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

National Forest Week is an appropriate time not only to celebrate this milestone, but also to look ahead to BC Timber Sales' next decade by examining its current role and effectiveness and identifying ways to improve this important provincial agency.

BC Timber Sales (BCTS) was established on June 20, 2003 with a mandate to support the market-based pricing system for the province's forest resources, by setting cost and price benchmarks for timber harvested from public land in British Columbia.

It was envisioned as a business-focused organization that would deliver private-sector performance while maintaining public-sector values. One of its primary goals is to generate provincial revenue through the development and open competitive auction of Crown timber, which in turn creates employment opportunities for British Columbians.

The global economic slowdown in 2008 had a significant impact on forestry and lumber operations in B.C. During the same period, the mountain pine beetle was damaging pine forests in the Interior.

BCTS responded to these significant challenges by reducing costs, continuing to sell timber into the market, modifying its operations to focus on beetle-infested timber, and devising innovative ways to promote new timber sales. This resulted in better utilization of beetle-infested trees and ongoing support for rural economies and forest-related jobs.

BCTS staff stay true to the notion that B.C.'s extensive timber resources can be harvested in ways that are not only environmentally responsible, but also responsive to the needs of the forest industry, rural communities, First Nations and other stakeholders.

BCTS achievements over the past 10 years include:

• 143 million cubic metres of timber offered for sale.
• $360 million in net revenue generated for the Province.
• 76,000 hectares of land site-prepared for tree planting.
• 425 million tree seedlings planted.

BCTS provides seedlings and manages planting contracts for the Forests for Tomorrow program, creating efficiencies that allow the program to deliver more benefits with the same funding. The organization's forest stewardship plans identify how various forest values will be managed, and its operating plans clearly identify proposed cut blocks and road-building projects.

The efforts of BCTS staff to promote economic prosperity and sustainable resource development have been acknowledged numerous times over the past decade, including a gold Premier's Regional Award for Innovation in 2007-08. BCTS was a finalist for a Premier's Award for Organizational Excellence in 2006-07 and has also been recognized by the B.C. Forest Safety Council for its efforts to promote safe working practices within the sector.

BC Timber Sales continues to play an important role in supporting the government's BC Jobs Plan Forest Sector Strategy and the ministry's objective to generate revenue from B.C.'s natural resources.

Quote:

Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson -

"BC Timber Sales staff have played a vital role in the responsible management of British Columbia's forest resources. This cost-efficient organization also helps generate millions of dollars in provincial revenue every year that benefits all British Columbians."

Learn More:

BC Timber Sales website: www.for.gov.bc.ca/bcts

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contact:

Brennan Clarke
Public Affairs Officer
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261

BACKGROUNDER

BCTS facts and figures for the past decade (2003-2013)

Economic facts:

• 143 million cubic metres of timber offered for sale.
• 117 million cubic metres of timber sold, resulting in 107 million cubic metres of timber harvested.
• 12,340 contracts issued for planning, timber development, road building, bridge building, road maintenance and silviculture (such as site preparation, planting, brushing and other contracts) worth more than $1.1 billion to suppliers in the forestry sector and local communities.
• 4,019 Timber Sales Licences issued.
• $360 million in net revenue generated for the Province.
• 3,000 kilometres of forest service roads built.
• 980 bridges installed.
• Over 10,000 direct jobs and 11,000 indirect jobs per year supported in rural communities throughout British Columbia.
• Sustainable resource management:
• International Standards Organization (ISO) 14001 Environmental Management System Certification.
• Sustainable Forest Management Certification on 100 per cent of BCTS's forest operations.
• 425 million trees planted by BCTS.
• 76,000 hectares of land site-prepared for tree planting.
• 53,000 hectares of plantations cleared of brush.
• Over 7,000 hectares of "not satisfactorily restocked" (NSR) land replanted with 12.8 million trees since 2011-12.
• Deactivation of 4,000 kilometres of forest service roads that were no longer required for harvesting.
• Approximately 18,000 kilometres of resource roads maintained by BCTS.
• Organizational Excellence:
• Currently 580 BCTS staff members.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with industry, communities and First Nations (79 agreements currently in place, from co-operative forest management agreements to partnerships for the development and auction of timber).
• Strategic plans (for business planning and reporting) were developed or updated in 2003, 2008 and 2012.
• SAFE Company Certified (BC Forest Safety Council certification program for promoting a safe forest sector and eliminating workplace fatalities).
• Premier's Award for Organizational Excellence, finalist (2006-07).
• Premier's Regional Award for Innovation, gold (2007-08) for the implementation of a digital invoicing system for BCTS suppliers.
• Government Technology Exhibition and Conference Distinction Awards, bronze (2007), recognizing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) leaders in the public sector for exceptional performance at federal, provincial and municipal levels.

Media Contact:

Brennan Clarke
Public Affairs Officer
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261