Editor:
I am writing to correct the statements made in your April 14 article entitled: “SCRD to be briefed on BCTS plans.” In this article, the Truck Loggers Association (TLA) finding in our survey of coastal community members was incorrectly cited (the 47 per cent was transposed to be 74 per cent) and as a result, does not suggest as reported that a strong majority of people living in rural coastal communities believe that “more should be done” to protect our forests from logging.
In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. In the TLA survey, we also asked: “Should the government be doing more, less or the same to support the forest industry in your community?” and the response was 66 per cent feel more should be done to support the industry.
These responses are not surprising given the forest industry and the jobs that come with it are the backbone of rural communities across the coast and the province. On the Sunshine Coast specifically, the provincial annual harvest supports over 4,000 direct and indirect jobs, generates close to $600 million in revenue and puts $38 million into the government coffers to pay for schools, health care and other social services we as B.C. residents enjoy.
As the association that represents the men and women who go to work in B.C. forests every day, we too believe that more should be done to support the industry that is sustainable, provides jobs and supports the B.C. lifestyle.
David Elstone, RPF, Executive Director, Truck Loggers Association
