A Powell River councillor says residents will be eager to weigh in on a new plan for area forest management.
The Sunshine Coast Forest Landscape Plan is being called a “holistic approach” to managing timber which will include First Nations.
A Ministry of Forests spokeswoman told the committee of the whole Tuesday (Oct. 14) the plan is a “paradigm shift” to forest management.
Committee chairman Rob Southcott says many people will be “anxious” to participate.
“This is a forest industry town and it’s in transition in a big way. There’s all sorts of challenges right now and there was certainly attention at UBCM to this challenge. We’re right in the epicenter of it,” Southcott said.
“I’m sure there are going to be many people in this community who are very interested in your work and will be anxious to participate in whatever way that is possible…we have a very engaged community,” he said.
Ministry of Forests spokesman Ryan Jordan told councillors public engagement is supposed to happen through November but the B.C. General Employees Union strike is adding a “logistical challenge.”
Asked by Councillor Trina Isakson what the public engagement will look like, Jordan said there would be “multiple open houses,” a survey and targeted stakeholder engagement “with specific interest groups.”
It would be distributed through Engage B.C. (govTogetherBC) and local media outlets, including radio stations.
If all goes as planned by the ministry, the new landscape plan should be in place by spring.
