British Columbians are encouraged to submit their feedback on the Summary of Current Forest Management Report, through an online questionnaire. The questionnaire will be open for public comment until Aug. 8, 2023, when the feedback will be considered in the development of a final report.

Information sessions are arranged for the FLP committee to provide information, followed by a question-and-answer period where the public can provide comments.

Sessions are scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on:

• Wednesday, May 24
  Nazko Valley Community Centre
  9560B Nazko Rd.
  Nazko
• Wednesday, June 7
  Quesnel and District Senior’s Society
  461 Carson Ave.
  Quesnel
• Thursday, June 8
  Wells Community Hall
  4269 Sanders Ave.
  Wells

The report examines forest and ecosystem health in the Quesnel Timber Supply Area, a 1.28-million-hectare region in British Columbia. It reports on the condition of multiple factors, including forest health and the current states of fish, water, wildlife and wetlands.

Public responses to the report will support the creation of the FLP, which is aimed at strengthening healthy ecosystem management, including biodiversity, silviculture, visual management, water quality and wildlife habitat.

FLPs are a new approach to forest stewardship that:

• prioritizes ecological and cultural values,
• creates a more resilient forest,
• reduces wildfire risk,
• supports biodiversity and wildlife habitat, and
• contributes to a competitive forestry sector that supports innovative forestry jobs.

FLPs are a part of a comprehensive approach to better care for British Columbia’s forests, including improved old-growth management.

The Quesnel FLP table was initiated in 2020 and is one of four pilot projects in the province. These four pilot projects will assist in the design and function of the eight new FLPs announced by the Province in February 2023, with funding of $25 million.

Read the Current Condition Report and provide feedback: engage.gov.bc.ca/QuesnelFLP

Learn more about sustainable forest stewardship and Forest Landscape Plans in B.C.

“In the opinion of the House, the government should immediately and permanently end all destruction of old growth forests on federal land, excepting on Indian Reserve Lands, which shall be subject to consent with the respective First Nation,” the motion says.

Read the full text of the motion here.

In a statement, Global Affairs Canada said that during the meeting, Ng underscored the importance of upholding rules based trade to strengthen competitiveness through the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), reiterated concerns about ongoing unjustified U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber, and the need to work together to address shared concerns regarding reforms in Mexico’s energy and mining sectors.

“Canada is committed to strengthening its partnerships in the hemisphere through rules-based trade and investment, securing supply chains, and supporting a sustainable, resilient and inclusive economy,” Ng said.

At the conference, Ng participated in a panel discussion on the importance of rules-based trade in the hemisphere with Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Trade Manuel Tovar and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy.

Read the full statement.

In a statement, Nighbor said, “An array of new prospects and obstacles rest at our bilateral doorstep as we embark on the greatest economic feat of the next two decades – the transition to a low carbon economy across North America.

President Biden’s visit to Ottawa this week reminds us that our true collective strength in achieving net zero lies not only in managing our natural landscape responsibly but also in how we collaborate to achieve shared goals.

Canadians and Americans have persisted in our joint pursuit of enabling opportunity for citizens, prosperity for businesses, and upholding environmental stewardship across generations and geography on both sides of the border.

This notion is no more evident than when looking at our symbiotic trade in natural resources. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, $437 billion in Canadian goods flowed into the U.S. (including nearly $23 billion in lumber and engineered wood products) in 2022. And while Canada and the U.S. have weathered a longstanding history on forestry trade relations, the importance of an integrated lumber market must not be understated.

Not only is Canada the largest softwood lumber exporter to the U.S., but over the past ten years, the U.S. has consumed an average of 38 per cent more softwood lumber than it produced annually, according to the Forest Economic Advisors Lumber Quarterly Forecast report. This means American demand for lumber far exceeds what the American forest sector can produce by a significant margin. This gap is expected to remain large over the next decade as the U.S. turns to lower carbon building solutions and builds more affordable housing.”

Read Nighbor’s full statement.

The measures includes funding for eight new regional “Forest Landscape Planning (FLP)” tables focused on old-growth management, with participation from around 50 First Nations. The tables will determine if and where old-growth harvesting happens in those regions, the province said in a news release.

The announcement included news the province is doubling and expanding eligibility of its BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund. The now $180-million fund will support projects such as sawmill retooling for smaller-diameter trees or higher value wood products.

