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BC Chamber of Commerce
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Vancouver, BC V6C 2T8

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Advocacy & Policy

2010 - 2011 Policy & Positions Manual

<< back to Statements of Policy

Forests

It is the policy of the Chamber that public forest policy contribute positively to the world competitiveness of forest-dependent businesses in the province while meeting, on a sustainable basis, the social, environmental and economic needs of British Columbians.

Although the forests and the businesses that depend on them within the province are diverse, there are three core segments, all of which are influenced by public policy:

  1. Forests and Timber Supply: about 95% of the forest land in the province is publicly owned, and the rights and obligations in respect of forest management and use, and the timber supply that results from that management and use, are heavily influenced by government regulation that addresses matters such as land use, resource stewardship, forest practices and the determination of allowable harvesting rates;
  1. Manufacturing and Products:  the types of forest products that are manufactured in the province and the viability of manufacturing operations are influenced by public policies ranging from targeting public timber harvesting rights for particular products to influencing the availability of logs, residual, waste and semi-finished products to taxation of facilities; and
  1. Market Demand and Access:  many of the province’s forestry businesses compete in the international marketplace where Government has significant standing to influence market interest and address tariff and non-tariff trade barriers established by other Governments.

The Chamber believes that government forest policy should:

  1. Promote a Commercially Valuable Timber Supply:  within the legitimate constraints of sound forest stewardship, the changing nature of social demands and the forest condition, government policy should support an adequate, available and affordable timber supply for the forest sector, pursuing policies that promote, rather than undermine, certainty of supply and certainty of rights to that supply;
  1. Encourage Investment in Both Current and Innovative Products and Mills:  government policy should encourage a viable and diverse manufacturing sector in the province by encouraging investment in both current and innovative products and manufacturing facilities, enabling the development of new sectors by building on, rather than undermining, the strength of existing manufacturers and products; and
  1. Enhance Market Demand and Market Access: government policy should promote the use of BC forest products domestically and internationally and seek to reduce, rather than exacerbate, trade barriers that limit access to those international markets.