Forest Workers' Union Says Parks Cost Forest Jobs
12/4/97
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Headline: Forest Workers' Union Says Parks Cost Forest Jobs
Source: Canoe Limited Partnership
Date: 12/4/97
Copyright: 1997 Canoe Limited Partnership.
VANCOUVER (CP) - The province's largest forest workers'
union says recent parks' designation has already cost
650 direct jobs and the current amount of land
designated for parks should not be increased.
IWA-Canada, in a brief to the B.C. Parks Legacy
Project, says there is no economic benefit in creating
new parks in the province. Parks cannot replace the
economic value of lost forestry activity.
The union also says forestry creates almost 30 per cent
more direct and indirect jobs as parks and almost 18 per
cent more economic activity.
The province should stick to its target of setting
aside 12 per cent of B.C. forests as parkland by the
year 2000.
"Beyond 12 per cent, conservation goals must be reached
within the existing park system or through swaps of
existing park land back into the working forest," union
vice-presidnet Harvey Arcand said in a prepared
statement.