A government-commissioned review of forestry in British Columbia is calling for the system to be razed and rebuilt with a focus on trust and transparency about the state of the province’s forests, shifting away “from managing harvest volumes to managing lands.”
The final report from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council says trust has been eroded by inconsistent forest data controlled largely by industry and government, and calls for the creation of a transparent forest inventory based on laser measurements with a new independent body to manage the information.
The report says there also needs to be an arm’s-length assessment of high-value old-growth trees to reduce conflict and ensure everyone is working from the same reliable data.
If left within government, the report says the changes won’t happen thanks to obstacles like election cycles, fragmented mandates and resistance to change.
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The authors of the report, who include a former chief forester, industry representatives and academics, say the province needs to change the way it allots trees, allowing decisions to be made by individual regions, outside the provincial government.
They say the report comes at a pivotal moment when boom-and-bust cycles have seen increasing declines, ecological degradation, and eroding trust.
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Support for B.C.’s struggling forestry sector
In a statement to Global News, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar said the province will take the time go through all the recommendations made, but it won’t slow down their work.
“Everyday we’re focused on moving forestry from boom and bust to certainty and stability – building a sector that can weather global trends, stay competitive and keep supporting communities for generations to come,” Parmar said.
“We are partnering with industry, workers and First Nations to move our sector from decisions made permit by permit, to long-term forest management plans that will drive investments.”
“We are building on the stewardship and sustainability frameworks we already have in place. We are reducing raw log exports and opening more doors for innovation and value-added producers. We are on a path forward that conserves our old forests and biodiversity while supporting good jobs, new opportunities, and healthy communities.”
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