Did somebody say JDI? Apparently Premier Graham has taken to heart Mr. Irving's suggestions for New Brunswick's "wood supply issues."
This is really just a fancy way of saying that one of our country's richest men (whose family is technically not headquartered in Saint John, but in Bermuda, where they pay no corporate tax), has just told us how to run our Crown Lands. The amount of protected areas is down, and the amount of tree plantations is up.
Be outraged, in this place.
The last report on Crown Lands included a survey saying over 90% of New Brunswickers want more input into forestry policy and management. Then the government cancelled the public consultations to follow-up on those recommendations. There was never any explanation for that cancellation - it appears now that some recommendations are more equal than others.
Does the government really think this is going to be good for New Brunswickers? The reality is we already have the most mechanized forestry industry in the country. We have a lot of people working in forestry, but in terms of the volume of wood processed, we employ the least people per unit produced. More tree farms aren't good for small woodlot owners, or small mills.
Guess whose bottom line they might actually improve?
Winner of today's quiz gets a free copy of the Telegraph Journal.
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