As a result of our communities commitment to stopping clearcutting in and around the local area by; publicly lobbying government through radio call-in shows, writing letters to the local newspapers / provincial government reps, and some creative legal fandanglinging on the part of a local community activist, we have been approached by the
Western Newfoundland Model Forest (WNMF) as a potential Forest Community Network site for their 2007-2012 program.
From the WNMF proposal;
"
Introduction: This initiative is designed to identify a Forest Community Network (FCN) site in cooperation with the Forestry Services Branch on the east coast of insular Newfoundland.
Background: In it's 2007-2012 proposal the WNMF identified four FCN's. A fifth site was discussed pending the availability of funds. Time did not allow us to define this site location other than to say it would be on the east coast of central Newfoundland.
In cooperation with the Forestry Services Branch, the WNMF staff are exploring the possibility of creating a FCN site (a network of small rural communities) near Terra Nova National Park.
Key Attributes: This yet to be named site would include a number of wholistic attributes that have come to define the WNMF program and our 2007-2012 proposal:
- Made up of a number of small rural communities referred to as a Forest Community Network (FCN),
- Strong buy-in and cooperation by community leaders acting as representatives of their communities,
- Local sustainable development, sustainable forest management and integrated resource management underpinning concepts,
- Explore a stronger link to values associated with coastal zone management,
- Buy-in by provincial departments of government and their regional/local staff,
- Proactive conflict avoidance/conflict resolution,
- Activities (projects) would have champions or active local chairs and working groups,
- Key values: water quality, aesthetics, tourism, wildlife, domestic cutting, agriculture, etc., and
- Linked to provincial, national and global network."
Now that's a mouthful, but overall a good way to start our little process here on the Eastport Peninsula. Lot's of openings in it to get people and groups involved on all sorts of levels.
By going this route the NL government has acknowledged there is a need for this type of community development in the province, and is willing to see what can come from our little group of concerned citizens with facilitation between 'us and them' provided by the WNMF.
From the way I'm looking at this there's a few reasons why government handed over the cash to the WNMF to come out and assess the situation here. First of all to pacify us and keep the waters calm, second to not be seen as totally giving us our way so that all the communities along the coast will want the same thing, and three to actually see if this is for real and not just a small group of loudmouths spewing off in the local and provincial media.
A little background on what has happened so far this year...
The local forest bureaucrats messed the process up back a couple of months ago by arranging a local meeting, intentionally not informing anybody on our committee of the date until two days before, and then showing up to the meeting here in Eastport with their sawmillers, harvesting contractors etc (who never opened their mouths at the meeting) to tell the people that it was better to let them harvest it than to let it burn. That scenario, once exposed, only convinced the local skeptics that government was going at this underhandedly, and ended up adding power to our cause. Oh, and by the way, two of the committee members phones went out the day they actually announced the meeting, and one of the phone lines had to be serviced by a regional phone guy from Gander it was so @#$%ed up. Quite the coincidence,
no? and there's more...
After the meeting, and I'm guessing now, there was some 'discussion' amongst provincial bureaucrats about what to do with us. They settled on the Model Forest as a solution, since their old-school undemocratic tactics seemed to completely backfire, and it seems to have been a good move. We're happy and they're happy because we can get off their backs (for the time being anyway). Now, let's hope everything goes smoothly from here on in.
There's a provincial election coming up, a major review of the forest industry due out any day, as well as a 100 year tenure review on 1/3 of the provinces timber resource with hydro rights tied to it (Two BIG Montreal Pulp Companies are trying to muscle their way into the next level of resource development on our little Island paradise). Water rights is what they're really after (the pulp has been secondary for some time), and no one provincially wants to talk about it. Note: NL sits on a huge reservoir of fresh water that is feeding the pulp mills energy needs, and wouldn't they just love to sell that wholesale to the Americans later on?!
Now back to our story about the forests...The morning after the WNMF reps came down for their assessment of our 'committee and community leader buy-in', the area that is now proposed for cutting actually caught on fire and the water bombers had to be brought in! Another coincidence?
Apparently a couple of kids had been smoking in the area the night before...
And that's where we are now. Waiting for a letter of commitment from the provincial forestry department acknowledging our communities concerns and taking the five year plans off the table for the time being.
More to follow as the saga of one communities fight to regain control over its resources continues to unfold.
