Business

ArtsBC, with support from Canadian Heritage/Patrimoine canadien and the BC Arts Council present the BC Arts Sustain­ability Semesters, a goal-oriented program designed to increase the capacity of BC’s non-profit arts and cultural organizations. The purpose is to help organizations make progress toward increasing their economic sustainability and viability.

Project advisors include the BC Touring Counciland the Centre for Sustainability. ArtsBC is also working with arts organi­zations in host communities around the province to present this project.

Madison's Lumber Reporter has learned that the United States' claim against Canada, for alleged subsidies on British Columbia's timber stumpage rates, has been reduced from US$499 to US$303.6 million.

In the American rebuttal of Canada's defense, which was filed on Dec. 23, 2011 but only made public this week, the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) office is asking for almost 40 percent less penalty against Canada than previous U.S. filings had indicated.

In 2009 and through 2010 a growing concern was voiced among professional foresters and biologists, conservationists, academics, community leaders, forest industry support companies and First Nations that British Columbia (BC) forests are in need of greater attention to meet societal expectations over the long-term.