Shuffle pleases Coleman's foes
By
Rob Shaw
Times Colonist
July 24, 2008
B.C. environmental groups, long calling for Rich Coleman's political head, said yesterday they were "very happy" he'd been shuffled out of the forestry portfolio. "We've been running a campaign asking for his resignation for the last eight months," said Maurita Prato, forest campaigner with the Dogwood Initiative, a non-profit environmental agency.
B.C. environmental groups, long calling for Rich Coleman's political head, said yesterday they were "very happy" he'd been shuffled out of the forestry portfolio.
"We've been running a campaign asking for his resignation for the last eight months," said Maurita Prato, forest campaigner with the Dogwood Initiative, a non-profit environmental agency.
"About a month ago we submitted a petition into the legislature with 2,000 concerned citizens asking he resign. So of course we're very happy he's being shuffled out."
Environmental groups made Coleman the target of frequent criticism since his appointment in 2005, as coastal mills continued to close and tens of thousands of workers lost their jobs. Prato said she believes Coleman could have done more to protect the industry.
In March, around 1,300 protesters convened at the legislature to demand Coleman act to save old-growth forests and end raw-log exports. It was the largest protest since the Clayoquot Sound rallies 15 years ago.
Susan Howatt, campaigns director for Sierra Club B.C., said Coleman leaves a "horrific legacy" for allowing Western Forest Products to remove about 28,000 hectares of private land from tree-farm licences near Jordan River in 2007. WFP then provisionally sold 2,500 hectares to a developer. WFP also applied to develop subdivisions before government could sign changes to limit lot sizes. The moves sparked an angry outcry from local residents.
Environmentalists say they remain cautiously optimistic Pat Bell will do a better job, as he moves from agriculture to forestry.
Bell was "the champion within cabinet" on the implementation of the Great Bear Rainforest agreements in 2006, which protected 1.8 million hectares of B.C. wilderness, said Valerie Langer, director of B.C. coast campaigns for ForestEthics, an international non-profit organization that works to protect endangered forests.
"We weren't getting very much traction on a number of forestry issues with Minister Coleman, and we've seen Minister Bell move forward a number of important projects," said Langer.
"I think this is a good
move for the ministry of forests."
rfshaw@tc.canwest.com
"We've been running a campaign asking for his resignation for the last eight months," said Maurita Prato, forest campaigner with the Dogwood Initiative, a non-profit environmental agency.
"About a month ago we submitted a petition into the legislature with 2,000 concerned citizens asking he resign. So of course we're very happy he's being shuffled out."
Environmental groups made Coleman the target of frequent criticism since his appointment in 2005, as coastal mills continued to close and tens of thousands of workers lost their jobs. Prato said she believes Coleman could have done more to protect the industry.
In March, around 1,300 protesters convened at the legislature to demand Coleman act to save old-growth forests and end raw-log exports. It was the largest protest since the Clayoquot Sound rallies 15 years ago.
Susan Howatt, campaigns director for Sierra Club B.C., said Coleman leaves a "horrific legacy" for allowing Western Forest Products to remove about 28,000 hectares of private land from tree-farm licences near Jordan River in 2007. WFP then provisionally sold 2,500 hectares to a developer. WFP also applied to develop subdivisions before government could sign changes to limit lot sizes. The moves sparked an angry outcry from local residents.
Environmentalists say they remain cautiously optimistic Pat Bell will do a better job, as he moves from agriculture to forestry.
Bell was "the champion within cabinet" on the implementation of the Great Bear Rainforest agreements in 2006, which protected 1.8 million hectares of B.C. wilderness, said Valerie Langer, director of B.C. coast campaigns for ForestEthics, an international non-profit organization that works to protect endangered forests.
"We weren't getting very much traction on a number of forestry issues with Minister Coleman, and we've seen Minister Bell move forward a number of important projects," said Langer.
"I think this is a good
move for the ministry of forests."
rfshaw@tc.canwest.com
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