Whereas the April 2025 BC Council of Forest Industries COFI report, Competitiveness and Sustainability in the BC Forest Sector, identifies BC as falling behind in all areas, except environmental policy; And whereas BC has significant undercuts year after year that significantly contribute to industry uncertainty of fiber supply leading to lack of business sustainability and investment in the wood products sector with dire results such as mill closures; And whereas the undercuts are a result of factors such as a time consuming, cumbersome, unpredictable permitting processes, rapid and unpredictable policy changes and in some cases lack of agreements with First Nations about tenure, revenue sharing, shared decisions or ownership: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call upon the provincial government and Minister of Forests to make immediate steps to create regulatory certainty for planning and permitting the harvest of the full existing licensed Annual Allowable Cut AAC; and negotiate agreements with First Nations that increase certainty in accessing fiber, resulting in improved sustainability of the forest industry, forest dependent communities, First Nations and the forest economy of BC.
Ministry of Forests The Province, including the Ministry Forests and the Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship have been focused on coordinating decisions on the land base with the objective of building aligned stewardship priorities with sustained economic benefits to British Columbians. This includes permitting solutions for log dump authorizations for coastal operations. The Ministry of Forests recognizes the importance of the forest industry in BC and is committed to permitting efficiencies. As of July 1, 2025, the ministry has committed to a 25-day cutting permit issuance target. In addition, the Ministry has been enhancing their systems to understand where permitting delays are being experienced both at the pre-submission and Ministry review stages. The Province is reviewing all parts of the permitting process to find efficiencies and add process clarity for licensees. Wildfire salvage permitting has been a focus area of the Ministry where further guidance and policies have been developed to promote early communications, coordination, faster ecological and economic recovery after wildfire with the focus on timely cutting permit issuance. Forest Landscape Planning FLP remains a key priority for the Ministry of Forests, with a mandate to bring together Industry, First Nations and communities to chart a path forward for the stewardship of BCs forests and forest industry. Through structured and meaningful engagement with each of these parties, FLP is well positioned to support broader Ministry goals for reconciliation and increased certainty in a sustainable land base and timber supply across the province.