Interior Forest Sector Renewal

In spring 2019, our government announced a renewal of the province’s Interior forest sector, aimed at creating a competitive, sustainable future for forest companies, workers and communities.

This came just months after a similar initiative for the Coast forest sector, but the Interior sector faces its own unique challenges. After years of enhanced salvage harvest levels when the pine beetle epidemic was at its peak, the sector is now facing significantly reduced timber supply and record wildfire seasons, as well as lower prices for western spruce, fir and pine lumber.

To gather ideas about what the future of the forest sector should look like, the Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development held a public engagement July 18 to October 11, 2019. People across the province had the opportunity to share feedback, focusing on ways to maximize added-value productions as part of wood fibre manufacturing.

Four Objectives:

With the goal of improving the long-term success of the Interior forest sector, four objectives were set out in the Discussion Paper to inform the engagement process:

• A globally competitive forest sector
• Resilient communities and workforce
• Reconciliation with Indigenous communities
• Sustainable forest management

People participated by:

• Invitation to community-held engagement sessions with Indigenous Nations, forest industry, local governments, labour and stakeholders
• Completing an online feedback form
• Emailing or mailing formal submissions
• Mailing a hard-copy feedback form

What We Heard

A What We Heard report has been created based on feedback received through the Interior Forest Policy process. The ideas that have been received are now being considered with respect to the four government objectives shared; ideas that support one or more objective will inform options for policy reform recommended to government. Further policy direction based on the feedback is anticipated in 2020.

• What We Heard Report (PDF)