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NDP labels Liberal forest policy a failure

The B.C. New Democrats have come out swinging against Liberal forest policy in advance of a visit to Prince George by the NDP's forestry critic, Norm Macdonald.

The B.C. New Democrats have come out swinging against Liberal forest policy in advance of a visit to Prince George by the NDP's forestry critic, Norm Macdonald.

After 11 years of Liberal rule, more than 5,700 natural resource and manufacturing jobs have been lost in the region, representing a 30-per-cent drop in the sector, the NDP said in a press release.

"Prince George is sitting literally in the middle of B.C.'s forests," said New Democrat forest critic Norm Macdonald in the same statement. "Even with other economic drivers in place, a region surrounded by natural renewable resources should be maximizing the use of that resource.

"Because of failed Liberal forest policy, an industry that was responsible for turning Prince George into the economic driver of northern British Columbia is in serious decline."

Macdonald and the NDP's forest committee will be in Prince George today, to visit mills and meet stakeholders.

More than 35,000 jobs have been lost in the sector under the Liberals and more than 70 mills have been closed, according to the NDP. And Macdonald claimed the health of B.C.'s forests, especially in the Interior, is woeful.

"Earlier this spring, the auditor general slammed the Liberals for failing to maintain the forests, or even keeping a proper inventory of the forested land base," said Macdonald.

"Independent experts, including the Forests Practices Board, have shown that there are millions of hectares of land that have never been properly replanted. And important silviculture work is also going undone."

Macdonald predicted more trouble and lost jobs because of Liberal inaction.

Forest Minister Steven Thompson disagreed with MacDonald.

In an interview, Thompson said the Liberals have "worked effectively with industry" following the U.S. housing market crash of 2009 and helped open a significant new market in China. The country took in about 7.3 million cubic metres of lumber last year, Thompson noted, the output of about 16 sawmills.

"And if you look specifically into the Prince George area, we know that market diversification has allowed Mackenzie and Fort St. James to be up and operating," Thompson said and added forest companies have committed over $500 million to capital improvements as the market rebounds.

On concerns about restoring logged stands, Thompson said over $236 million has been put towards reforestation through the Forests For Tomorrow program over 14 million seedlings were planted last year rising to 21 million by 2013.

And he said inventory work remains ongoing.

"We've got additional dollars in our budget this year to accelerate the inventory work to make sure that we put our investments in the most strategic areas," Thompson said.