BCCFA Publications and Webinars

Old Growth Management in Community Forests – 2022

Link to the Report

Community forests bring a unique perspective to the forest sector, a perspective informed by long-term stewardship of the land around around Indigenous and rural communities. Community forestry in BC grew out of a call from communities to do something different in the provincial forest close to their homes. In the late 90’s, rural and Indigenous communities wanted to have more local say in management of local forests. They asserted that the local forests were more than just a source of timber and they wanted to be empowered to determine how their values were managed on the land.

Community forest managers have adopted a stewardship approach to management of their tenures and recognize that forests are dynamic. They have learned that forests must be cared for and that if we want old forests, then the forest must be tended for those values. Community forests are actively managing for old growth, biodiversity and working to create more resilient ecosystems in the face of climate change. They are incorporating wildfire risk and community safety, forest health, watershed protection and cultural values as they make their plans for management of their tenures. They are putting an emphasis on active management of a suite of values, including jobs, to achieve balance on the land.

In this report you will find examples of how community forests are actively managing for old growth on the land around their communities.

Link to the Report

A Guide to Building Relationships and Cultivating Social Licence

This guide was developed for managers of small tenures in British Columbia who are working closely with local communities, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, as well as provincial, federal, and municipal agencies. It provides examples of lessons learned and key concepts that will help guide managers in the process of cultivating social licence using a range of participatory approaches.

A Guide to Building Relationships and Cultivating Social Licence​

Socio-Economic Impacts of British Columbia’s Community Forests Program

By comparing the value created by community forests and the total forest activity in the province, this study provides insight into the benefits that community forests bring to the rural and Indigenous communities they operate within, and to the province as a whole. Using a multiple account analysis framework, the report assesses the socio-economic impacts of community forests on economic development, government revenues and social implications.

Socio-Economic Impacts of British Columbia’s Community Forests Program

The Community Forestry Guidebook I

This practical “how-to” guide provides valuable tools and techniques for everyone interested or involved in community forest management in British Columbia and elsewhere. Published in 2004 it compiles the collective wisdom of community forestry practitioners in the province and embraces many of the lessons on community forestry learned to date. It remains a useful tool.

The Community Forestry Guidebook I​

The Shareholder Corporation Contract- A Tool for Strengthening Cooperation and Accountability in Community Forestry

This guide is specifically intended for the shareholders and directors of community forest corporations. It explains how a well-written contract will help communities to clarify their roles and responsibilities, and ultimately lead to accountability and collaboration at all levels of the organization.

The Shareholder Corporation Contract- A Tool for Strengthening Cooperation and Accountability in Community Forestry

Value Added Enterprises and Community Forests

A three-part series of stories on community forests and how they are supporting local value-added manufacturing.

Value Added Enterprises and Community Forests

Likely-Xatsu’ll Comunity Forest and Small Scale Industries – A Likely Story

Harrop-Procter Community Forest – It’s All About Local Values