WATERSHED UPDATE – March 3rd,2008
The following information may be of interest to you, the Council of Canadians will be applying pressure on the Federal Government to encourage them to take action on developing a “national water policy” and activists from the council will visit their MP’s during the next several weeks. For more information you can visit the Council’s web site at: www.canadians.org/water
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Water for people, not for profit! Council gears up for World Water Day on March 22
Here at the Council of Canadians, we’re rolling up our sleeves to celebrate World Water Day 2008 and hope you can join us. This year, we are working with our many friends and allies under the theme ‘Water for People, Not for Profit.’ Our goal is to continue to build public support and political momentum to secure a national water policy and water as a human right.
March 22 was designated World Water Day in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, to raise awareness about the importance of preserving global water resources. Since then, communities, organizations and activists around the world have come together every year on that day to highlight water struggles and the need for clean, accessible, public water for everyone.
We are in the midst of a crucial political moment in the fight to protect Canada’s water. All four major parties opposing the government are calling for a ban on bulk water exports and stronger environmental protections for the water in Canada’s lakes, oceans and rivers. Even prominent Conservative politicians are admitting that Canada’s water is under threat, due to trade agreements like NAFTA and the SPP. The question is – how much pressure will it take before the Harper government finally takes action?
This year, Council activists will be visiting their Members of Parliament between March 15 and March 25 to encourage them to take action on a national water policy. We will be posting a briefing note for MPs, fact sheets, and lobbying tips on our website in the coming weeks. So keep visiting www.canadians.org/water for more information. And be sure to contact the regional office closest to you, if you are interested in organizing a World Water Day event in your community.
On a more local note, I attended the recent public meeting hosted by the Sechelt Community Forest on Feb 28th,2008 in Sechelt. The meeting was well attended and several of the Sechelt Projects Inc Board members made presentations relating to the activities of the Community Forest.
Even though there were no formal copies of the financial statements available to the public at the meeting, Management had a slide showing the financial performance for past operations todate.
I tried to copy down the information in the short time that the slide was up on the screen and the following is what I managed to scribble down, so it may not be totally accurate, but this was the “sense” that I received from the slide.
INCOME STATEMENT BALANCE SHEET
SALES $2,466,118 This information was not very clear but here is
COST of SALES $1,950,802 I wrote down. CASH ON HAND $585,895
GROSS PROFIT $ 515,316 Repay District of Sechelt $250,000
EXPENSES $ 138,313 Dividend to DOS $ 25,890
NET PROFIT $ 377,003 2008 Operating Allowance $205,005
Education & Consulting $ 45,000
Economic Development $ 60,000
TOTAL $585,895
The highlight (from the Community Forest point of view) was the presentation to the Mayor of Sechelt (Cam Reid) of three cheques printed on three VERY LARGE billboards for the following items:
Mayor Cam Reid accepted these three cheques and made a comment something to the effect that the District was expecting a “higher interest payment” in their operating budgets for the District. I didn’t quite get the Mayor’s point but if the NET PROFIT was $377,003 then 15% dividend perhaps should have been $56,550.45 ?? Who knows how these things are calculated?
Director Bob Sitter presented the 2008 Operational Plans and Sechelt Projects Inc are present plans call for logging 15,000m3 on Blocks WS062 and AN005. (See community forest web site for details of these cut blocks).
Bob mentioned that there also may be a possibility of harvesting another 15,000m3 in 2008
Following the close of the formal presentations, members of the audience were provided the opportunity to ask any questions that they might have.
Several residents asked questions mainly relating to the watershed and the intentions of the Community Forest with respect to harvesting timber in the Community Watersheds.
Myself, when given the opportunity to ask a question, I asked the Mayor of Sechelt if the Sechelt Council was prepared to make a similar motion which was passed last fall in September,2007 stating that the Sechelt Council had instructed the Board of Sechelt Projects Inc to designate the Chapman Creek watershed portion of the forest licence as “old growth attributes” and that further, NO LOGGING in the CHAPMAN CREEK watershed should take place for the next 100 years.
Was the Mayor and Council willing to make the same motion for the GREY CREEK watershed?
For the Mayor’s answer, perhaps you can watch the televised broadcast of the entire meeting which was recorded by Coast Cable 11. Check the Channell 11 listing for viewing times, etc
But basically the Mayor did not make any commitment and talked around the issue somewhat.
All in all it was a good first step in trying to put back the “Community” into our Community Forest and the President of the Board stated that the public was invited to their next AGM meeting where a full set of financial records (audited) will be available to the public.
I did learn that the accountant for the Community Forest is a Mr. Richard Wilson so perhaps I can find out more about the financial aspects of things by getting in touch with Mr. Wilson
Regards
John Bebbington
PS: the following web link is very interesting and “sheds” some light on the business aspect of forestry in general. Even though the document is about Oregon’s forest land base, the dynamics apply here in Canada and BC (and perhaps even our Community Forest)
Web link: http://www.coastrange.org/FRNpaper2.htm