More Consult. needed for WL Community Forest

In his 2nd letter to the Tribune - local Big Lake resident Bee Hooker openly challenges Williams Lake City Council to withdraw the current Williams Lake Community Forest proposal and re-consult the affected residents in Horsefly, Big Lake and Miocene and come to an arrangement that works for both sides.  I agree with Bee, you can not have a community forest without local community support, however I don't see the City of Williams Lake/WL Indian Band from backing down on their WL Community Forest proposal, at this point.

Mayor Cook has a number of times raised the WL Community Forest in her weekly columns while Mr. Hooker does rightly point out that the fact that the WL Community Forest reps have failed to attend local community meetings…

From the Williams Lake Tribune:

I will admit that I have not read every issue of the Tribune/Weekend Advisor in the last two years.

So I say with all honesty, last month was the first time I have seen Mayor Kerry Cook mention the Williams Lake Community Forest in her newspaper column.

It wasn’t much.

You would have to pay close attention to catch the four words slipped in, in an off-hand manner.

Her brief note failed to add any detail to a simmering issue being inflicted on Big Lake, Horsefly and Miocene by this proposal.

Also, she does not mention the amount spent to date on this endeavor.

Nor does she mention, that council failed to attend an information meeting held at Miocene earlier.

No mention of the fact that council has not seen fit to hold a public meeting in Horsefly concerning this proposal.

But, the Mayor gives some good detail about rubbing shoulders with the Premier and Cabinet at the UBCM. Hmmm.

The Minister of Forests cannot accept the Community Forest proposal as it stands. Where is the community support?

How can community support be assumed, without the involvement of the three rural communities that surround this forest?

It is now the time for Williams Lake city council to admit to a huge blunder. Council must withdraw the application, sit down and have a fair negotiation with these three rural communities, your neighbours.

Mayor Cook, I remind you to ask around town, about the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan and what a fight that was.

The good folks of the Cariboo-Chilcotin fought to have their say against a larger population from Vancouver and Victoria.

Perhaps a little history lesson is in order for the professor.