BC Timber Supply

A special committee has been formed to decide what to do about the loss of future timber supply cause by the government’s mismanagement of the pine beetle epidemic. Essentially, the government has waited to implement replanting plans in the millions of hectares affected by mountain pine beetle. As a result, regrowth has been delayed, and there are concerns that timber supply from these areas will be reduced in years ahead. One possible outcome of the committee could be a recommendation to weaken regulations designed to protect sensitive species and First Nations cultural sites. 

Such a “solution” would be compounding the problem instead of addressing it. BC’s interior has already lost too much habitat for caribou, grizzly bears, and other species. Aggressive logging combined with heavy rains could spell disaster for roads, towns, and watersheds. Instead, the province should be investing in sustainable forestry practices, aggressive replanting plans, and upgrades to improve our ability to process small logs. 

Additional reading

West Coast Environmental Law has posted their submission as well as a summary.

Calgary Herald article has a good summary of the issues.

What you can do

Submit a comment to the BC Special Committee on Timber Supply

Or submit your comment online.