The government of British Columbia has introduced legislation to bolster access to wood fibre, including timber damaged by wildfires, insects and windstorms.
Amendments to the Forest Act and Forest and Range Practices Act, which empower BC Timber Sales (BCTS) to improve access to fibre, create more opportunities for loggers and contractors, deepen partnerships with First Nations and strengthen its stewardship role in B.C.’s forests.
“Our path forward for forestry means a BC Timber Sales that moves fibre faster, creates more opportunities for workers and contractors, and ensures local logs go to local mills,” said Ravi Parmar, minister of forests. “These changes matter. They matter to the workers grinding it out every day in the bush, they matter to the worker on the mill line who will see a steady stream of timber, and they matter to the local companies and communities who will be able to access the fibre they need.”
These legislative amendments are expected to increase B.C.’s fibre supply by as much as 17,700 truck loads, or 800,000 cubic metres, directly supporting faster fibre delivery, stronger local economies and more responsive forest stewardship.
Following the Province’s work to expand BCTS’s mandate last year, BCTS performance is up 30 per cent in the third-quarter compared to the previous year.
More opportunities to access fibre, support good jobs
An expanded range of contract opportunities will now be auctioned by BCTS and available for contractors and value-added mills to increase fibre availability and support good jobs for workers. These contracts will support a variety of forest stewardship and fibre-generating activities, including:
- commercial thinning
- wildfire risk reduction
- projects with First Nations and community partners
- salvage of damaged trees
- new fibre opportunities
These types of activities support access to fibre not available through traditional sales models, particularly for small and medium-sized value-added wood manufacturing companies. They provide contractors with a broader range of opportunities on which to bid. This means building more in B.C., supporting jobs, and getting wood products to market.
These new licence types build on existing work by BCTS to provide a wider range of contract types that better reflect regional conditions, project scopes, and diverse skill sets, increasing participation within the forestry sector. By expanding BCTS’s work to deliver a more diverse set of contracts and support a more reliable fibre supply, these new contract opportunities will strengthen competitiveness in the forest sector, helps grow jobs and ensures the right log to the right mill in B.C.
“Our members do not hold timber tenures. Instead, they purchase fibre from the open market,” said Brian Menzies, executive director, Independent Wood Processors Association. “These changes will enhance access to market-priced wood fibre, foster innovation, and support well-paying jobs — and represent an important first step in implementing BCTS review recommendations to boost value-added manufacturing in British Columbia.”
Fast-tracking the salvage of damaged trees
Changes to BCTS timber sale licences will make it easier for the forest sector to quickly access timber that was damaged by wildfire or natural disturbances, such as windstorms or insect outbreaks.
The new streamlined licence opportunity will increase the amount of recoverable wood and speed up access to better support mills throughout the province, especially the pulp sector. This will provide more fibre and create more opportunities for contractors while reducing wildfire risk and contributing to healthier forest conditions. New salvage licences are expected to deliver up to an additional 500,000 cubic metres of fibre (approximately 11,100 truck loads) to market.
Long term, full-rotation forest stewardship
BCTS is being empowered to manage timber sale licences through its full rotation, from initial harvesting, to replanting, to long-term stewardship, to future harvest. This full-cycle approach will strengthen long-term planning and support a healthier and more stable, predictable working forests for the future.
By shaping future timber-sale harvest areas for resilience, health and timber quality, BCTS strengthens long-term fibre availability, economic opportunities and supports investment certainty, while maintaining strong stewardship and public-interest outcomes.
Together, these changes will contribute to a more dependable and predictable working forest that supports mills, good jobs, investment decisions and economic stability throughout the forest sector in B.C.
