I read with interest James Borland’s recent article on “Environ mental Detente” (November, 1987, issue). It was gratifying to see Roy Aitken, Ian Smyth, and Dave Morton man as signators of the joint task force report on the environment; even more so to see such a positive response from your magazine. It is high time that “environmental” problems were taken out of the arena of radical flag-wavers and made a part of intelligent, long- term business-planning in Canada. The Wilderness Tourism Council, of which I am president, represents some 800 companies in British Columbia — companies which make their living in the wilderness of this province. The council is made up of representatives of hunting and fishing lodges, rafting companies, back-country ski operators, nature tour operations and others. Together, they bring more than $100 million annually into the province. Our industry, based on the wilderness, is extremely sensitive to environmental degradation. We are aware, more than most organizations, of the importance of environmental planning and of the need to take a business-like approach to solving these kinds of problems.
We are often in conflict with members of your industry and that is not likely to change. However, it cannot help but be more rational, more business-like and, eventually, much cheaper to deal with these conflicts through some sort of mechanism that would allow us, as business people, to sit down and sort things out, without the press, government and public advocacy groups acting as intermediaries.
We would like to support you and everyone in your industry in working toward the objectives of the task force report. Economic growth is essential to both of our sectors, but it is growth that must be based on maintaining and expanding the vitality of the natural resources upon which we all depend. Bob Jamieson, President, Wilderness Tourism Council
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