Category Archives: Forests

Forests, Politics

BC’s Chief Forester Tells the SRD the State of BC’s Forests, or not

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Shane Berg, BC’s Chief Forester, has a message he is taking to trading partners around the world. On Thursday, October 2, 2025, he made a presentation to the Strathcona Regional District’s Natural Resources Committee. 

In today’s broadcast there are select clips from that presentation, including reactions from the committee. Also Bruce Ellingsen, one of the founding directors of the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative and a local thought leader on forestry matters, gave his opinion about the presentation and what he believes it lacks. 

Berg claims that the amount of old growth forests is increasing. According to Ellingsen what is not clear is that he is talking about the 80% of relatively small old growth trees growing in less productive areas, not the ‘big tree old growth’ that the environmental community is concerned about.  

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Forests

BC’s Coastal Forestry Crisis Demands Immediate ActionCommunities Like Campbell River Can’t Wait

Open letter from Kermit Dahl, the Mayor of Campbell River, to Premier David Eby (reprinted as public information)

Dear Premier Eby,
When you reshuffled your cabinet on July 17, you pledged to “protect jobs and the economy” and to “grow a resilient economy.” Those words ring hollow for thousands of coastal forestry workers watching their industry collapse—not from market forces, but from policy paralysis and regulatory misfires.

Since 2019, harvest volumes on the coast have dropped by over 40%. More than 5,400 direct jobs have disappeared since 2022. Mills have closed. Communities have lost critical tax revenue. And the situation is
worsening.

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Forests, Politics

Area C Directors Report: Hoskyn Landing Update & Conservation Covenants

From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney

Hello, and warm May greetings,
This report shares an update on the status of the Hoskyn Landing parking expansion and dock replacement, and an overview of a recent staff report regarding conservation covenants.

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Forests

How Will the Parties Help BC Forest Workers?

By Isaac Phan Nay, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It’s been hard to keep up with the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff trade war on Canada.

Punishing tariffs have been levied on steel, aluminum and automobiles and — critically for B.C. — softwood lumber.

“Tariffs are the top election issue for workers,” Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske said. “This uncertainty really has people very, very stressed out about the future of their jobs.”

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Forests

Are BC’s Old-growth Forests Worth More Standing?

Press release from ESSA

Are old-growth forests worth more standing? A report released today by ESSA, and led by Dr. Cedar Morton, suggests yes. The report presents findings that decision-makers and forest landscape planning tables can consider when balancing conservation of non-timber ecosystems services with timber production. The report, titled “The Economic Value of Old-growth Forests in BC: Analysis of Old-growth Management Scenarios in Two Timber Supply Areas”, quantifies the economic benefits of deferring harvest of varying amounts of old-growth. The study applies an approach previously piloted on BC’s coast in Port Renfrew to the BC interior’s Prince George and ‘Are BC’s Old-growth Forests Worth More Standing?’ (TSAs).

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