Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson announced a contractor sustainability review this morning during his address to the annual Truck Loggers Association convention in Vancouver.

The review will identify areas of opportunity to improve the sustainability and competitiveness of contractors and licensees in B.C.'s forest sector. As one of the action items under B.C.’s forest sector competitiveness agenda, the review is a key priority for the ministry.

The first phase is an economic assessment and review of the contracting sector to develop baseline information and identify economic drivers within the sector. Work on this phase has already started, to be followed up by a facilitated process to define issues and potential actions that all parties can support to improve competitiveness of both contractors and licensees.

An independent third party will be selected by contractors, licensees and government through a collaborative process. Concurrently, the economic assessment will be completed by March 31, 2017.

Quotes:

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

“Our forest sector needs to be environmentally sustainable and economically sustainable. Forest sector industry association executives have done a good job of raising the issue of contractor sustainability and the goal of our review is to identify opportunities to improve the competitiveness of both contractors and licensees.”

Jacqui Beban, president, Truck Loggers Association –

“Timber harvesting contractors are the foundation of B.C.'s forest industry and ensuring the sustainability of their businesses is critical to the success of the forest industry and of B.C.'s communities as a whole. This review will help identify areas where we can work with licensees to strengthen relationships and improve the competitiveness of B.C.’s forest sector.”

Reid Hedlund, chair, Interior Logging Association –

“Through this review, we hope to reach solutions to sustainability for our members that both contractors and licensees support. The review will ensure we are seeking solutions that have foundations in sound baseline information, including the current economics driving the B.C. forest sector.”

Rick Jeffery, president and CEO, Coast Forest Products Association –

“We look forward to working with the Province and contractors on identifying and addressing areas where we can collaboratively keep B.C.’s forest sector strong and growing. This review is timely as we work together to respond to global market pressures.”

Quick Facts:

• Forest sector contractors form an integral part of British Columbia’s forest sector value chain, providing services ranging from logging phases and hauling to road building and maintenance.
• Strong Past, Bright Future: A Competitiveness Agenda for British Columbia’s Forest Sector commits to work with the contractor associations and major licensees to ensure both parties’ interests are met.

Learn More:

Strong Past, Bright Future: A Competitiveness Agenda for British Columbia’s Forest Sector can be found at: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/competitive-forest-industry

Truck Loggers Association: http://www.tla.ca

Interior Logging Association: http://www.interiorlogging.org

North West Loggers Association: http://www.northwestloggers.org

Coast Forest Products Association: http://www.coastforest.org