“As we work to protect more old growth, we know we need to accelerate our efforts to build a stronger, more innovative forestry industry that better shares the benefits with workers and communities. Forestry is a foundation of B.C.’s economy,” Forests Minister Bruce Ralston said in the release. “That’s why we are doubling provincial investments to help mills retrofit to get off old-growth logs and manufacture more high-value wood products right here in B.C., so we create more jobs from every tree.”

The province is taking further actions to implement its Old Growth Strategic Review this year, including:

• “developing and implementing alternatives to clear-cutting practices, such as selective harvesting techniques, that better support forest resiliency, ecosystem health and climate adaptation, through a new $10-million silviculture innovation program;
• repealing outdated wording in the Forest and Range Practices Act regulations that prioritizes timber supply over all other forest objectives, like water quality, wildlife habitat and biodiversity;
• increasing Indigenous participation in co-developing changes to forest policy through $2.4 million provided to the First Nations Forestry Council;
• protecting more old-growth forests and biodiverse areas by leveraging hundreds of millions of dollars of philanthropic donations to fund conservation measures supported by the Province and First Nations, through a new conservation financing mechanism to be set up within six months;
• enabling local communities and First Nations to finance old-growth protection by selling verified carbon offsets that represent long-term emission reductions through the new Forest Carbon Offset Protocol 2.0, which will be finalized this year; and
• completing the Old Growth Strategic Action Plan by the end of 2023, to be developed in collaboration with First Nations and in consultation with stakeholders.”

Read the province’s full backgrounder here.

B.C. First Nations Forestry Council CEO Lennard Joe said in the release the council is looking forward to working with the province to modernize forest policy.

“The province’s commitment to continue implementation of the Old Growth Strategic Review and to increase forest landscape planning opportunities for First Nations are both vital to increasing the participation of First Nations in the forest sector as full partners,” Joe said.

In a separate news release, BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) president and CEO Linda Coady welcomed the positive steps in investments, frameworks and relationships to advance old-growth management in B.C.

“In addition to important capacity funding for Indigenous Nations and the First Nations Forestry Council, actions being taken to accelerate the old growth review process will also support land use planning at the local level. Strengthened Indigenous and local engagement on land use planning at the regional level will help ensure goals for forest health and biodiversity are met while also creating more predictability for workers, communities and forest-related businesses across B.C.,” Coady said.

“This is an opportunity for the Government of Yukon and First Nations governments to continue working together on the sustainable management of natural resources. Wood and biomass are important for Yukoners and we encourage and welcome your input. Our legislation is built to ensure that the long-term health of the Yukon’s forests are protected and maintained for the benefit of current and future generations,” said Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources John Streicker.

The amendments proposed are primarily technical and administrative in nature. Some of the structural changes improve the functionality of this legislation for the Government of Yukon, industry, First Nations and the public. The proposed changes will also increase economic opportunity, enhance environmental stewardship and improve the efficiency of the Act and Regulation.

The complete list of the draft recommended changes to the Forest Resources Act and Regulation is at Yukon.ca/forest-resources-act. People can submit their feedback until April 13, 2023.

“The BC Lumber Trade Council is aware of President Biden’s intention to introduce standards that will limit the use of non-American lumber in government-funded infrastructure projects.

“While this is concerning and we are seeking to better understand what this means for Canadian producers, our focus remains on working on both sides of the border to maximize the opportunity Canada has in providing the sustainably produced, low-carbon lumber products we know American homebuilders, consumers and construction workers want and need. To put this in perspective, in 2021, U.S. lumber demand was over 50 billion board feet. US domestic producers could only supply 35 billion board feet of that demand leaving an around 15 billion board feet shortfall – a gap that was largely filled Canadian lumber, produced by Canadian workers.

“To leverage these and other opportunities, remaining focused on a Team Canada approach to the softwood lumber dispute is critical. For decades, and regardless of who is in government, Canadians have benefited from having a unified voice on this issue across party-lines and across the country. Strong cross partisan and intergovernmental cooperation which drives to a common cause because the elimination of tariffs is in the best interest of all. We appreciate that Minister Ng, like her predecessors, along with the Government of B.C. are continuing with this approach while driving discussions with the U.S. and standing up for Canadians’ interests.”

The BC Lumber Trade Council is the voice on trade matters for companies in B.C. representing the majority of lumber production in the province.

