Cowichan Works, the third party election campaign promoter group that is being investigated by Elections BC for not following election rules during the recent election, is now putting out unsubstantiated influential misinformation regarding lost forest revenues.
In an email to their members, they claim that the community has not only lost $2 million to maintain the community forests but also the community has sustained estimated losses of $7million over the course of the forestry review.
This information has absolutely no credibility because it is not based on any fact.
The fact is this organization, currently under investigation by Elections BC, is now trying to influence an online survey that is already, in my opinion, presented with bias toward logging, with information that is false.
You can find the facts in the following link to the annual forestry department reports that state over a 32-year period from 1987-2018 the total profit was $4.1 million. Profit not revenue is what matters. Profit is after expenses.
Writing or speaking in public, in terms of revenue only, misleads the public into believing we have lost a great deal when in actual fact the profit that actually does something to help the community, is downplayed. In any business, profit and bottom line are the most important line items.
In my opinion, the municipality should not be in the logging business. With a long track record of low profits and the environmental damage logging has caused, it is no wonder the community wanted a management review. By the way, the forest review has been paid for with the forest reserve fund and hasn’t cost the community anything but the time for the review.
Check out the reports yourself here. The proof is in the profit.
Bryan Senft,
North Cowichan