The provincial government is taking steps to address the ailing BC forest industry and has launched a review of BC Timber Sales, which manages about 20 per cent of the province’s public timber supply.
BC has become the highest cost producer in North America, prompting the lumber giants, Canfor and West Fraser Timber to pull back on their BC operations, resulting in closures of sawmills and pulp mills and the loss of hundreds of jobs across the province.
“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 Forests Minister Ravi Parmar in a government press release.
“That's why I have asked Lennard Joe, George Abbott and Brian Frenkel to look at the opportunities to leverage BCTS to set B.C.'s forest industry up for the next 100 years.”
Difficult accessing economic fibre is the most often complaint cited by forestry companies when they announce their closures. The government recognizes the pressure those companies are under while facing declining allowable annual cuts, the threat of tariffs from United States, changing global economic conditions and heightened environmental obligations.
The intent of the review is to provide recommendations for BC Timber Sales management to:
- 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;
- Become leaders in innovative, sustainable forest management and silviculture practices.
The review will involve the Provincial Forestry Forum, a group of contractors, value-added manufacturers, industry and labour leaders , who will work with the Ministry of Forests in consultation with the newly-formed expert task force that includes Abbott, Joe and Frenkel.
The group is mandated to take action 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. "That's why we are doubling the amount of BCTS volume that is dedicated to value-added manufacturers, from 10 per cent to 20 per cent. That's about 1.1 million cubic metres in 2025 alone."
Following up on the Value-Added Manufacturing Program launched in 2023 that was intended to give small and medium-sized secondary manufacturers access to a dedicated fibre supply, the province is changing the criteria for the program to enable groups of manufacturers to bid together on forestry contracts.
More information about BC Timber Sales is available on the BC government website.
