Whereas there is a critical need to plan for wildfire and take action to reduce the risk to residents, and the Report and Findings of the BC Flood and Wildfire Review recommended that the Government of British Columbia expand the community forest program to communities where interest and capacity exist; And whereas community forests have the mandate, the ability, and the interest to manage the threat of wildfire to create more resilient communities and forests and half of the existing community forests are held by First Nations or a partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. The expansion of the community forest program has great potential to lead to more such partnerships: Therefore be it resolved that the Government of British Columbia be petitioned to expand the community forest program by increasing both the number and size of community forests to help achieve wildfire protection, promote rural development, and strengthen relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development The Province will continue its work to expand wildfire protection, promote rural development, and strengthen relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities outside of expanding the Community Forest Program. There are several challenges that exist with the expansion of the Community Forest Program including the fact that the provincial annual allowable cut is fully allocated there is no timber volume presently available to support an expanded program. Further, an expansion of the program would require a reapportionment of the allowable annual cut from major license holders, at significant cost impact to licensees and the Province.