50
e Home WelcothmAnniversary House Mile
ee
Pre ss
f 100 District o
se
ile
0M
$1.30
©10
Hou
Fr
July 18-26 2015
ST
July 9, 2015
Includes G
Two Sections, 36 pages
100milefreepress.net
FAMILY FUN AT BRIDGE LAKE STAMPEDE
BIBLE CAMP OPEN HOUSE MAKES A SPLASH B10
FASTBALL PLAYOFFS AROUND THE CORNER A20
Gaven Crites photo
The 66th Annual Bridge Lake Stampede saw great weather, a good number of spectators and plenty of rodeo action on July 4. For more photos from the event, turn to pages A19 and A23.
INSIDE
opinion A8 letters A9 entertainment A16 sports A19 community B1 classifieds B8
The voice of the South Cariboo since 1960 How to reach us: Ph: 250-395-2219 Fax: 250-395-3939 www.100milefreepress.net mail@100milefreepress.net
Reforestation of farm lands halted U.K.-based Reckitt Benckiser pledges program review
Carole Rooney Free Press
A company in Great Britain has backed off in its purchasing and reforestation activities on large tracts of farmland in the Cariboo and Vanderhoof areas. Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick says he had “a productive meeting” between ministry staff and the Reckitt Benckiser (RB) Group regarding its Trees for Change program, and he is encouraged to hear RB is in the process of reviewing it.
During the “... if we can find past few years, a means to help RB bought them contribute to up more than putting more silvi7,000 hectculture into forests, ares in the maybe that’s a benAgriculture efit for everybody.” Land Reserve - Al Richmond (ALR) from AL RICHMOND Prince George to Quesnel, strong concerns about the planted it with trees and issue, says he is pleased to see applied 100-year, no-logging this pause for review. covenants. “I think it is positive that Cariboo Regional District RB has listened to the con(CRD) chair Al Richmond, cerns that local governments one of the community stake- have. holders who recently raised “We sent two CRD direc-
“
tors to the meeting held in Vanderhoof ... when [RB] said they were going to hold off doing any more.” The manufacturer of cleaning and health products says it wants to ensure it is meeting its objectives, as well as to build support with local communities and stakeholders. Richmond says higher value, arable lands viable for producing food, or animal feed, such as hay and alfalfa, should be preserved for future agriculture needs. However, the Cariboo does have some less productive
land, some of it in “desperate need” of new seedlings, he says. “There is a need for silviculture money to reforest some of the areas damaged by the mountain pine beetle.” The CRD wants to work with RB to see if there is a way to plant trees in those areas to sequester carbon and earn the United Kingdom company the credit benefits it is seeking, he explains. “I’m not saying they are going to be easily obtainable, but we’d like to look at some Continued on A2