The plans of a British conglomerate to offset carbon emissions by planting millions of trees on cleared farmland from Prince George to Quesnel continues to draw concern and controversy.
Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick, says it’s not an issue of who owns the farm properties totaling 7,000 hectares but an issue of how the land is used.
Letnick insists that although a 100-year covenant against logging was granted to the company’s reforestation of aspen on 1,500 hectares of land east of Vanderhoof in 2009, Reckitt Benckiser’s plans will have to go past the Agricultural Land Commission first.
Reckitt Benckiser Inc., is the maker and manufacturer of household and health care products such as Lysol, and Clearasil.
They have been planting trees on BC land since 2006.
Letnick adds that he’s well aware of the concerns of these projects potentially reducing food growing capacity and weakening local communities.
According to their website, Reckitt Benckiser Inc. says they have already planted 7 million trees in BC, with a target of 10 million by 2016.
Letnick says the company will have to get their plans past the Agricultural Land Commission first.
He asks that anyone who suspects a parcel of land is being used for permanent tree planting for carbon sequestration to provide that information to the Commission.