1. Removing existing private land from the TFL (Schedule A lands) removes that land from the requirements of the Forest Practices Code. It will instead be regulated under the proposed standards for private land forests practices which are wholly inadequate for the protection of fish and wildlife habitat, tourism, values, or most other public values. Together with the TimberWest deal the removal of this land from the oversight of the Forest Practices Code removes the ability of the Ministry of Environment to manage for habitat and other environmental values on virtually all land in the E&N land grant (east side of Vancouver Island, from Campbell River to Sooke). As most of these lands are within the E&N land grant, the timber cut from it will no longer be subjected to provincial export controls for raw logs. Other Schedule A lands selected for removal are in the Queen Charlotte Islands and Powell River.
2. Vancouver Island Plantation lands: about 20,000ha of the ‘candidate parcels’; put forward are in the E&N land grant, parcels of land that were privately owned but have reverted to the Crown over the years (usually due to non-payment of taxes). Of the 650,000ha in the E&N grant, which covers almost all of the east side of Vancouver Island from Campbell River to Sooke, only about 30,000ha, or <5% is held by the province. This also happens to be a unique ecosystem (CDFmm and CWHxm), and the Crown parcels the only opportunity for the province to preserve some habitat in this area.

These lands are also an important part of the South Island Small Business Forest Enterprise Program, which provides opportunities for forestry and value-added at a local level. They are also the only land that may be available for treaty settlement and community forestry opportunities on the southeast side of Vancouver Island.

Other Crown lands being targeted are in the Salmon River and Powell River areas. The land in Powell River, around Lois Lake, have significant recreation and tourism values (with economic diversification potential) and First Nations values. These and the VIP lands would be subject to provincial export controls on raw log exports.

3. In the initial information released about the deal, there was an indication that MB would like to have some land removed from the Forest Land Reserve (FLR); land in the FLR gets reduced taxbreaks in exchange for committing the land to forestry, i.e., FLR land logged must be replanted. However, the information now up on MoF’s website makes no mention to this part of the deal. Even if FLR exemptions weren’t granted at this time, as communities expand in the future MB would probably want to remove several of the candidate parcels from the FLR for development purposes. MB would realize huge windfall gains at that time (approximate valuation of these parcels for the purpose of this deal will likely be in the $3-$5,000/ha range; cleared land for development on the southeast island is valued from $50,000 to as much as $200,000/ha).

For More Information

The Campaign to Save BC’s Public Lands is a loose network of social justice, environmental and labour groups that support a set of core principles about resisting privatisation and promoting community control of forests, in a manner that is fair to all British Columbians and respects the rights and title of First Nations.

To find out more about the Campaign or for further information about the material in this backgrounder, please contact:

Lisa Matthaus Forest Policy Analyst Sierra Club of BC 1525 Amelia Street Victoria, BC V8W 2K1 Phone: 250.386.5255 Fax: 250.386.4453 Email: matthaus@islandnet.co

Backgrounders MacMillan Bloedel Settlement Agreement TimberWest Goal 2 Exchange Privatisation - Environment Issues Privatisation - Implications for First Nations Privatisation - Implications for Community Stability Compensation Campaign Principles [ Forestry ]