BC Council of Forest Industries Statement on New Provincial Forest Advisory Council

On Thursday, Kim Haakstad, President and CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI), issued the following statement in response to the new forest advisory council stemming from the cooperation agreement between the BC NDP and the BC Greens:

“BC’s forest sector is in crisis. Mills are on the edge of closure, and jobs are on the line in communities across the province.

COFI is deeply concerned by the lack of active, front-line industry representation on the newly announced Provincial Forest Advisory Council. To align ecological, economic, and social outcomes, those who manage the realities of the sector every day must have a seat at the table—not just be invited to comment from the sidelines.

Also troubling is the council’s vague scope and mandate—especially given the many significant forestry reviews, reports, and initiatives recently completed or still being implemented. Considerable efforts have gone into improving forest stewardship and protecting biodiversity, amid waves of regulatory and policy changes. Introducing yet another process, while those on the ground are still adapting to new frameworks, risks adding more confusion than clarity—and does little to support either ecological outcomes or the stable, predictable flow of forest resources BC urgently needs.

Minister Parmar has said his top priority is achieving the Path to 45 million cubic metres and treating forestry as a major project with a whole-of-government approach. We support that ambition. Stabilizing and increasing harvest levels to get logs to mills and keep people working must be the government’s top focus. Most forestry jobs and investment come from primary operations—sawmills, pulp mills, contractors, and tenure holders—yet these voices are missing from this council, the BCTS Review Task Force, and the Softwood Lumber Advisory Council. This pattern of exclusion is concerning.

The gap between stated government goals and actual representation only reinforces the need for immediate, practical action. Fixing the broken permitting system, accelerating revenue-sharing agreements with First Nations, and ensuring BC Timber Sales is getting wood to market are the kinds of concrete steps that will move the sector forward and deliver real results for communities, workers, and the environment.

The forest industry is ready to work with government, Indigenous partners, labor, and communities to move from reviews to real results. Our message is simple: forestry matters—to BC’s economy, to its communities, and to its future.”