Whereas the 2023 wildfire season was the most destructive in British Columbias recorded history, with more than 2.84 million hectares of forest and land burned, and there is limited time to recover value from fire-impacted standing timber before the wood quality deteriorates, and the forest industry in British Columbia is facing significant timber shortage challenges leading to mill closures across the province; And whereas the fire-impacted standing timber poses a significant threat to public safety through the potential for future wildfires: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to work with the forest industry and relevant agencies to enhance access and utilization of fire-impacted standing timber across the province.
Ministry of Forests Since 2017, the BC government has been working closely with industry to identify barriers to salvaging wildfire damaged timber. Changes have been made to how stands are developed or permitted for harvesting and how they are priced through the stumpage system. Much effort and communication has occurred between government and industry experts in both sawmilling and the pulp sector to promote salvage. In 2024, 1.1 million m3 of wildfire salvage occurred in the Interior of BC and an additional 550 thousand m3 is under permit ready to go. BCTS is putting sales up in wildfire salvage. Overall, the forest sector has responded admirably to wildfire salvage opportunities. It is important to note the need to strike a balance between harvesting and landscape level stewardship objectives. The BC government is striving to strike that balance.