“As we work to implement all the recommendations of the emergency forestry task force in the wake of Hurricane Fiona, our new forestry commission will help us with long term planning to increase the resiliency of our forests. Healthy forests are important for a healthy Island and our government is committed to managing our forests using the best available science and with the advice of local experts,” said Environment, Energy and Climate Action Minister Steven Myers.

The forestry commission will have 12 members plus a chair.  Membership will include woodlot owners, forest management practitioners who use both traditional and eco-based approaches, a public policy expert, a research scientist, a climate change researcher, an Indigenous representative, members of the watershed community, and members of the forestry profession.

The commission will look at the real-world outcomes of extreme weather and identify ways to increase the resiliency of our forests to climate change. It will recommend changes that may be required to the Forest Enhancement Program and Forest Management Act. It will also identify key indicators to measure progress and assist with development of a new forest policy. This work will help address the findings of the Auditor General’s latest report to the Legislative Assembly as well.

“My interest in forestry and land issues goes back a long way and I’m pleased that government has chosen to involve this group of people and the general public in setting the course for the forestry sector,” said the commission’s chair Jean-Paul Arsenault. “I will be surrounded by a very strong slate of commission members with a broad range of backgrounds and knowledge. I also know that we can count on the Forests, Fish and Wildlife division to provide us with the support we will need.”

In a statement addressing the report, Nighbor called for constructive solutions to Canada’s growing forest carbon problem caused by worsening droughts, pests and wildfire, and not “deliberately misleading attacks.”

Read Nighbor’s full response below:

“Last week, economists from the Royal Bank of Canada confirmed their expectation that Canada will enter a recession in the first quarter of 2023. This presents unique challenges for working families in rural and northern Canada where economic prospects are often limited to a few key industries like agriculture, energy, mining, and forestry.

“In hundreds of these communities across the country – from Prince George, B.C., to Corner Brook, N.L. – the forest sector is a central economic driver and provides jobs to over 200,000 Canadians. Beyond its economic contributions, Canadian forestry is known globally for its responsible harvest practices, high quality products, and its ability to help build a lower carbon economy. Canadian foresters also play an essential role in mitigating growing fire risks, protecting carbon rich wetlands, building with renewable, carbon-storing wood products, and creating environmentally friendly products from what would otherwise be wood waste.

“Nordic countries show us how boreal forests can be managed to maximize carbon storage, even in a warming climate. Although their forests are much smaller, Finland and Sweden harvest six to eight times the timber volume per forested hectare than Canada does. At the same time, the net annual increase in stored carbon in Sweden’s forest is so large it reduces national GHG emissions by 70%. These Nordic governments have done something that Canada has not. In developing their climate plans, these leaders have worked with key industries like forestry to build sector-specific plans to maximize environmental and economic outcomes.

“While we were disappointed to see another misleading report on forestry issued by the US-based Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Nature Canada, we were not surprised. Both NRDC and Nature Canada fundraise on their anti-Canadian forestry campaign rhetoric.

“It’s worth noting that staff in NRDC’s New York, Washington, and San Francisco offices suggest they care about Canada’s forests and Canadian workers, even as they actively lobby multiple US states to encourage state legislators to restrict Canadian forest products coming into those states. For reasons that are difficult to understand, Nature Canada has chosen to be a willing partner.

“Let’s be clear. Canada has a forest carbon problem that is caused by the worsening natural disturbance patterns we are seeing through drought, pest outbreaks, and catastrophic wildland fire. It’s a growing problem impacting forest health and resiliency, human health and community safety, and we urgently need constructive solutions – not deliberately misleading attacks.

“FPAC continues to call on the federal government to follow the Nordic examples and work with our sector to develop a comprehensive plan for Canadian forestry, even as we contribute to the federal National Adaptation Strategy (NAS), which is a key deliverable and discussion matter at the upcoming COP 27 global climate conference next month in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

“Canadian forestry needs an NAS that minimizes climate-driven disturbance by actively reducing disturbance risk and supporting forest operations that maximize long-term carbon storage performance. This means increased timber harvests that value carbon and forest health – and the creation of new markets for low-grade wood fibre, including via thinning and residual biomass. It also means more forestry – not less. Forestry that will accelerate economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities, keep communities safer from fire risks, support biodiversity conservation and important ecosystem values, and provide good-paying jobs and careers in the rural and northern Canadian communities that desperately need them.”

The intention to challenge the “unwarranted and unfair” duties was announced last month by Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng.

