Paul Brison
At the end of Saturday’s meeting you asked us to give our responses to the meeting. Here are mine, that have occurred to me so far.
First, I think there was some disappointment that we did not get into some of the nitty- gritty. Some wished to get down to writing policy. While that may be beyond the scope of the meeting, it does certainly reflect that there is a general feeling that the whole process is too slow and too cumbersome. The length of time that the process is scheduled to take means that policies and procedures/regulations are going to be released before recommendations on the same are even considered. There was as well exasperation that the uranium issue is being avoided, forcing work weary activists into yet another round of hearings and procedures that wear them out and provide opportunities for industry and government to subvert negate and ignore the will of the people. Indeed, when I think of it, the VP mandate is deliberately too broad. Under the guise of coordinating parks, biodiversity, forestry and mining, the design/mandate of the project is too scattered to be focused effectively (on forestry, I prefer).
Secondly you asked how will we know that the suggestions, concepts and policy discussed are working. You suggest 30 years from now. I do not particularly like 30 years, because in forest time it is barely the blink of an eye, and if anything we need to think long term. However I do think there is some validity in setting short term markers as well. Here are some indicators I would look for that will tell us that our efforts Saturday were successful (so they reflect my biases).
Short term Indicators of Success:
• Independent audits tell us that each year the total volume of biomass in the forests is increasing.
• Herbicide use is phased out because management practices have made it unneeded.
• The Government begins calling open forums on rural development, involving educational institutions, forest owners, tourism organizations, business management training institutions, etc. to establish long term goals and objectives and short term policies and initiatives to reach the long term goals.
• We see the creation of community forests composed of private lands and crown land managed by citizens, activists, landowners, etc, which enable people to have direct participation in forest management.
• Other provinces and countries look to Nova Scotia and say “If they can do it, so can we.” That is, we become the example of how to do it right.
I like the last one best.
Thanks,
Paul