Premier John Horgan has appointed Ravi Kahlon, Parliamentary Secretary for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, to lead the expansion and use of mass timber in B.C. buildings.

The B.C. government is taking additional action to help support people, communities and forest companies dealing with challenges from the COVID-19 crisis.

Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, has released the following statement in response to today’s North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) ruling on the U.S. International Trade Commission’s (USITC) determination that the Canadian lumber industry has harmed the U.S. industry:

The B.C. government is deferring one of the fees it charges to help people, communities and forest companies navigate through the COVID-19 crisis.

B.C.’s provincial health officer (PHO) has released an order for industrial camps and guidelines to protect people working in the silviculture sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BC Parks is immediately closing all provincial parks in response to the widespread call for increased action to address COVID-19.

BC Parks continues to monitor whether people visiting provincial parks are complying with the physical distancing required to stop the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).