The library in this GRNSD project is organized in such a way as to facilitate exploration of the issues mentioned above. The topic range in the library seems broad, but it should be evident to anyone who studies forest and forestry issues that a wide scope of knowledge is needed to make progress on what is at some levels an exceedingly complex problem in British Columbia.
It should be said that the forest and forestry issues in British Columbia, Canada are a high-stakes political topic in the province. As such, various stakeholders, or interest groups, seeking to influence the situation one way or another, consciously and understandably employ techniques of information selection, perception management, spin control; call it what you will. This project cannot ignore that reality, and will be influenced by it. The hope is that the organization and scope of the library, discussion forums, and research herein will serve to put some of the rhetoric into a broader perspective.
The remaining discussion starts with an introduction to some of the key stakeholders and viewpoints in the forest and forestry debate in British Columbia, Canada. Following that, wide-ranging factual information is presented, organized into the following categories: the state of the forests; bio-diversity, eco-systems and species; forest disturbances (non-harvesting); timber harvesting; economic and societal impacts; and land legal status. This information was culled from many sources (referenced in the global references section of the project.)