In recent years, the B.C. forestry sector has been characterized by mill closures, permitting delays, and job losses. Ever since the BC NDP came to power, our region of Cariboo-Chilcotin has faced many challenges in this regard. Last week, I met with forests minister Ravi Parmar to bring my concerns to his attention. Though the main focus of our conversation was the forest industry, I recognize that many of the permitting issues fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship as well.
The forests minister and I discussed the unpredictability of fibre supply and the burning of cull piles, which I am adamantly opposed to. We spoke at length about the road deactivations and maintenance stoppages that have created access issues not only for industry, but also for tourism operators, recreational property owners, farmers, and ranchers. It has been a massive challenge throughout the entire riding – and when I say that, I mean everything from outside Kamloops all the way to Anahim Lake.
Finally, we discussed the Atlantic Power generating facility in Williams Lake and its looming cease of operations. The minister claimed that this ranks as one of the top three concerns in his portfolio. However, the mandate letter that NDP Premier David Eby issued to the minister on Thursday makes no mention of prioritizing access to fibre, which is what Atlantic Power needs to keep operating in our community.
B.C. mills will only survive if the fibre approval process is streamlined and access to fibre is expedited. Why wouldn’t we want to simultaneously support mill operations in B.C. and reduce waste? We must simplify regulations to allow fire-damaged timber and residual fibre to be used efficiently.
As my colleague Ward Stamer (MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson and critic for forests) said the other day, forestry companies typically have an 18-month window to harvest burnt timber before it loses value. But we’re hearing that it can take 18 months or longer just to obtain government approval to start harvesting! In neighbouring Alberta, this process can take as few as eight days. Imagine how much stronger our forestry industry could be in British Columbia on that kind of schedule.
This is a very significant moment in time for Cariboo-Chilcotin and I am working for change. I made it very clear to the minister of forests that I would be speaking on these topics in the upcoming session of the Legislature and will be advocating for improvements in permitting and better use of remnant material. A review of BCTS is great but.... time is for sure of the essence! Our industry can't wait any longer!!
