October 28, 1997 * Agriculture and Forestry [to Oct 2003]The Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Eric Hammill, issued a statement expressing concern over the findings contained in the Forest Partnership Council's report on the voluntary Code of Practice for harvest contractors. The report indicated that the Island's forest harvest industry is not complying with the code and that serious violations are occurring in Island forests. "I have always supported the voluntary aspect of the code because the forest industry asked for a chance to prove its commitment to good forest stewardship," said Mr. Hammill. "However, it appears that the industry is not living up to its own words. The harvest industry must accept its responsibility for the long-term well being of our forest resources and our forest community. The Minister said, if the level of compliance does not experience significant improvement by early 1998, the Forest Partnership Council and the Department will move forward with additional strategies to ensure industry-wide compliance with these and other standards. Mr. Hammill said that effective solutions to the current problems can be developed through continued dialogue with the Forest Partnership Council. With this in mind, he is encouraging contractors to work with the Council and the Department to ensure understanding and compliance with the standards of the Code of Practice.Media Contact: Jerry Gavin