B.C. delegates are set to embark on the first post-COVID-19 forestry trade mission to Japan, seeking to increase market opportunities, meet with customers and partners, and encourage expanded use of B.C. wood products.

Short-term employment opportunities on northern Vancouver Island have kept forest workers affected by changes in the sector employed under the government’s Forest Employment Program (FEP).

Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, and Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation, have issued the following joint statement in response to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s final determination in its second administrative review regarding countervailing and anti-dumping duties applied to Canada’s softwood lumber exports to the United States:

Two community forest awards, along with $10,000 grants, have been awarded to the West Boundary Community Forest for 2020 and the Westbank First Nation for 2021.

Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, has released the following statement regarding the assistance provided by the Canadian Armed Forces during this year’s wildfire season:

As B.C. continues to experience dry conditions and aggressive wildfire activity, international support for the Province’s wildfire response has received another welcome boost with the arrival of 34 Australian firefighting personnel.

Wildfires around B.C. are causing poor air quality in many areas of the province and are expected to worsen.

With many British Columbians planning to spend Canada Day outdoors, the B.C. government is encouraging everyone to exercise caution with fire use and help prevent human-caused wildfires that could threaten communities.