A new independent report says British Columbia’s forest management system needs a complete overhaul rather than short-term fixes.
The report, From Conflict to Care: B.C.’s Forest Future, was released Monday by the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council.
Council co-chairs Garry Merkel and Shannon Janzen said the current system is failing communities, First Nations, businesses and the environment.
Their key recommendation is a shift from a central, top-down decision-making process to a regional-based approach to forest and land management.
“This isn’t about tinkering around the edges or adding more rules,” Janzen said. “It’s about rethinking the system as a whole.”
Janzen said decades of reviews and initiatives have failed to solve the problems facing the industry today, comparing it to steering a canoe when each person is paddling in different directions and going nowhere.
The authors say there is a “window of opportunity” for change, with most of B.C.’s replaceable forest licences and tree farm licences either overdue or up for renewal within the next three to five years.
The report adds that delaying action could further entrench systemic barriers that have destabilized the province’s forest management system.
It identifies outdated systems, a lack of reliable public data and a misalignment between policy and on-the-ground realities.
The report says operators in the interior are facing declining fibre supply, leading to short-term fixes that undermine future stability. In coastal areas, the sector has become too reliant on old-growth cedar and log exports because of chronic underinvestment and a lack of a clear market strategy.
The authors recommend transitioning from the current Timber Supply Review system to Regional Forest Management Areas, with a coordinating land manager for each region and boundaries no larger than two million hectares.
Under B.C.’s decades-old TSR system, B.C.’s chief forester determines the maximum amount of timber that can be harvested from each area, with input from the public and First Nations.
The report recommends a shift to more regional decision-making about forest management and land care through new RFMAs, with a co-ordinating land manager for each area.
It said that could involve redrawing the boundaries of the current forest management units so they’re no larger than two million hectares.
The report also says the province should scrap B.C. Timber Sales and other initiatives that do not align with the transition to regional management.
But Merkel and Janzen said the change should be implemented gradually, with trials to refine the approach before it is rolled out province-wide, and that First Nations must be fully included in developing any strategies.
LiDAR tree canopy height model. | Image via LidarBC
The final report calls for better public data on B.C.’s forest inventory and recommends using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to map forests on public lands and make that information accessible.
Janzen said having accessible data “levels the playing” field, so everyone is working with the same information.
The report also recommends establishing an independent body for data management and calls for an independent assessment of high-value old growth.
LiDAR involves the use of lasers to scan the earth’s surface and create highly detailed maps of landscapes. The province has funded a LiDAR program since 2023 to collect publicly accessible elevation data. The LidarBC website says stewardship of natural resources and management of old forests are among its priorities.
Forest Minister Ravi Parmar said it will take time for government to review the recommendations, but acknowledged the need to restore confidence in the forest sector.
The PFAC report stems from a cooperation agreement between the B.C. Greens and the NDP. Green MLA Rob Botterell said the report identifies the need for structural change but falls short on immediate protections for old-growth forests.
“B.C.’s forest management system will face worse ecological degradation, instability, heightened conflict, declining public trust, and the loss of communities from permanent mill closures,” Botterell said.
B.C. Conservative forests critic Ward Stamer said the report fails to address immediate issues leading to mill closures and job losses and criticizes its call for additional oversight bodies rather than streamlined permitting.
Janzen said there are no quick fixes to underlying problems with the forest industry, which have been decades in the making.
“The question for us is, do we want to keep doing the same things and expect a different result, or do we want to take a different direction?” she said.
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