B.C. woods flare up with eco-activism

An Editorial by Bob Peart:

A war in the woods appears to be heating up again in British Columbia to the point that a B.C. cabinet minister was caught calling a group of environmentalists eco-fascists for being critical of his position on the creation of a park in the Flathead Valley.

It reminds me of the mid-1990s, when then-premier Glen Clark referred to those trying to protect the forests as enemies of B.C.

So what has run environmentalism afoul of the province? Why has the search for long-term sustainable solutions suddenly taken a turn towards rhetoric and acrimony?

A quick review of recent media stories shows a steady rise in tension among those who care about the future of the ecosystems and those proponents of industry within the provincial government.

The B.C. parks system is unable to deliver on its recreation, education and protection mandate as its budget continues to dwindle.

Our forests are being liquidated under the veil of the mountain pine beetle and then further abused through inadequate replanting. The harvest levels and the proportion of lands that is clear-cut has actually increased since the 1970s.

There is the threat of an energy pipeline across the centre of British Columbia to deliver Alberta oilsands products to the coast for tanker traffic in our fragile ocean waterways in the Queen Charlotte and Gulf Island regions.

There is the proposed mine in the Chilcotin that will harm a lake of significant cultural importance to local First Nations; the future of the Muskwa-Kechika management area is in jeopardy as the province reduces its operating budget; continuing controversies as to whether there should be national parks in the South Okanagan and the Flathead valleys; a delay in putting a much-needed direct legal mechanism in place to protect endangered species and ecosystems; and the seemingly unabated change of the coastal estuaries as climate change leads to shifting ocean conditions.

This province's natural environment is exceptional for its diversity and richness. Keeping it intact isn't just a B.C. issue, it's a global concern.

Provincial policy isn't ensuring its future. British Columbia's government is cancelling funding for monitoring and updating land-use plans that took a decade of hard work to put in place; eliminating research budgets in the Ministry of Forests and Range, thereby deregulating forestry standards and moving to a system of private forestry practices; refusing to increase the number of conservation officers to a level required to protect our fish and wildlife; and failing to renew funding for valuable projects such as Biodiversity B.C., which contribute to environmental policy decisions.

Twenty years ago I sat as a member of the B.C. Roundtable on the Environment and Economy and worked toward a sustainable environmental strategy that would encompass environmental, economic and social concerns. This process was consensus-based and brought together the interests, experience and ideas of people in every region and every economic sector. Many of the recommendations were implemented through land-use planning, the establishment of a treaty process, the development of regional growth strategies and a nearly three-fold increase in park establishment.

Yet despite our relative prosperity, we are still faced with the same three battling sectors in the move toward a more sustainable future -- the environment, the economy and society.

The present patterns of human activity and trends are unsustainable, particularly given the impact of climate change and population growth. We seem unable to limit our impact on the living world.

It is a crucial time for the environment. Government leadership and civic consciousness are desperately needed. I don't think any of us want to return to that time 15 years ago when the "war in the woods" led to roadblocks and mass arrests.

We must find a way to work together to do business in such a way that it keeps our ecosystems healthy and supports the well-being of the citizens.

Bob Peart was a member of the B.C. Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy from 1989-1992. This is an excerpt from the talk he will present for the 2010 Robert Bateman Lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday August 10 at Royal Roads University's Mews Conference Centre.