Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Mike Morris' quest to ban the use of a controversial chemical on provincial forests has hit some bumps but his private member's bill on the issue remains in play.
A plan to have the bill introduced in the most-recent sitting of the legislature was put on hold to make some modifications, but it should be ready for the fall session, Morris said Wednesday.
The changes were made to both cast the net wider in terms of the chemicals to be targeted while also making sure on the focus in terms of where they should be prohibited.
"It needed to be broader than just glysophate, so I was trying to come up with some terms that would cover off any other kind of derivative," Morris said.
"But I also had a lot of input, a lot of calls from various groups and organizations within the province, whether related to silviculture or farming or other groups that were concerned that this would morph into a province-wide prohibition for the use of glysophates or those kinds of compounds on right-of-ways, for agriculture and others.
"And my sole purpose is just to concentrate on the loss of biodiversity and habitat related to killing off the broadleaf and deciduous growth in there. It took me a long time to find the right wording for that and as a result, I lost the window I had for the spring session but it will definitely be on the fall session agenda."
Morris is targeting herbicides forest companies use to kill aspen and other broadleaf plants in areas that have been logged and replanted with trees of commercial value. Opponents of their use say it also eliminates food supplies for wildlife.
On whether banning their use would affect companies' bottom lines, Morris said it's an argument he's heard but noted that where First Nations have prohibited their use on traditional territories, "forest companies seem to get along quite well."
"It does impact the bottom line and our forest companies complain that they're not competitive any longer in British Columbia but I don't think they have ever been truly competitive when you look at the forest industry in the southern U.S. where they can grow a tree in 35 years that's marketable and it takes 100 years for us to do it up here," Morris added.
Meanwhile, the group Stop the Spray has launched a letter-writing campaign urging both B.C.'s Chief Forester and Minister of Forests to ban their use.
