Regarding the two articles (‘Forestry jobs focus of visit’ and ‘Let’s get serious about forests’) in the Jan. 27 edition of the Castlegar News: the sad fact is most people in B.C. are ignorant or apathetic about the way the province’s forests are being treated.
Public forests have largely been privatized without actually selling the land. How many people know the United Nations declared 2011 the year of the forest?
Most everyone knows water and trees are linked, yet any effort to halt B.C.’s deforestation-style management is stifled.
The less the public knows, the better for the forest industry.
Wildlife depends on mature forests for shelter. But animals don’t vote or contribute money to politicians.
Greenpeace, David Suzukki and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee have changed very little in how forests are treated.
Where the forests of B.C. should be treasured and respected as the province’s most valuable asset, they get some lip service from so-called professionals, but shabby treatment in reality. Talk is cheap.
Many Kootenay residents burn firewood but I guaranteed that in the midst of so many trees, firewood is still going to get scarce and expensive.
Greg Wozny
Ymir