“Canada is disappointed that the United States continues to impose unwarranted and unfair duties on softwood lumber from Canada. The only fair outcome would be for the United States to meet its CUSMA obligations and cease applying unjustified duties on all Canadian softwood lumber products,” the minister said in a statement.

She added that the U.S. has long relied on competitive Canadian lumber products to meet its domestic needs for high-quality, sustainable and innovative building materials.

“These unjustified duties on softwood products from Canada not only harm Canadian communities, businesses, and workers, but they amount to a tax on U.S. consumers, affecting housing affordability at a time of supply challenges and inflationary pressures,” Ng said.

On August 4, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued the final determination of its anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders regarding certain softwood lumber products from Canada. The new combined rate is 8.59 per cent, dropping from the previous rate of 17.91 per cent.

Canada’s decision to pursue these challenges under Chapter 10 of CUSMA was made in consultation with affected provinces, territories and industry leaders. As part of the challenge, binational panels will be established and tasked with determining whether the duty rates in question were reached in a manner consistent with U.S. law.

“Canada will always defend its softwood lumber industry, the workers, and the communities it supports. Taking legal action under CUSMA represents another step in Canada’s ongoing defence of its forestry sector,” said Ng. “Canada’s softwood lumber industry is a key driver of economic activity across our country and an essential component of Canada’s forestry sector, which contributed more than $34.8 billion to the country’s GDP in 2021 and employs some 205,000 workers.”

Ng said Canada is willing to work with the U.S. toward a negotiated solution to the long-standing trade dispute.

Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables Tory Rushton announced an updated old-growth forest policy effective August 18.

“Protecting our old-growth forests is part of our ongoing work to implement ecological forestry on Crown land in Nova Scotia,” said Rushton. “We believe this revised policy makes Nova Scotia a leader in protecting old-growth forests and demonstrates our commitment to prioritize biodiversity on Crown land.”

For a forest to be considered old growth under the policy, at least 20 per cent of the trees must be the minimum age for that forest type. The minimum age varies from 100 years old for some types of forest to 140 years old. The forest must also be relatively undisturbed by human activity.

There are also certain areas where the department has identified forests that are approaching the definition of old growth. They are called restoration opportunity areas and are also protected by the policy.

The updated policy applies to all old-growth forest on Crown land that is not already designated as part of a protected area. The policy does not require protection of old-growth forests on private land, but the department will work with private landowners, land trusts and others to support conservation.

Commercial and industrial activities are not permitted in areas protected by the policy. Hiking, hunting, fishing, wilderness camping and harvesting plants for Indigenous cultural uses are permitted. The policy also includes a commitment to support education about old-growth forests.

Under rare and exceptional circumstances, an old-growth forest area can be removed from protection or certain activities permitted if it is in the public’s interest. For example, land may be needed for the construction of a new hospital or trees that fell in a storm may be a fire risk to neighbouring communities. Before the department would decide on changing protection, the policy requires a 30-day public comment period and consultation with the Mi’kmaq.

The department conducted a public consultation last year to revise the Old Forest Policy. Feedback from the forestry sector, environmental groups, the Mi’kmaq, Nova Scotians and other stakeholders helped clarify and strengthen the policy language.

Read the full announcement.

By allocating $1.5 billion for the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, this monumental bill, now the law of the land, will help bring cooling and pollution-fighting urban tree cover to all corners of the country, maximizing the multifold benefits of trees in combating climate change.

“Extreme heat is a life or death issue in our cities, thanks to climate change,” said Jad Daley, American Forests president and CEO. “This legislation gets the forestry details right and will have lasting impacts as it helps cities protect their residents from extreme heat.”

Through American Forests’ Tree Equity Score, our scientists and policy experts have found a map of trees in our communities is also a map of income and race, leaving millions of U.S. residents at risk from extreme heat and other climate effects. The U.S. Forest Service works to address that disparity, already reaching over 7,500 communities each year through the Urban and Community Forestry program.

With the Inflation Reduction Act’s influx of needed funding for the program, as well as investments to assist with administration, the agency will be able to dramatically expand its impact, reaching more communities and providing greatly expanded grants and technical assistance for on-the-ground implementation.

“The Inflation Reduction Act will reconnect neighborhoods and invest in urban greening through tree planting and other efforts,” said Representative A. Donald McEachin. “In every neighborhood, in every city, we will all benefit from making improvements that combat climate change and make our communities healthier, greener and more resilient. The Inflation Reduction Act will help accomplish just that and will have a substantial impact on people’s lives with every dollar, every job and every tree.”

