Fraser, Summary of Public Input

Public Review Process and Response

Chilliwack District Staff actively solicited public input on the Timber Supply Review in the Fraser Timber Supply Area through the following actions:

• direct mail-out of the three documents to over 200 organizations and businesses active within the Fraser Timber Supply Area or adjacent timber supply areas. The Public Discussion Paper included a response form which readers were encouraged to complete and return to the district manager

• seven information sessions were held with representatives from the timber industry, labour, local governments and other interest groups (see Table 1)

• four open houses were advertised extensively through a direct mail-out

• radio interviews were provided

• newspaper articles were encouraged

As Table 1 shows, over 100 individuals attended the information sessions and the open houses. The Chilliwack Forest District also received four completed response forms and 15 written submissions (see Appendix 1). The Fraser Technical Working Group, which includes the major timber companies operating in the Fraser Timber Supply Area, also commissioned a consultant to technically critique the Fraser Timber Supply Analysis Report (referred to as the ‘technical critique’ in this report).

Table 1: Participation in public information sessions

Overall, those who attended these sessions indicated they were informative and useful, but the participants were surprised and disappointed by the apparent lack of public interest in this Timber Supply Review.