Streeper responds positively to the mention of the Northern Rockies in Premier John Horgan’s Throne Speech; Donaldson receives thanks for efforts to unblock the log jam

A Letter frometter from Mayor Bill Streeper, to Honourable John Horgan, MLA Premier of British Columbia P.O. Box 9041

Re: Forest Industry Revitalization in the Northern Rockies

Dear Premier Horgan,

I write regarding your recent public comments, and references in the Throne Speech to the re-establishment of a healthy forest industry in the Province. The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM) is encouraged by, and supportive of, the direction your government indicates it will take on this issue of critical importance to us.

Your stated commitment to reasserting the obligations of forest industry operators and tenure holders to the communities which are home to the forest resources of the Province, matches exactly with our community’s position, consistently maintained since the closure of Cantor’s operations in 2008.

More specifically, we applaud your recognition of the need to reverse the damage done to communities such as ours by the removal of appurtenancy provisions from the Forest Act in 2003, and to reinstituting measures linking the processing of fibre to the communities in which it is harvested.

We were further gratified to see you quoted in an article by Vaughn Palmer (February 14,2018) citing our situation as one in which your government has an active interest. This reinforced the sense that we had taken from our two positive meetings with Minister Donaldson in September and October, that government was indeed paying heed to our situation and to our initiatives.

As you are aware, the NRRM has been active since the closure of Cantor’s mills in Fort Nelson in 2008 in pursuing the rejuvenation of forest processing in the Regional Municipality. As a community we take pride in being self-reliant, and are doing everything within our power to aid in the resumption of sustainable industry activities. In that vein, the NRRM has invested significant time, energy and resources in engaging with the Province on issues of forest tenure and Boreal Caribou Recovery, while aggressively courting potential investment, and initiating a joint Community Forest License application with our neighbours, the Fort Nelson First Nation.

Under the current circumstances, however, there are matters beyond our influence and jurisdiction which need to be addressed in order for us to succeed in achieving a return of a local forest industry. Given the commitments you and your government have made, we believe that we share a number of common objectives, and can work together to revitalize our local forest industry. We are eager to discuss with you ways in which we can collaborate to the mutual benefit of the Province and the NRRM, and respectfully request the opportunity to meet with you and Minister Donaldson at an early date, to discuss specifics.

Yours truly,

Northern Rockies Regional Municipality

Mayor Bill Streeper

Letter to Honourable Doug Donaldson, MLA, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

Re: Forest Industry Revitalization in the Northern Rockies

Dear Minister Donaldson,

I am aware of recent positive statements made by you and Premier Horgan regarding the rejuvenation of the forest industry in the Province. These public remarks echo the tone of our recent the conversations with you about the re-establishment of sustainable forestry operations in our region. The Premier’s specific reference to Fort Nelson as a community whose situation merits attention has confirmed our belief that you have made our situation a matter of concern, and have shared that concern with the Premier and your government. I offer you my sincere thanks for doing so.

Though the economy of the Northern Rockies continues to languish, interest in making productive use of the forest resource in the Fort Nelson Timber Supply Area continues to grow. Additional major industry players, through our contact with them, have expressed interest in the potential for the development of our region’s forest resources. We have been encouraged during recent discussions with one industry proponent in particular whose on-going investigations appear to be moving in a positive direction.

As we have discussed previously, a number of obstacles and uncertainties remain in the path of successfully restarting forestry activity in the NRRM. While the Regional Municipality continues to expend significant energy and resources to this end, many of the issues to be addressed fall within the domain of the Province and your ministry.

These include matters previously raised relating to local engagement in the development and implementation of policy, existing and future tenure arrangements, the securing of a Community Forest license in partnership with the Fort Nelson First Nation, and the finalization of a plan for the restoration of Boreal Caribou.

It is essential for the welfare of our residents and our community that these considerations be addressed. We respectfully request the opportunity to meet with you at your convenience to discuss ways in which the NRRM can collaborate with the Province to do so. A similar request has also been directed to Premier Horgan. We hope to hear from you soon so that together we can continue to give this matter the attention it deserves.

Yours truly,

Northern Rockies Regional Municipality

Mayor Bill Streeper