Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management
CABINET APPROVES PROTECTION AREAS FOR CENTRAL COAST
VICTORIA – Government has completed the next step in the Central Coast Land Resource Management Planning process by confirming protection of areas in the central coast during today’s open cabinet meeting, announced Sustainable Resource Management Minister Stan Hagen.
As recommended by the Central Coast Land Resource Management Planning table, 20 protection-area orders have been established under the Environment and Land Use Act. The orders prevent commercial forestry, mining and hydroelectric activities, while allowing other economic opportunities like tourism and traditional First Nations use.
In addition to the protection areas, 17 option areas have also been ordered under Part 13 of the Forest Act. These options areas were identified by the table as requiring further scientific research into the best way for them to be managed under the Land Resource Management Plan. These designations allow the Ministry of Forests to suspend forest development activities while Land Resource Management Planning continues. The designations also allow the chief forester to reduce the allowable annual cut of timber supply areas and tree farm licences. This avoids penalizing forest companies that have voluntarily stopped logging in these areas and ensures a sustainable future timber harvest.
Both orders will run until June 2003, when the Land Resource Management Planning table will have completed its work, along with ongoing discussions with First Nations.
More information can be found at:
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This information bulletin is online at www.gov.bc.ca/srm/
| Contact: | Suzanne Morphet Communications 250 387-9417 |
For Immediate Release
330-30:SRM2002-003
May 22, 2002
