A government-commissioned review of forestry in British Columbia is underway.
It's calling for the system to be torn down and rebuilt with a focus on trust and transparency about the state of the province’s forests, moving away from “managing harvest volumes to managing lands.”
The final report from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council, released Monday, says trust has been undermined by inconsistent forest data largely controlled by industry and government.
It recommends creating a transparent forest inventory using laser measurements, managed by a new independent body. “We’re here because we have a system built on an era that no longer exists,” said Shannon Janzen, co-chair of the advisory council. “There’s been too much change and disruption around us, and we need to step, accept our reality, and adapt so communities can have power over their future.”
The 80-page report also calls for an independent assessment of high-value old-growth trees to reduce conflict and ensure everyone works from the same reliable data. Its authors, including industry representatives and academics, propose shifting decision-making on lumber allotment from the provincial government to regional bodies managing defined areas.
Co-chair Garry Merkel likened the approach to school boards, with decision-makers closely tied to their communities.
He noted that the current system often relies on outsiders guessing community needs, all while navigating shifting rules from each new provincial government.
Janzen, a former chief forester, said area-based land management isn’t new, pointing to its use in Ontario and Alberta. She emphasized it’s about empowering local people to shape their own future and moving away from centralized, Victoria-driven decisions toward regional control where the impacts are actually felt. Forest Minister Ravi Parmar wouldn’t commit to the report’s recommendations, saying he needs to consult other ministries.
He added the government will review them as part of broader efforts to restore confidence in B.C.’s forest sector. Meanwhile, mill closures across the province have left thousands of forestry workers unemployed, with timber supplies dwindling and U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood rising.
-with files from Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press.
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