City seeks private logging regulations

FERNIE, B.C. — City councillors unanimously backed a resolution calling on the B.C. government to bring logging regulations for private lands in line with those applying to public property. Mayor Ange Qualizza drafted the motion, which comes amid community concern about Canwel’s logging activity on a slope to the north of the municipality. The council is sending the resolution to the Union of B.C. Municipalities in hopes it will adopt the measure, which calls for privately-owned lands to be subject to “standards that are equivalent to Crown forest land regulations” and mandatory community consultation. Canwel has defended its logging practices, pointing to voluntary industry controls it says already surpass legal requirements.