The province has changed the way it does business to help First Nations and community forest tenure holders sell their timber at fair market price and add to the data that supports timber pricing, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson announced today.

Another milestone was reached with environmental groups and forest companies jointly submitting proposals to increase conservation, while maintaining economic activity in the Great Bear Rainforest.

Rural community economic development opportunities have been strengthened in the Clearwater area with the further expansion of FrontCounter BC services to include select Crown land and water authorizations.

BC Timber Sales celebrates its 10th year of operation and its support for economic prosperity in rural communities through safe and sustainable forest management.

To increase harvesting activity on the coast, government is exploring the use of new scanner technology for scaling logs, accelerating the auction of an additional 500,000 cubic metres by BC Timber Sales, improving the log-export system and exploring ways to better harvest the timber profile.

First Nations students will receive specific training and be better skilled, thanks to a new two-year educational support program that will help ensure they have the opportunity to participate successfully in British Columbia's forest sector.