It has been reported that British Columbia Mining Minister Bill Bennett apologized to Jews Tuesday for an e-mail calling ardent proponents of a national park eco-fascists.

The Globe and Mail reported it had obtained an e-mail sent by Bennett, who opposes turning a large portion of Flathead Valley into a park, in which he wrote: "We either stand strong together against the loss of the Flathead Valley to the eco facists (sic), or we will lose the Flathead. I am there, if you are there."

He regretted the use of what he called a "very unfortunate term," laying the blame on a staff member who inserted it into the e-mail without his knowledge or agreement, said Bennett, who supports logging and other commercial uses of the valley. He has given instructions banning its use, he said.

Bennett told the newspaper, "I have many friends in the Jewish community, and I think that's where my sensitivity goes, first off the bat. I certainly don't mean any offense to them."

He said, "It becomes a matter of ego, sometimes for these folks, to chalk up another big win on the map of British Columbia, and say, there, we've set aside another area that we can claim for our own." (With Inputs from Agencies)