It is rather ironic for Christy Clark to point out the track record of Alberta's lack of focus with their resources. In B.C. we have shown a great lack of foresight regarding our natural resources.
In 1912, the provincial government had the foresight to establish the Forest Service.
This was to manage all forests on Crown land, belonging to the people, to secure a sustainable land base. One hundred years later we can look back on a legacy of total mismanagement.
Not only have they destroyed a large percentage of the forest land base, but we have virtually no new stands ready for harvest, except for some private lands on the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
Now that the government, in its wisdom, has terminated the Forest Service, who knows what will happen to all the Crown land in their charge.
With our coal resources, we have seen previous governments having the taxpayers subsidize coal costs so they could sell the product overseas.
BC Hydro has been mismanaged for several years. By being allowed to bypass the Public Utilities Commission, they have been able to ride roughshod over the requirements of First Nations and other groups.
Site C should never have been started prior to all court challenges being completed. Greed is the only reason this is going ahead at this time. The hope is that Alberta will bail them out.
Oil and gas development should have been managed differently from the start. Fracking is a big concern to many people, not only in the use of water, but the long term effects on ground water and seismic complications.
For the government to freeze tax increases to large global companies for a period of 25 years is atrocious and should be rescinded.
Eco-tourism can be an important source of income to the province as long as we can maintain our natural scenery and resources.
I feel that it is time for the taxpayers of this province to stand up against many of these extreme policies and have a greater say in the handling of our resources in beautiful British Columbia.
Harry Coates
Prince George
