancouver Island.