Whereas many BC communities are considered forest dependent and rely on the stability and growth of the forest industry for continued employment and economic growth; And whereas the majority of employment provided by the forest industry is in the manufacturing sector, and therefore, requiring security in the allocation of fibre to continue its operations and positive contributions to the communities in which they operate: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM membership urge our federal and provincial governments to implement measures to prevent the mass export of timber from private managed forest land, considering the detrimental social and economic impacts to those BC communities which are considered forest dependent should mass export of timber continue; And be it further resolved that the provincial government designate land reserves that enable forestry entities to commit to long-term investments in forestry, working forest management methods and manufacturing in an effort to achieve the maximum value from our forests.
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development On June 1, 2021 Premier John Horgan announced the Modernizing Forest Policy in British Columbia Setting the Intention and Leading the Forest Sector Transition. The Modernizing Forest Policy document is a coordinated response to several forestry focused initiatives of the past few years including Coast Forest Sector Revitalization, Interior Forest Sector Renewal, the Forest and Range Practices Act Improvement Initiative, the Old Growth Strategic Review, the draft BC-First Nations Forest Strategy, and wildfire related actionsactivities. Government intends to fulfill the vision for the future of the forest sector based on three principles that were repeatedly heard from partners, stakeholders, and communities during the various engagement sessions: Increasing Forest Sector Participation, Enhancing Stewardship and Sustainability, and Strengthening the Social Contract. There are twenty policy intentions that are linked to the three guiding principles. These policy intentions include enhancing the legal mechanisms to allow tenure to be redistributed for harvesting purposes and encouraging diversification in the sector. It also includes increasing fibre access for value-added domestic manufacturers, promoting the use of wood and mass timber and protecting good jobs. The policy intentions also include continuing to improve the Forest and Range Practices Act. The government intends to move forward with changes like the proposed tactical planning approach of Forest Landscape Plans in the modernized land use planning process. Designating provincial land generally requires a process of strategic planning, consultations, and a framework of law that enables a designation. Designations will also need to be explored and carried out in a manner that is respectful and consistent with government direction for reconciliation with BCs Indigenous Nations. The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development is currently implementing a modernized land use planning process and is also in the process of establishing operational forestry pilot projects to test a more spatial and collaborative forest stewardship planning process, termed forest landscape planning FLP. The Forest Landscape Planning approach is designed to; - enable new, lasting collaborations with BCs communities and Indigenous Peoples; - realize sustainable timber harvest levels in support of BCs economy; - improve coordination within forest development in management units; - achieve greater government oversight of forest management to protect public safety, the environment and natural resources; - ensure that land managers have the right tools to establish resilient forests and rangelands when faced with the uncertain impacts of climate change upon these ecosystems. By promoting earlier and more inclusive planning for forestry operations, and through improved government oversight and expectation-setting, the FLP method can more effectively incorporate long-term investments in forestry and include specific forest management methods.