100 Years Of The BC Forest Service

“The B.C. Liberal government has left the fox to guard the hen house, and has washed their hands of responsibility to effectively monitor and enforce forest regulations. This centennial should serve as a wake-up call, that our government is not fulfilling its duty to properly manage our public forests.”  - Darryl Walker

The provincial government is 'celebrating' the 100th anniversary of the BC Forest Service, but many feel that there is not much to celebrate in the province's forests. Even the government is just going through the motions, since its real 'gift' to the BCFS is not a big cake, but another massive funding cut in 2012 for this centenarian public service.

Many have weighed in to show support for this public watchdog, but I would be willing to bet they were not invited to the party.

BC's Auditor General has recently warned of the impact of cuts on forest inventory and research. The Association of B.C. Forest Professionals (ABCFP) warns that foresters may be using out of date data in their decision making.

The Forest Practices Board warns that the government is no longer able to track forest harvesting and restocking activities. These tasks have been turned over to the forest industry itself, and some think that this will spell disaster for the industry, and the environment.

Happy 100th anniversary to the BC Forest Service - here is to restoring it to its former glory and effectiveness once we get a more responsible government that is truly interested in protecting the public interest.