While B.C. timber companies press for greater access to a shrinking fibre basket, thanks to the mountain pine beetle, the provincial government is making less old-growth available to logging on the Sunshine Coast.
The B.C. government announced plans yesterday to place 14,750 hectares on the Sunshine Coast into old growth management areas.
These areas were established under the Land Act, in consultation with First Nations, forestry companies and other local citizens and are intended to protect old-growth biodiversity.
Areas being placed in old-growth management areas include:
• 2,590 hectares, on the west side of Jervis Inlet;
• 2,357 hectares, west side of Bute Inlet;
• 2,818.6 hectares, east side of Bute Inlet;
• 4,095 hectares on islands in Desolation Sound, including Cortes Island;
• 2,889 hectares, west side of Howe Sound, including several islands.
B.C. forestry companies are lobbying the provincial government to find ways of increasing their access to timber. A decade of logging pine beetle kill is coming to an end, and B.C. forestry companies are faced with shrinking annual allowable cuts as a result.
The B.C. government recently concluded a series of public meetings by the Special Committee on Timber Supply. Some forestry companies are pressing for land tenure changes designed to make more wood available within B.C.’s existing working forests.
A final report is due to be submitted to the B.C. Legislative Assembly in mid-August.
Since 1999, the mountain pine beetle has killed off approximately 53% of the total pine volume in B.C.’s timber harvesting land base.
See this week’s issue of Business in Vancouver for Peter Woodbridge's analysis of B.C. forestry policy.
