Madam Speaker, it is truly an honour to speak to the motion moved by my colleague from Cariboo--Chilcotin.
Unfortunately I cannot support Motion No. 435 since its eradication thrust is inaccurate, as a native species cannot be eradicated. The motion's suggestion of the need for full co-operation of the federal government with the B.C. government is redundant as that co-operation already is taking place.
I will briefly recap the situation. When we last spoke on this issue in the House back in December, I believe the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development on behalf of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources noted that the federal government was committed to working with the B.C. government and other landowners in addressing the mountain pine beetle. He also noted that at that point the federal government had not received a formal request for funding or for co-operative planning to solve the problem.
Today I am pleased to elaborate on what was said here earlier today and to tell the hon. member for Cariboo--Chilcotin and the House that the Minister of Natural Resources had two meetings in early March with the minister of forests for British Columbia. In those meetings the minister discussed the issue of collaboration in addressing the mountain pine beetle.
In fact the Minister of Natural Resources had the opportunity this weekend to fly over the affected area near Prince Rupert. He was able to witness firsthand the magnitude of this infestation.
In addition the minister has also met with and corresponded with the hon. Gordon Campbell, the premier of British Columbia. In his letter the premier requested support for this problem “within existing federal programs”. The provincial request calls for federal support in the following areas: rehabilitation of dead forests; joint ventures with first nations; operationally focused research; marketing beetle lumber; and building affordable housing.
The Minister of Natural Resources has indicated to his provincial colleagues that his department, Natural Resources Canada, has been chairing an interdepartmental committee of senior officials from Environment Canada, Industry Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Western Economic Diversification Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, among others, to explore possible ways in which the Government of Canada can assist British Columbia in dealing with this epidemic. We all agree this is important.
The Government of Canada definitely is moving forward in a collaborative way on the issue. As we do so, we are fully collaborating with the Government of British Columbia.
I would also like to share some information about the mountain pine beetle. This is important and I think we would all agree that we have to act. The important question is how we act. I would like to follow up on some of the comments made by my colleague from Vancouver East.
We all agree that this is certainly a pernicious pest but it is also a part of the natural landscape of lodgepole pine forests. It is evident that these insects are highly damaging in mature forests in western Canada. In British Columbia, mature lodgepole pines, the beetles' preferred host, make up a significant percentage of the forest.
There is a certain irony. I do not say that to minimize the seriousness of the manifestation but we have to look at the science and look at all points of how to deal with what we all agree is a very serious problem. This problem stems partly from the advances we have made in terms of forest management. Fire suppression is a fine example of an area where we have been extremely successful.
By successfully fighting forest fires, by successfully managing our forests, we retain more trees that would otherwise die through natural phenomena. We now have more mature trees and more mature trees mean more prime beetle habitat.
We constantly hear how our mature or old growth forests are disappearing. British Columbia, according to its ministry of forests, has more old growth forests today than it did 50 years ago. Again it is largely the advances and successes in areas such as fire suppression that have allowed these trees to age.
We are in some ways contributors to our own current misfortune. That is where the expertise and innovation of researchers within the Canadian Forest Service are invaluable. Our people, working with the province and industry as well, are developing new approaches, including methods to increase the resistance of stands to outbreak. We are working hard to find viable alternatives as well as to identify the long term effect of various control programs.
As was said earlier, we are collaborating with the Government of British Columbia. We are sharing the results of our research and providing the tools that will help us make the right decisions together. This collaboration sets the stage for partnerships not only for today but also for tomorrow and for many tomorrows beyond, a strategic plan as was suggested by my colleague from Vancouver East. This approach will also provide a benchmark for dealing with future sustainability issues.
We all realize that nature provides a place for insects like the mountain pine beetle so that the number of mature trees is controlled as a natural recycling agent allowing for necessary new growth. Cold winters generally keep the number of beetles manageable. Unfortunately, Mother Nature has not kept up that side of the bargain recently. The mild winter weather British Columbia has experienced over the last few years has allowed these insects to thrive.
When we examine the size and seriousness of the infestation in the west, the hon. member's motion for eradication may initially seem appealing. There is a gut reaction to say yes, of course. However, and this is the key, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of exploring all possible options before embarking on--and I have to agree with my colleague from Vancouver East--a drastic control program that cannot succeed and indeed one that could cause irreversible harm.
We must remember that although the mountain pine beetle has established itself as a destructive pest, it has also evolved as part of the pine forest ecosystem. As stewards of our country's forests and their ecosystems, we have a fundamental obligation to understand the long term ramifications of an intensive mountain pine beetle control program before undertaking such a course of action.
British Columbia has survived previous mountain pine beetle infestations. We know that the epidemics and their economic repercussions are serious, but we also know that they do not destroy the forests. New growth begins very quickly in areas hit by infestation. It is our responsibility to make sure that we explore all possible avenues and make the decision that will not only solve the immediate problem but will also look to the future.
The mission of the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada is to promote the sustainable development of Canada's forests and the competitiveness of the Canadian forest sector for the well-being of present and future generations of Canadians. With that in mind we will of course offer all of the assistance possible within jurisdictional frameworks and existing programs to our friends in the British Columbia government as we have been doing for the past little while. As we do this we will be looking at a solution that meets the long term needs and goals as well, and not simply a quick fix, something which is appealing at the beginning.
We have also learned through all the research that in order to tackle the problem and effect the most positive outcome, the approach must be at the landscape level and not in particular or isolated locations within the infestation zone. That is what we will be exploring with the provincial government.
In closing, I would like to stress that we are taking immediate steps to ascertain the extent of support the federal government can provide and will provide to the Government of British Columbia. It is something we all agree is a very serious matter.
Natural Resources Canada has long been actively involved in seeking solutions that will combat this and any other threat to Canada's forests. This commitment will continue.