6 — Wednesday, December 19, 1990 - North Shore News

JUST NEEDS

N - SS

| Numbers not the answer to every question

IF PLAYING THE 6749 is among Bill Vander Zalm’s harmless personal pastimes, he should be rather good at it. One thing the Fremier understands extremely well is how

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NEWS VIEWPOINT

Mian vs.

HEN THE pewer goes off, tree huggers can quickly turn to tree haiers.

On Monday night, winds gusting to over 75 kph cut power to 30,000 North Shore homes. Over 30 major power circuits were knocked out at the same time, and North Shore residents were left to freeze in the dark.

At the height of the gales, huge firs rocked back and ferth like reeds. With each crack of timber residents prayed that those trees would withstand the winds. Some of those prayers were answered; some were not.

Residents living in heavily treed areas awoke to find their streets green with fir boughs torn from trees by the high winds. Some awoke to find their homes damaged by the fallout.

Nature

But more serious than the damage to home and property caused by the trees was the loss cf power and the downing of live power lines.

Trees make the North Shore a special place to live. Their size and beauty are reminders of a forest heritage that helped establish Vancouver as a major interna- tional lumber port. But in heavily popu- lated urban environments, they must be maintained if their potential danger to res- idents is to be minimized.

On Monday night, nature helped remove the deadwood from neighborhood trees. The price was lost power and damaged property.

Bui if North Shore residents are to avoid more serious costs in the future, removal of deadwood, especially near power lines, should be done by man, noi nature.

LETTER OF THE DAY- Professor gives forestry stats

Dear Editor:

Bob Hunter’s Aug. | column on forestry has just come to my al- tention and | am compelled to raise objection.

Hunter has always been inac- curate in nis columns and | do not understand how you can continue to use his material.

For example, on Aug. 1 he states ‘‘Government policy is to liquidate all old-growth forests except for the piddling 2.6 per

cent...” ; Data shows, firstly, that 14 mil-

Publisher

Associate Editor .

wetcome but we cannot

. Peter Speck Managing Editor Timothy Renshaw Noel Wright Acvertising Director Linda Stewart 8 Bs

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lion hectares (ha) of forest land are classed as non-productive, which means they will not grow a commerical crop within a reason- able length of time. That 14 mil- lion ha is 23 per cent of all forest land in B.C. It is not scheduled for liquidation,

Secondly, 24 million ha of pro- ductive forest land are not avail- able and suitable for industrial use. That 24 million ha is 40 per cent of all forest land. It is not scheduled for liquidation.

Thirdly, 22 million ha are

THE VOICE OF WORTIN AND WIST VANCOUVEN

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available and suitable for indus- trial use. It is called “the working forest,’? and it amounts to 37 per cent of the total. it is being harvested at the rate of approxi- niately one per cent annually. When Bob Hunter strains the truth to say that only 2.6 per cent of our forest is reserved, he con- veys the impression that 97.4 per cent is slated for logging. That is patently false. Professor Les Reed Faculty of Forestry UBC

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numbers work.

He's using that skill effectively in his fight for survival as Social Credit leader. None of the opera- tive numbers favor the rebels wha want him out.

Up to last week more than 10 of the 75 Socred constituency associations had scheduled ex- teaordinary January meetings to vote on a leadership review. If at least five more follow and members of at least 15 back the request, a leadership review con- vention must take place.

However, 75 per cent of each association's membership must endorse the request. That in itself could be quite a tall order, given Vander Zalm’s known core of grassroots loyalists.

A leadership review — which merely decides whether a lead- ership convention should be held — needs 60 days’ notice. If all the rebel associations confirmed their call by mid-January, the earliest review date would be mid-March.

Should it then vote for a lead- ership convention, a further 60 days’ notice is needed. Mathemat- icaily, therefore, it would be im- possible for a new leader to take over before late May.

But that, of course, is dream math, Aside from all else, little problems like booking convention centres big enough for 1,500-2,0C0 delegates must be solved. At best, the carliest realistic date for crowning a new messiah would likely be late June.

Just as B.C. departs — mental- ly, if not physically — on vacation until Labor Day. July and August are NOT the months to win polit- ical hearts and mines.

In this scenario the government, with its new premier, would have little choice but to hang in until virtually the last day of its five- year term — making the election date late October. For practical purposes that would give the new leader just six weeks to wipe out the NDP’s 15-point lead.

These aren’t the kind of numbers you bet the farm on.

Meanwhile, following the bombsheli of Environment Minister John Reynolds’ resigna- tion Jast week, the Premier’s swift shuffle of portfolios appears to . have firmly quelled any cabinet revolt for the time being.

Bringing back former attorney general Bud Smith and adding three backbenchers should keep at least one third of the constituen-

HITHER AND YON

cies *‘on side“' —— in addition to those of backbench caucus loyalists.

Nevertheless, two highly intrigu- ing questions remain.

Will Bill Vander Zalm, despite his present winning numbers, be persuaded to quit BEFORE a leadership battle that would almost certainly wreck the party?

Or will he go for broke — heading off a chailenge before it can be mounted by calling a snap early spring election?

In politics numbers alone are not the answer to EVERY ques- tion!

eee TAILPIECES: After th2 election battle over the proposed Cs press Ridge golf course — rejected in the referendum — all was forgiven at last week’s West Van council meeting. Mayor Mark Sager was presented with a limited edition print of a striking painting of the Ridge’s old growth forest by its internationally acclaimed artist, Daniel Izzard, a key ‘Friends of Cypress” campaigner against the golf course project... Congrats to North Van’s Chris Patrick — whose resume covers theatreland, the Red Cross and the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Greater Vancouver — on being named exec. director of the Outdoor Recreation Foun- dation of B.C.... And for friends you may badly need after Jan. 1 call Neighbourhood House, 987- 8138, te check the next meeting date of TOPS (Take Pounds Off

Sensibiy)! ese

WRIGHT OR WRONG: Before giving someone a piece of your . mind, make sure you can spare it.

Photo Marshall Gauman

A FOREST FOR EVER ... Mayor Mark Sager (left) receives print of painting nf Cypress Ridge old-growth trees from artist Daniel !z- zard — a gift to West Van from ‘‘Friends of Cypress."'

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