Environmental institute could reduce conflicts

The executive director of the new organization is Mike Halleran, a resources journalist and television producer. Halleran is the producer of “Westland,” an information program on natural resources and land use, now in its sixth year on the B.C. Knowledge Network.

Halleran said the institute will compile and distribute information on all aspects of resources and land use including fisheries, forestry, wildlife, mining, grazing, energy, and recreation. Industry, citizen groups, professional organizations, and other bodies will be canvassed for financial help.

Halleran stressed the organization will not be arguing the case for any special interest group.

“Polarization in the B.C. resources debate is now worse than ever before,” he said. “We have no intention of adding to it. There are daily charges and counter-charges on almost every issue and the public doesn’t know what to believe, a condition which makes the need for a non-aligned information source all the more vital.”

Halleran admitted there are serious examples of bad land use in British Columbia and many of them have been afforded generous coverage by the media.

“This has produced a sense of crisis within the public sector and a growing belief that our resources are being wiped out while the truth is that wildlife, forest, and other resources are in much better shape than is commonly believed.

“All wildlife populations would benefit from more intensive management but the lot of endangered species is improving, major predators like wolves are increasing in numbers and range, some (deer family) populations are at historic abundance with some ranchers calling for reductions of elk numbers and compensation for forage eaten by elk.”

For more information contact the B.C. Environmental Information Institute at Box 5253 Vancouver, B.C. V6B 4B5.

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