B.C. forestry review calls for overhaul with a shift to land management

A government-commissioned 80-page review recommends rebuilding British Columbia’s forest system to focus on managing lands, with a transparent LiDAR-based inventory and regional decision-making; the minister said the government will review the recommendations but did not commit to implementing them.

A government-commissioned review of forestry in British Columbia recommends rebuilding the province’s forest-management system to focus on managing lands rather than managing harvest volumes. The final 80-page report from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council says public trust has been eroded by inconsistent forest data that have been largely controlled by industry and government. It calls for a transparent, publicly accessible forest inventory based on LiDAR measurements and for a new independent body to manage that information. The report also recommends moving timber-allotment decision-making toward regional, area-based bodies connected to local communities. Key facts: - The council recommends a LiDAR-based, transparent forest inventory managed independently from government and industry. - The report calls for an arm’s-length assessment of high-value old-growth trees to provide consistent data. - Authors propose shifting decision authority over lumber allotments from the provincial government to regional bodies that manage defined areas. - Forest Minister Ravi Parmar said the government will review the recommendations and consult with other ministries, but did not commit to implementation. - The report estimates that implementing its recommendations could take about five years. - Thousands of forestry workers have lost jobs as mills have closed amid tight timber supplies and rising U.S. tariffs and fees on Canadian softwood. Summary: The report is framed as an effort to restore trust through independent data and regionally based governance and sets a multi-year timetable for change, with an estimated five-year implementation window. Government officials have said they will examine and consult on the recommendations but have not committed to adopting them. The next procedural step reported is a government review and consultation with other ministries.