I've spent a fair amount of time dealing with forestry-related issues on this blog. Forestry is the biggest sector of the economy in NB, and many people in my family have been involved in 'the woods,' as we call it.
The Alward government is getting ready for the election this fall. They have had an extremely difficult economic situation to deal with, no doubt about that. When all those chickens from past years started coming home - Point Lepreau, NB Power, highway tolls (we're still paying, we just don't pay at the booth) - it sure wasn't pretty. And with an aging population, poor literacy and health rates and a lack of new entrepreneurs, it's a tough sell to convince people that you're the party that will lead New Brunswickers to jobs, prosperity and health.
That being said, the elephant in the room provincially has been, and likely always will be, the woods. Europeans started coming here for the trees and Crown Land is still our greatest resource. And like any resource, access is power.
We are currently in the midst of a very intense and long-running debate about who those trees are for and who should benefit from them.
Is it First Nations? The people who scholars say still have legal title to land they have never ceded? My feeling is that over the next decade, the Supreme Court of Canada will be asked to rule on this. The treaties exist but my understanding is they presently are not being respected.
Is it the people of New Brunswick? A few years ago, the government commissioned a new study about how people use the woods and found that people have a high recreational value for the woods, and that they believe Crown Land should be used for the benefit of communities, not only to create jobs but also to provide habitat for wildlife and a place for people to enjoy nature. The (Graham) government didn't allow this report to be released, and cancelled the meetings that were supposed to be held so people could engage with this report.
Or is it for forestry companies? It is so hard not to be cynical about this. Especially after attending several presentations involving forestry execs who tell us patronizingly that if we don't find a way to change public policy, the big mills will have to shut down. Like a parent wagging his finger at small children who just will never 'get it.'
They use the 'jobs' as a threat and a weapon, while conveniently ignoring that our forestry industry is one the most highly mechanized in the world, meaning it takes a whole lot of clear-cuts to create even a few jobs. The reality is that maple syrup, value-added products, furniture, wood pellets, all these "niche markets" have a greater potential to create jobs from Crown wood than more clear cuts.
What I would like to know is: how does the government of a province that is deeper in debt every year justify losing money on Crown Land? The reality is, and several former cabinet ministers have publicly stated this, that our tax dollars are going to PAY companies to cut down the Crown Land, process it in private mills, and keep the profits in private bank accounts, some of which are offshore and not even subject to Canadian taxes.
New Brunswickers are probably not aware that the Irving family is one of the top five landowners in the world. Meaning they own a bigger share of planet Earth than almost anyone, excepting certain royal families and American corporate kings.
This latest forestry announcement is terrible news for our province. The jobs and investment being discussed here are going to cost the taxpayers piles of money, and do nothing to advance the values New Brunswickers have articulated, time and time again. The impact on wildlife, public land and the public purse will not be pretty. New Brunswickers need to get educated on this subject - no aspect of public policy will have a bigger impact than this.
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