Summary

• New timber sales licences will provide a wider range of fibre-generating and forest stewardship activities, supporting jobs for logging contractors and increasing harvest volumes by moving local logs to local mills
• Salvage licences will speed up harvesting of damaged trees and create economic opportunities, while building a wildfire-resilient land-base
• Legislative changes empower BC Timber Sales to manage working forests for multiple values, building on B.C.’s position as a leader in the highest quality sustainability and environmental practices in the world

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The Province has introduced legislative amendments to the Forest Act and Forest and Range Practices Act, which empower BC Timber Sales (BCTS) to improve access to fibre, create more opportunities for loggers and contractors, deepen partnerships with First Nations and strengthen its stewardship role in B.C.’s forests.

“Our path forward for forestry means a BC Timber Sales that moves fibre faster, creates more opportunities for workers and contractors, and ensures local logs go to local mills,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “These changes matter. They matter to the workers grinding it out every day in the bush, they matter to the worker on the mill line who will see a steady stream of timber, and they matter to the local companies and communities who will be able to access the fibre they need.”

These legislative amendments are expected to increase B.C.’s fibre supply by as much as 17,700 truck loads, or 800,000 cubic metres, directly supporting faster fibre delivery, stronger local economies and more responsive forest stewardship.

Following the Province’s work to expand BCTS’s mandate last year, BCTS performance is up 30% in the third-quarter compared to the previous year.

More opportunities to access fibre, support good jobs

An expanded range of contract opportunities will now be auctioned by BCTS and available for contractors and value-added mills to increase fibre availability and support good jobs for workers. These contracts will support a variety of forest stewardship and fibre-generating activities, including:

• commercial thinning
• wildfire risk reduction
• projects with First Nations and community partners
• salvage of damaged trees
• new fibre opportunities

These types of activities support access to fibre not available through traditional sales models, particularly for small and medium-sized value-added wood manufacturing companies. They provide contractors with a broader range of opportunities on which to bid. This means building more in B.C., supporting jobs, and getting wood products to market.

These new licence types build on existing work by BCTS to provide a wider range of contract types that better reflect regional conditions, project scopes, and diverse skill sets, increasing participation within the forestry sector. By expanding BCTS’s work to deliver a more diverse set of contracts and support a more reliable fibre supply, these new contract opportunities will strengthen competitiveness in the forest sector, helps grow jobs and ensures the right log to the right mill in B.C.

“Our members do not hold timber tenures. Instead, they purchase fibre from the open market,” said Brian Menzies, executive director, Independent Wood Processors Association. “These changes will enhance access to market-priced wood fibre, foster innovation, and support well-paying jobs — and represent an important first step in implementing BCTS review recommendations to boost value-added manufacturing in British Columbia.”

Fast-tracking the salvage of damaged trees

Changes to BCTS timber sale licences will make it easier for the forest sector to quickly access timber that was damaged by wildfire or natural disturbances, such as windstorms or insect outbreaks.

The new streamlined licence opportunity will increase the amount of recoverable wood and speed up access to better support mills throughout the province, especially the pulp sector. This will provide more fibre and create more opportunities for contractors while reducing wildfire risk and contributing to healthier forest conditions. New salvage licences are expected to deliver up to an additional 500,000 cubic metres of fibre (approximately 11,100 truck loads) to market.

Long term, full-rotation forest stewardship

BCTS is being empowered to manage timber sale licences through its full rotation, from initial harvesting, to replanting, to long-term stewardship, to future harvest. This full-cycle approach will strengthen long-term planning and support a healthier and more stable, predictable working forests for the future.

By shaping future timber-sale harvest areas for resilience, health and timber quality, BCTS strengthens long-term fibre availability, economic opportunities and supports investment certainty, while maintaining strong stewardship and public-interest outcomes.

Together, these changes will contribute to a more dependable and predictable working forest that supports mills, good jobs, investment decisions and economic stability throughout the forest sector in B.C.

Quotes:

Todd Chamberlain, general manager, Interior Loggers Association –

“The Interior Logging Association strongly supports the BCTS review and proposed legislative updates. These changes are critical to providing contractors with the stability they need to invest in their workforce, modernize equipment and sustain the communities that depend on forestry. They also create important opportunities — through undeveloped timber sales and fire-salvage — to manage our timber resources in an environmentally responsible way.”

Kim Haakstad, president and chief operating officer, Council of Forest Industries –

“This is a step forward that builds momentum to improve wood flow and support jobs. We remain committed to working with government on next steps to ensure predictable and economic access to fibre and move toward an annual 45 million cubic metre harvest.”

Geoff Dawe, president, Private and Public Workers of Canada –

“These changes to BC Timber Sales are a positive step for workers across the pulp and paper sector. Streamlined salvage logging and commercial thinning means more fibre for local mills, and more opportunity for our workers. I commend the government’s ability to listen to the sector, now ready to make BCTS work for our needs. I will watch these changes closely, and I am optimistic they will result in noticeable improvements for workers in our pulp mills and beyond.”

Jeff Bromley, wood council chair, United Steelworkers –

“The announced improvements are a positive step in helping our membership and B.C.’s forest industry through this crisis we're facing. We can't control Trump and the U.S. tariffs and we can’t control the economy but the minister's announcement will improve the availability of fiber for our operations, especially at the coast and in the Prince George region. These changes will go a long way to help our mills get cost effective logs to support communities and the family-supporting jobs they provide.”

Gavin McGarrigle, western regional director, UNIFOR –

“Unifor welcomes measures to responsibly increase fibre supply in British Columbia. These legislative amendments are positive steps toward building a more sustainable and economic forestry sector in B.C., which must also respect important principles of forest stewardship, including reforestation. Unifor encourages governments across the county to work together to build an industrial strategy for the forestry sector built on sustainability, forestry science, good union jobs and ongoing First Nations, community and worker engagement.”

Ted Dergousoff, president, Interior Lumber Manufacturers Association –

“The Independent Lumber Manufacturers Association supports strengthening BC Timber Sales as a more flexible supplier of fibre and welcomes efforts to increase access through new licence types and expanded opportunities. These changes will ensure improved access for minimally tenured and non-tenured manufacturers through clear allocation categories, fair log sale structures and safeguards against market concentration. Without these amendments, we risk reinforcing existing imbalances. BCTS will have greater ability to support independent manufacturers, strengthen competition and ensure local logs reach local mills.”

Lenny Joe, CEO, BC First Nations Forestry Council –

“The Forestry Council supports the current BCTS legislative amendments, as they align with First Nations’ long-term stewardship and enable more flexibility within the program. The legislation emphasizes full-rotation management and stronger accountability. These changes are a positive first step toward rebuilding social licence, and we look forward to BCTS better reflecting the needs of First Nations and forestry communities.”

Kelly Marciniw, chairperson, BC Wood Specialties Group Association –

“BC Wood is pleased to see the continued evolution of BC Timber Sales, moving forward on the recommendations from the BCTS task force. Increasing opportunities to access fibre in BC means we can build more in B.C. – from housing to world-class wood products sold locally and internationally. Local fibre supply is part of a modern value-creating ecosystem that includes good-paying jobs and locally paid taxes.”

Learn More:

• To learn more about BC Timber Sales new mandate, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/32825
• To learn more about BC Timber Sales, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/bc-timber-sales
• To view the legislative amendments, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/legislation/

A backgrounder follows