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Sunday, February 14, 2016
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Timber agency draws criticism
TINY HEARTS
RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
LISA VANDERVELDE/MORNING STAR
Mayumi Jimenez, three, admires her valentine wand at All Saint’s Nursery School Friday morning while Jonah Waldegger, four, works on a valentine craft. All Saint’s Nursery School welcomes the public to their open house Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.
Budget input sought by MP RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
North Okanagan-Shuswap’s MP hopes political differences won’t stand in the way of Ottawa reaching out to this region. Conservative Mel Arnold has been consulting with municipalities, regional districts and First Nations so he can provide input to the Liberal government before the federal budget is Mel Arnold unveiled in March. “We can say this is a consensus from the communities around the riding. This is what people on the ground are looking for,” he said. On Friday, Arnold met with the Regional District of North Okanagan. “The goal is to hear from you about
what’s important to you in the budget so we can make a submission on behalf of the riding,” he said. Among the issues raised was the need for infrastructure money, including possibly for a sewer treatment plant along Swan Lake and Greater Vernon’s master water plan. A push was also made to have Ottawa assist communities obtain corridors abandoned by railway companies. “It’s insanity to lose a corridor that could be used for fiber optics or light commuter rail in the future,” said director Kevin Acton. Arnold was also urged to push for a national housing strategy. “It’s so difficult for people to buy a house,” said director Catherine Lord. Other items suggested to Arnold included funding for social agencies and the need for increased focus on mental health programs.
The need to fight invasive mussels from entering local lakes was also discussed and Arnold says it may be the focus of a private member’s bill this fall. “If the government hasn’t moved forward on that issue, I will look at that,” he said. Director Mike Macnabb encouraged Arnold not to get caught up in the partisan component of Ottawa. “We’d like you to work with the government and not necessarily follow the party line that, ‘Everything you (government) do is wrong,’” said Macnabb. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suggested that Liberal promises prior to the election may have to be adjusted because of economic uncertainties. “They are finding out that budgets don’t balance themselves,” said Arnold. “We need to be seen as stable to attract investment. It will be international investment that drives the economy.”
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The discussion was strained as rural politicians met face-to-face with a provincial agency. B.C. Timber Sales representatives were before the Electoral Area Advisory Committee Thursday, and director Hank Cameron raised the contentious issue of logging in Cherryville. “I’d like to see the geotechnical report for the (2004) slide on North Fork Road,” he said. That led to Colin Johnston, B.C. Timber Sales woodlands supervisor, saying, “Any infor- Hank Cameron mation we have is public.” However, Cameron wasn’t satisfied with Johnston’s response. “We’ve never seen that report,” said Cameron, who is concerned about BCTS allowing future logging in the slide area. “We’ve had to hire our own hydrologist because we don’t accept what you have (presented).” But Johnston defended the process BCTS follows when it comes to allowing harvesting and the potential impact on slopes. “We hire trained professionals,” he said. During much of the presentation, BCTS staff insisted they consult with communities when deciding which sections of Crown land should be auctioned off for harvesting. “We work best when we are communicating effectively with stakeholders,” said Johnston. But it was pointed out to BCTS that it made the City of Vernon aware of potential logging in the BX and Cosens Bay although they are not in the city, but in the electoral areas. “It made us feel like we were the last to be notified and there wasn’t meaningful consultation,” said Mike Macnabb, BX-Silver Star director, adding that harvesting can have an impact on communities, including water licenses. “We’d like to see more up-front discussion.” Johnston says his office is willing to work with the regional district. “We happily share whatever information we have,” he said. EAAC is hoping to receive support from other jurisdictions to make BCTS more transparent. It wants the Southern Interior Local Government Association to lobby Victoria for improved communications between timber licensees on Crown land, local governments and affected private lands.
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