Employment and community impacts
Overall, the submissions concur that the forest industry is a major and integral part of the economy and communities in the Okanagan Timber Supply Area and throughout the province. Thus any change in timber supply can have significant social and economic consequences.
This is particularly true in some of the smaller communities where the forest sector is the dominant employer. As well as providing jobs for employees and contractors, the industry supports other local businesses.
One respondent states that destination resorts were not consulted on the impacts of harvesting scenarios
Roughly one-half of the 239 responses relating to social and economic factors suggest reductions in timber supply may affect the following:
health and stability of local economies
Some respondents suggest economic and community factors should be given a priority equal to other values when determining the allowable annual cut.
A few respondents report that they are resigned to the fact that resource-based communities are bound for economic decline.
provincial economy
Some respondents are concerned that revenue loss resulting from timber supply reductions will reduce funding for provincial social programs. Others observe that demand for these social programs would increase concurrently.
One submission suggests revenue lost due to reductions in the timber harvesting land base could be recovered by increasing licence fees and/or charging user fees.
employment
It is frequently recommended that no job loss should result from timber supply adjustments.
Several respondents note that university students depend on summer employment in the forest sector to fund their education.
quality of life and standard of living
Some respondents suggest job losses associated with reductions in the allowable annual cut would substantially reduce the quality of life and standard of living.
families
Quite a few respondents propose that the allowable annual cut be maintained to help support families who depend on it. Others note the negative effect an allowable annual cut reduction would have on families.
Eight submissions comment on diversification, suggesting that economic diversity should be viewed as an enhancement to, not a replacement for, primary industry. One respondent states that more benefit from the forest should be the goal, rather than a transfer or reduction of jobs.
Other submissions indicate that the economic objective should be to evolve the most efficient and diverse timber processing industry possible. Other submissions support the government's efforts to stimulate value-added manufacturing because it will create additional jobs in the forest industry.
Two other suggestions are made:
• create jobs by placing people who are on unemployment or welfare into programs where they can work in the forests
• create a regulation to ensure that Protected Areas revert to the timber harvesting land base if revenue or public recreation use falls below a given volume
Visual quality, tourism and recreation
Visual quality and recreation are mentioned in 22 submissions. A few respondents feel the "visible signs of harvesting activity in the timber supply area are minimal and not objectionable". Several others indicate visual quality and scenic corridors must be maintained and expanded. Several people promote the use of forested edges between highways and logged areas.
Respondents note the value of forestry roads for accessing fishing, hunting and camping.
Twenty-one submissions comment on tourism values:
• tourism is very important in this area; visual quality is a necessity for the tourism industry and visual quality must be maintained and expanded
• community economies cannot rely solely on tourism; the forest industry should take precedence over tourism because tourism is a seasonal industry and does not pay as well as forestry or generate as much revenue. Utilizing harvestable timber should take precedence over managing aesthetic values for tourists.
The International Woodworkers Association-Canada suggest that the solution to the question of how to manage visual quality is twofold:
• apply forest landscape principles
• educate residents and visitors so they expect to see the impression of the forest industry on the landscape
A few submissions suggest too much emphasis is placed on maintaining visual quality. A forest licensee states that the visual quality objectives in the Okanagan Timber Harvesting Guidelines are onerous and have never been ratified by the public.
Another suggests landscape mapping should be reviewed and that scenic corridors other than those along highways should be developed. Several submissions suggest that the concerns of destination resorts owners and houseboaters are similar with regards to aesthetic values.
Future environmental quality
Thirteen submissions express concern about the future of forests and the environment, stating the Timber Supply Review places too much emphasis on the potential loss of forestry jobs rather than on the opportunities presented by other forest values.
One respondent states that the Forest Service’s is focused on maintaining current economic levels in the short term, and thereby puts long-term biodiversity, watersheds, tourism, recreation and wildlife protection values at risk. These values should have a higher priority than timber production, according to this respondent.
Another submission notes that the increasing population will escalate demands on forests and that an holistic approach to balancing demands will be required.
Biodiversity and older forests
The Shuswap Environmental Action Society suggests the more restrictive biodiversity and old growth targets in the draft Forest Practices Code should have been incorporated into the Forest Service analysis.
The Shuswap Okanagan Forest Association suggests old growth protection will be addressed by the Protected Areas Strategy. The association also suggest current harvesting practices in the Okanagan Timber Supply Area are meeting stand level biodiversity objectives with no impact on harvest levels.
One submission indicates that the five per cent old growth objective in the various management zones is too small.
Water and wildlife
Nine comments are made about the importance of protecting wildlife, water and watersheds. Some submissions emphasize the importance of protecting watersheds in the Okanagan-Similkameen valleys in order to maintain fully functioning forests.
One submission suggests logging should be restricted to 700 feet from any waterway to ensure protection of riparian areas.
