FRBC should not be used as an alternate forest service. There are no better informed, knowledge-based groups who can apply locally developed forest related data to meet the needs of BC's 21st century forests than professional foresters. Foresters must accept the responsibility to ensure FRBC funds are spent wisely for the long-term viability of BC's forests. This responsibility can only be met through personal and collective action and through direct involvement in decision making processes. It means foresters must make a time commitment to developing forestry principles and public communications beyond those provided by the Association of BC Professional Foresters membership.
Forest research is needed.
The BC Forest Service appears to be downloading research to universities, the Canadian Forest Service and to the private sector under the apparently misguided pretext that the ministry should restrict its roles to policy development, regulation and enforcement. Professional foresters must support forest research at all sector levels. The benefits to society are too great to be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. Support is needed for proper allocation of qualified field staff to ensure our forests are tended to produce optimum benefits from each forest ecosystem. Forest Renewal BC can provide project seed money to ensure employment is provided for displaced forest workers in the short-term, but the real need is for permanent, community supporting, forest workforces, centered around each viable forest ecosystem.