Wednesday January 15, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
It’s a strategy with a primary goal — to take action.
The B.C. government has launched a review of BC Timber Sales (BCTS) to ensure British Columbia’s forestry sector is continually evolving to overcome challenges and create a guideline for a stronger, more resilient future.
Work will begin immediately and action will be taken within six months.
“Our work to get more value out of our forests is a top priority as we grow the B.C. wood-manufacturing sector,” Parmar said in a news release today.
A sector in transition:
“Forestry in B.C. is in transition, and the people and communities who rely on our forests – who are bearing the brunt of ongoing challenges – want change now,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests in a statement today.
Parmar aims to “set the BC forest industry up for the next 100 years” by leveraging BC timber sales.
The Forestry Ministry says it “recognizes the significant pressure the forest sector is under, from declining allowable annual cuts, difficulty accessing fibre, global economic conditions and heightened environmental and trade-protection efforts”.
Managing roughly 20% of the Province’s public timber supply, BCTS has an integral role in the success and resiliency of British Columbia’s forestry sector. In 2023, BCTS launched the Value-Added Manufacturing Program that ensures small and medium-sized secondary manufacturers have a dedicated fibre supply.
Additionally, the Province is changing the criteria for the Value-Added Manufacturing program to enable groups of manufacturers to bid together within the program, benefiting more workers and communities around B.C.
Scope of recommendations:
Building on the ongoing work of BCTS, as well as recent forestry-sector engagement, the review will provide recommendations about how BCTS can:
- create forestry-sector growth, competition and diversification;
- provide predictable and reliable market access to fibre;
- diversify access to fibre for the manufacturing sector, including value-added facilities;
- strengthen partnerships with First Nations and communities;
- provide more jobs for contractors, workers and communities; and
- lead in innovative, sustainable forest management and silviculture practices.
Task force:
The review will be led by the Ministry of Forests with support from the newly formed task force.
It will use the Provincial Forestry Forum, a group that brings together all interests in the forestry sector, including contractors, value-added manufacturers, industry and labour. Work will begin immediately. Action will be taken within six months of launching the review.
Doubling volume:
Doubling the amount of BCTS volume that is dedicated to value-added manufacturers is a goal, says Parmar. He wants to see a volume increase from 10% to 20%. “That’s about 1.1 million cubic metres in 2025 alone.”
===== RELATED:
- BC forestry jobs protection through capital projects & planning (January 15, 2025)
- Over 280 million trees planted by BC Forests in 2024 (January 11, 2025)
- Forest landscape plan public input in Bulkley Valley (December 27, 2024)
- Ravi Parmar rises to Minister of Forests and Deputy Government House Leader (November 20, 2024)
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