ILMA Needs to Get Facts Straight

June 20th 2007

Invermere Valley Echo, Page 0011, 20-Jun-2007

I believe most people would agree that environmental decisions ought to be informed by the best available science.

Often, the difficulty is determining what the best available science on a particular issue is. Sometimes there are gaps in our knowledge or understanding. Sometimes there is a strong divide amongst scientists themselves.

But every so often, when an issue has been studied and researched exhaustively, a consensus develops in the scientific community. One example is the issue of climate change. An overwhelming majority of climate scientists have concluded that humans are negatively impacting our atmosphere with potentially catastrophic results.

The precipitous decline of mountain caribou populations in B.C. is another such issue. Mountain caribou are among the most studied endangered species in North America. Through radio telemetry, direct observation and other methods, scientists know in great detail how these animals live and what impacts their ability to survive.

To their credit, the B.C. government appointed a blue ribbon group of scientists, the Mountain Caribou Science Team to guide development of its Mountain Caribou Recovery plan. These experts reviewed the existing science and made recommendations to the B.C. government on what was necessary to save this majestic animal.

Unfortunately, facts and clear science don't always dissuade some with vested interests from trying to move public opinion in their favour. Tobacco companies spent millions on public relations telling smokers that there was no evidence their products were harmful, long after it was proven they were. Major oil companies have funded obscure groups to try and confuse the public about the scientific consensus on climate change. Sadly, the denial industry appears to be alive and well in British Columbia.

The Interior Lumber Manufacturers Association (ILMA) made presentations to municipal councils throughout the Interior. Many of the facts they have presented are patently false.

The ILMA stated that government's plan calls for the closure of heli-ski, cat-ski and ski resorts. This is false. The ILMA stated that climate change was not considered in the mountain caribou recovery plan. This is false.

The ILMA stated that mountain caribou went naturally extinct from the Queen Charlotte Islands in the 1930s. This is false.

The ILMA provided the following quote from the Forest Practices Board Special Report on Mountain Caribou: Experts predict continued declines, and expect that the most southerly populations in B.C. will likely disappear regardless of conservation efforts to date or in the future. The quote was falsely attributed to experts at the Forest Practices Board and does not represent the view of the FPB with respect to conservation efforts and the future of the southern herds.

The ILMA stated that there was no support at all by the Ktunaxa First Nation for augmentation of the southern herds with animals from larger herds. This is false. The ILMA said that the Mountain Caribou Project has its own distinct recovery plan unrelated to government's plan. This is false. The ILMA reported that recovering caribou at Kootenay Pass would come at the expense of other animals in the region. This is false.

The ILMA should be an important part of, not an obstacle to, discussions to save this endangered species. Citizens deserve accurate information about how the forest industry will actually be affected by conserving mountain caribou both positively and negatively.

The ILMA do the public, decision-makers and themselves a huge disservice by presenting completely inaccurate information dressed up as facts to locally elected officials.

No one wants to see mountain caribou in British Columbia go extinct. We all want our children and grandchildren to live in a province that remains world renowned for its natural beauty and ecological diversity.

We can guarantee that future for our kids if we allow science to guide strong environmental policy.

And we can build an even stronger and more resilient economy while we do it.

I ask the ILMA to stick to the facts. We'll all be better off in the long run.

John Bergenske,
Wildsight

Copyright 2007 invermere