What is a working forest?
A Realistic Look at BC Forestry
Carl Sweet, Director BCFA
Could we take a deep breath, please, and take a fair and factual look at forestry in BC?
Could we recognize and acknowledge that the only crisis is one manufactured by opponents of sustainable forestry? The truth is, logging in this age is highly regulated by government and carefully managed by forest companies.
But that's not what you might think if you only read campaigner Torrance Coste's op-ed of January 26. Coste employs all the standard activist misinformation and spin to lobby government to halt all logging of mature forests in BC.
British Columbians, including First Nations, are overwhelmingly supportive of forestry. From the Nanwakolas Council of northeastern Vancouver Island to the Pacheedaht Nation in Jordan River, First Nations all over the Island are major partners in a growing and environmentally responsible forestry industry on Vancouver Island.
Coste imagines an emergency where it does not exist. It's a "crisis" manufactured and marketed by activist campaigns, just like the Fairy Creek protests Coste mentions, on Pacheedaht lands.
Whatever misinformation these groups push, let me be clear: A moratorium on all mature logging in BC would devastate thousands of working families across the province in a time of economic and social stress. That includes First Nations, many of whom depend on harvested mature trees for jobs.
These activists are deploying misinformation on unknowledgeable but well-meaning folks. Using questionable calculations to derive inflated numbers of the "soccer fields" of forest cut daily is typical disingenuous behaviour. Besides a terminological sleight of hand on old-growth forests, Coste's numbers are exaggerated beyond twice the province's data. It's a blatant attempt to mislead good-intentioned British Columbians.
So let's stick to the facts of our forestry situation. The BC Government tells us that old growth forests are not disappearing. That's great news. There are more than 25 million hectares of old growth designated forests in BC. About 4.5 million hectares are fully protected, representing an area larger than Vancouver Island.
The fact is, the working forest areas of BC have actually been getting smaller as protected areas increase. BC forestry officials have increasingly reduced allowable harvesting areas—the opposite of what activists like Coste are trying to convince readers. That's why our organization is calling on the province for an officially designated working forest.
We want the BC government to officially and immediately designate the working forest in legislation to secure what's left of BC's limited, relatively small harvesting land base and protect it from pressure to shut down the forestry industry.
Our provincial economy depends on trees harvested from primary forests. If the current working-forest land base continues to erode—chipped away by lack of public understanding—then working families and foresters are at immediate risk of massive and permanent job losses.
Forestry supports more than 140,000 jobs in BC, including more than 21,000 just on Vancouver Island and the Coast, where forestry is the biggest resource employer. According to the most recent audit, our region produces the most pulp and paper of any, generating $1.4 billion in direct incomes.
BC's forest industry remains a cornerstone of our economy, contributing nearly $13 billion to the provincial GDP and generating close to $4 billion in annual revenues to municipal, provincial and federal governments in recent years. That's are a big help to communities, funding critical public services like health care and education, which are so important to us all.
That's the real forestry situation in BC. But without a legislated designated working forest, Islanders stand to lose. Let's keep our facts straight, and let's ask our provincial government to protect our forestry communities.
BC’s economy heavily depends on trees harvested from primary forests.
If the current working forest land base continues to erode and lose area, then working families and foresters are at immediate risk of massive and permanent job losses.
Everyone everywhere feels the impacts when there is disruption in BC forestry.
BC forestry is sustainable.
BC’s foresters are professionally, legally and scientifically bound by forestry Management Plans as required to protect the wider ecosystem. BC is a global leader in reforestation and tree planting, which is a source of pride.
Forest management is part of BC and Canada’s climate action strategies and we won’t meet our commitments to carbon reduction or low carbon building targets without it.
Forestry isn’t just important for our economy: it helps us enjoy our beautiful outdoors.
The recreation, transportation and backcountry road access made possible by forestry is important to both tourism and local communities – especially during travel bans.
BC forestry families and communities deserve an official working forest designation.
We want the BC government to officially and immediately designate the working forest in legislation to secure what’s left of BC’s limited, relatively small harvesting land base and protect it from pressure to shut down the forestry industry. BC’s economy is heavily dependent on trees harvested from primary forests, and if the current working forest land base continues to erode, and get chipped away by lack of public understanding, then working families and foresters are at immediate risk of massive permanent job losses.
Forestry workers and families, students and researchers, First Nations and BC residents will all benefit from more clarity and better-defined forestry management zones. This is widely recognized and used in other jurisdictions to achieve better outcomes with less divisiveness. This is why quickly moving toward the official designation of the working forest is one of the top 5 “required conditions for change” in the BC government’s report, A New Approach to Old Forests — along with baseline essentials such as Indigenous consultation and an organized effort to provide more trusted and science-based public information.
Forestry families have served us for generations. To keep this legacy intact for future generations, BC foresters have long-term management plans in place to support the structured and stable shift to second growth harvesting over time — but of course this can’t happen faster than trees grow. As the CBC reports, “much of the second-growth stock is immature and will take decades to reach optimum market value”. BC foresters and harvesters like us love our work, and we are careful stewards of the forests we rely on.
Forestry in BC today is sustainable, innovative, increasingly high tech in alignment with BC’s world-class post-secondary research, and supplies essential products to the world like PPE safety masks made in Nanaimo. Forestry supports more than 140,000 jobs in BC including more than 21,000 just on Vancouver Island and the Coast, where forestry is the biggest resource employer and we produce the most pulp and paper of any region, all of which generates $1.4B in direct incomes, according to the most recent 2019 audit.
All of this economic benefit as well as forestry towns and families — and will safely continue into the future — so long as we do not lose access to harvesting areas.
Currently, the forest land base in British Columbia consists of 1,033 protected provincial parks. There are large portions set aside for urban areas and cultural interests, wildlife, Big Tree and habitat protections. Reconciliation, ecological conservation and future increases as forests age over time all mean that BC will never “lose” its old forests. But BC’s forestry workers are facing a significant loss of family incomes due to an onslaught of pressure to immediately shut down at least half of BC forestry.
The impacts could cause BC’s economic recovery to grind to halt and hurt workers, mills, manufacturers, and even climate action at the provincial and even national levels.
Asking for legislation to officially designate the working forest is a single policy action to reduce conflict and de-escalate this anti-forestry alarmism before it does more damage. It is long overdue. The BC government’s own strategic reviews have been recommending exactly this move to a clearly defined, zone-based forestry management structure even since the last strategic review of forestry tabled its recommendations in 1992, and even then called for a three-zone system with “Commodity emphasis areas supporting sustainable economic activity” - the Working Forest.
BC has vast conservation areas and the most protected parks in the country (approximately 12% of BC’s total land area), second only to Canada’s national parks system. There are many other larger portions set aside for urban areas and cultural interests, and wildlife, Big Tree and habitat protections (including within the working forest). Reconciliation, ecological conservation and future increases as forests age over time all mean that BC will never “lose” its old forests.
Here are the facts:
o 94% of BC forest lands are public land - not private
o 70% of BC forest lands are unavailable for harvest
o 30% of BC forest lands are productive available timber harvesting areas - the working forest
o 0.03% is the amount of BC’s annual harvest of the working forest, equal to the rate of trees growth, meaning the harvest is 100% renewable and sustainable
