ELECTION – Green leader in Kamloops to announce natural resources strategy

Green Part leader Andrew Weaver. (Image: bcgreens.ca)

B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver was in Kamloops today (April 19, 2017) announcing a 22-point strategy to build resilience in the natural resources sector.

“A sustainable economy must also be a resilient economy. We need an economy that identifies the challenges we face, and develops strategies to mitigate risk,” said Weaver, who made the campaign announcement at TRU alongside Dan Hines, the party’s spokesperon for forestry. Hines is the Green candidate in Kamloops-North Thompson.

He said his party would “re-establish the integrity” of the environmental assessment process and set clear criteria for decisions including sustainability and cumulative impacts. And an additional $20 million would go toward monitoring, compliance and enforcement.

A natural resource commission would lead a board to establish harvest and extraction levels and report on the state of the province’s environment and natural assets.

In forestry, further restrictions would be put on raw-log exports, forest tenures would be modernized, and a Forest opportunities Panel mandated to promote innovation and value-added production.

The Greens would also review the water allocation and licensing provisions of the Water Sustainability Act, a controversial new set of regulations that came into effect this year that adds fees onto some groundwater users.

…. Kamloops NDP candidates Barb Nederpel and Nancy Bepple have scheduled “an important announcement” at TRU Thursday morning  (April 20, 2017) about post-secondary education.

…. an all-candidates forum will be held Tuesday, May 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Brock Activity Centre, 9A-1800 Tranquille Road. ArmchairMayor.ca publisher Mel Rothenburger will moderate. Centre for Seniors Information is sponsoring…. Kamloops media will host a forum at TRU on Tuesday, April 25.

…. BC Liberal candidates attended an all-candidates meeting today on youth issues at the Neighbourhood Learning Centre in Chilliwack. Liberal, NDP and Green candidates for the ridings of Chilliwack and Chilliwack-Kent took part in the meeting, which was hosted by the Chilliwack Child and Youth Committee. Kamloops Liberal candidates Todd Stone and Peter Milobar have declined to attend “single-issue” forums.