Local Governments Support Community Forest Program Expansion

A call for increased community control of local forest resources was endorsed by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) at their recent convention in Whistler.

The resolution supports the expansion of the Community Forest Agreement Program. It asks the province to take immediate measures to allocate sufficient timber volume to address issues of economies of scale and viability for existing and new agreements.

The resolution was sponsored by the District of Logan Lake. “I am so happy that this resolution was supported by the delegates, and that they too realize the importance of community forests to rural communities.  It is so important for communities to be able to promote local values for their local forest land base, and to benefit from them”, said Mayor Marlon Dosch.  

The number of Community Forest Agreements (CFAs) has increased in the last decade to represent 1.5% of the provincial annual harvest. However, the size and area of many existing community forests are not economically viable and many other communities have expressed an interest to participate in the program.

Since 2009, when the Province’s Working Roundtable on Forestry made a recommendation to expand the community forest program, the BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) has been actively working with government representatives to find an appropriate mechanism for expansion. The BCCFA serves as a unified voice for community forests in BC and acts as a liaison with the Ministry of Forests and Range to facilitate changes in the regulatory requirements associated with the tenure.

BCCFA Director and Chair of the BCCFA Expansion Committee, Marc von der Gonna is disappointed at the lack of progress to date on the expansion issue.  “This is a complicated issue and may require unique solutions for each part of the province.  Government has told us they want to pilot a new approach in Haida Gwaii. While the partnership model involving the Haida First Nation, BC Timber Sales and the local communities may work for those parties involved, we do not see it as a one-size- fits-all model for BC.”

Community Forests are area based forest tenures managed by and for BC communities. They supply benefits such as employment, wood products, timber supply to local milling facilities, aesthetic, recreational and watershed values to 54 communities in the province.