|
|
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|
Cortes Ecoforestry Society Ph. 250.935.6888 |
»Back to Newsletter & Snapshot Menu Snapshot #2“Where do YOU fit into Cortes’ community forest?”Fairahn: Well, you see if there was a forest and somebody came and cut down all the trees, then there would be no forest. And the animals that live here like squirrels, and the creatures, this is their shade, this is where their home is. And if everything just got destroyed and there were no trees then it would get so dry in there that they’d have to move to somewhere else. But instead, if you came in here, and you cut down maybe two trees, and you used them. If you cut down what you needed them for… if you needed a woodshed, you could figure out how many pieces of wood you need to make it. And then, you could figure out how many trees you need to make those slabs. So, each tree gives about 3 or 4 slabs. So then you would figure out, I need about 40 slabs. Then you figure out maybe I need 10 trees. Then you wouldn’t waste any. You see, bringing wood from somewhere else, it’s just the same as us taking it to somewhere else. It’s just taking it from somebody else’s community forest instead of using our own community forest. I would love to have this forest for millions of generations. Bill: I spent a lot of years of my life on world-scale issues. Somehow, over the years, it dawned on me that we can accomplish a hell of a lot more at the local level. One of the biggest problems we face is deforestation worldwide. The simple solution is to take what the forest can afford to give and not take any more. It’s as simple as that. This whole island, with very few exceptions, is in favour of not destroying our forests. The whole island seems to be in favour of the economic reality of local materials, local use, all that. But then you look at trucks coming on the island every day filled with forest products that come from clear-cuts elsewhere. Well, there is a simple solution for that. Ecoforestry is the simple solutions. In the event that control was given to the community, then I think my role would probably be in the areas closest to us around Mary Point. I think if we really did have community control, and the real intention was ecoforestry on a scale that approaches annual increment, we are talking about a lot of material and the potential for a lot of value added industry. At Tiber Bay, we are turning out 10 to 20 times the work hours, or job value, per cubic meter of wood over BC industry average. I think I have serious markets that I can easily tap, world-wide even, if the material was available. The main thing is the availability of material. The reality is that if the land-base is there, and the access is clean and clear, and we have it, I mean us collectively, the whole island, there is no reason that we can’t find the markets. Whatever the format of community control of the forests, I completely
support it. Whatever ultimately evolves from that, if I can work with
it as an independent business I will. And finally, if I see the potential
for that, you can be sure I’ll be in there helping make it happen. |
