The communities of Vanderhoof, Fort St. James and Fraser Lake will be better able to manage forest resources, protect against wildfires and secure local forestry jobs with the expansion of community forests in these areas.

“Community forests have the power to connect local communities to their forests, all while ensuring a stable supply of logs for their mills,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “Expanding these three community forests is about creating and protecting good jobs and supporting the local sector.”

The second phase of the Prince George Timber Supply apportionment decision will allocate a total of 60,000 cubic metres to these communities. The first round of apportionment in May 2021 allocated more than 1.2 million cubic metres to First Nations in the area.

“Community forests are one of B.C.’s most promising models for building sustainable, locally driven forest economies,” said Jennifer Gunter, executive director, BC Community Forest Association. “The Vanderhoof, Fort St. James and Fraser Lake expansions ensure their forests are managed for public benefit, support local jobs with a sustainable fibre supply, protect ecosystem health and create long-term resilience against climate change.”

All community forest expansions are done with First Nations’ consultation, and many First Nations are already linked to community forests through equity partnerships and business-to-business agreements. First Nations leadership and traditions ensure community forests benefit people, the sector and the land. Their approach to forest stewardship offers a blueprint for provincial and local governments to follow.

“Community forests are an excellent tool to put local priorities into decision-making on both the landscape level choices and where fibre is utilized,” said Kevin Moutray, mayor of Vanderhoof. “In our proposal for expansion, the District of Vanderhoof wishes to go into areas harvested and replanted 30-40 years ago to commercially thin them. This will reduce wildfire risk, provide local jobs and improve the stand for the next generation.”

Community forests, along with the newly released BC Timber Sales review, are part of the government’s commitment to ensure the province’s forestry sector is sustainable, provides stable, well-paying jobs, and remains a cornerstone of B.C.’s economy today, tomorrow and for the next 100 years.

Quick Facts:

• A community forest agreement is an area-based forest licence managed by a local government, community group, First Nation, or combination of the three for the benefit of the community.
• There are 62 community forests throughout B.C.
• The three community forests that are being expanded were established:
  • District of Vanderhoof: March 31, 2016
  • District of Fort St. James: March 7, 2001
  • Village of Fraser Lake: Aug. 1, 2017

Learn More:

To learn more about community forests, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/forest-tenures/timber-harvesting-rights/community-forest-agreements