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Forest firms donated $1.7M to Liberals: critics
Nov 02, 2007
By Judith Lavoie
Opponents of the government decision to allow forest companies to pull private lands out of tree farm licences are linking company donations to the B.C. Liberal party and TFL deletions.
However, Forests Minister Rich Coleman and the companies say the allegations are unfounded.
"That's just nonsense. I have never made a decision as a minister based on anything other than what is before me," Coleman said.
The Dogwood Initiative, a Victoria-based environmental group, has used Elections B.C.'s contributions figures to compile a chart showing five companies donated $1.7 million to the Liberals between 1996 and 2006, including $284,050 in the two years before land was taken out of TFLs.
Figures show that, during the last decade, Western Forest Products donated $103,247 to the Liberals and this year was allowed to pull 28,000 hectares out of three tree farm licences on Vancouver Island, including the controversial lands around Sooke and Jordan River.
TimberWest, which took 2,600 hectares of private land out of TFLs near Port Renfrew in 2004, gave the Liberals $288,924. Weyerhaeuser, which pulled 87,700 hectares from TFLs near Port Alberni and on the Queen Charlotte Islands in 2004, donated $540,499.
Pope & Talbot, with a pending withdrawal of 4,500 hectares in the Kootenays, gave $112,750. The biggest donation came from West Fraser Timber, which gave $620,900, but withdrew only 47 hectares from a TFL near Terrace.
WFP spokesman Gary Ley said there is "no merit" to efforts to link donations and TFL deletions.
However, Forests Minister Rich Coleman and the companies say the allegations are unfounded.
"That's just nonsense. I have never made a decision as a minister based on anything other than what is before me," Coleman said.
The Dogwood Initiative, a Victoria-based environmental group, has used Elections B.C.'s contributions figures to compile a chart showing five companies donated $1.7 million to the Liberals between 1996 and 2006, including $284,050 in the two years before land was taken out of TFLs.
Figures show that, during the last decade, Western Forest Products donated $103,247 to the Liberals and this year was allowed to pull 28,000 hectares out of three tree farm licences on Vancouver Island, including the controversial lands around Sooke and Jordan River.
TimberWest, which took 2,600 hectares of private land out of TFLs near Port Renfrew in 2004, gave the Liberals $288,924. Weyerhaeuser, which pulled 87,700 hectares from TFLs near Port Alberni and on the Queen Charlotte Islands in 2004, donated $540,499.
Pope & Talbot, with a pending withdrawal of 4,500 hectares in the Kootenays, gave $112,750. The biggest donation came from West Fraser Timber, which gave $620,900, but withdrew only 47 hectares from a TFL near Terrace.
WFP spokesman Gary Ley said there is "no merit" to efforts to link donations and TFL deletions.