This legislation maximizes the power of trees to cool our most vulnerable communities, which often suffer the most as climate change magnifies the severity and frequency of extreme heat.

“Planting trees improves air quality, reduces temperatures on hot days, and creates healthier neighborhoods,” said Senator Cory Booker. “The urban and community forestry investments in the Inflation Reduction Act will empower communities, helping to get more people outside and under the life-saving shade of trees, all while storing more carbon, creating and supporting more jobs, and reducing energy consumption and costs for Americans.”

The legislation’s investments in the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program will scale up work going on on-the-ground across the country, getting funding directly to communities and local nonprofits. By expanding urban tree canopy, the investments in the Inflation Reduction Act will advance equity in our neighborhoods while creating jobs and bolstering local economies across the nation.

“American Forests is not an organization that just cares about trees; we’re an organization that cares about how trees can serve people and about the impacts that those trees make,” said Daley. “This legislation, decades in the making, puts people first, creating healthier communities, jumpstarting careers and saving lives.”

The Inflation Reduction Act invests in forests as climate solutions comprehensively, not only by expanding the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, but by increasing wildfire risk reduction activities, creating incentives for historically disadvantaged private forestland owners who employ forest-climate solutions on their landscapes, and more. With robust forest-climate investments across both public and private lands, this legislation uses a whole-of-government approach to permanently transform America’s forests and communities for the better.

“Forests by themselves cannot solve climate change – to be most effective, they require us actively maintaining, monitoring and managing the health of the trees and the communities they impact,” said Daley. “The Inflation Reduction Act delivers for Americans on both urban and rural landscapes, employing people and trees in the fight against climate change and contributing to healthier forests for us all.”

Learn more: American Forests.

“The Act recognizes the important role of sustainably managed forests in advancing climate solutions,” said Nadine Block, SFI senior vice-president, community and government relations. “The important investments included in the Inflation Reduction Act will benefit forest health on both private and public lands. It will help ensure our forests are resilient to wildfire and contribute to solving our climate crisis,” Block said.

The bill, which passed the Senate on August 7 and the House on August 12, includes numerous provisions intended to address climate change. Key provisions for managing forests and natural resources on private and state forestlands include:

• Forest conservation: US$700 Million for the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) Forest Legacy Program, which encourages the protection of privately owned forest lands through conservation easements or land purchases.
• Climate-smart forestry: $450 million to the USFS for providing forest-carbon grants to private landowners.
• Conservation programs: $18 billion for “Climate-Smart Agriculture” via Natural Resources Conservation Service programs that often include tree and forest-related practices.
• Urban forests: $1.5 billion for grants to cities and non-profits via the USFS’s Urban and Community Forestry division, with a particular focus on benefitting underserved populations and areas.
• Wood products : $100 million for the Wood Innovation Grant Program of the USFS State and Private Forestry division.

The bill also would provide more than $2 billion directly to the USFS for work on National Forest System lands, including for hazardous fuels reduction projects within wildland-urban interface zones and for vegetation management projects carried out in accordance with the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003.

Many of these forest-related provisions will complement the work being done through the SFI Forest Management Standard. The SFI Standard includes a climate-smart forestry objective that has the potential to transform best practices across SFI’s 350-million-acre/140-million-hectare footprint to make our forests more effective in mitigating the impacts of climate change. The climate-smart forestry objective requires SFI-certified organizations to identify and address climate change risks, develop adaptation objectives and strategies to address those risks, and identify and address mitigation opportunities in forest operations.

SFI participates in several coalitions that have sent letters in support of the bill, including the Forest Climate Working Group and the Sustainable Urban Forest Coalition.

Learn more: SFI.

FLNRORD began engaging with First Nations on policy and legislative changes in July, when many Nations were under states of local emergencies due to major wildfires. Now, as much of B.C. continues to grapple with the effects of flooding, the Province is making sweeping changes to forest legislation without any substantial First Nations input. These expedited timelines do not allow for the meaningful and informed consultation required by provincial law under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (the Declaration Act), rendering this process disrespectful, flawed and disingenuous.

“We just receive letter after letter. The province has not met with us or responded to our letters, and we don’t have the resources or expertise needed to understand the implications of these changes on our rights,” explained Chief Greg Blain of the Ashcroft Indian Band.

“First Nations’ free, prior, informed consent are required before changing forestry policies and legislation,” says Dr. Charlene Higgins, CEO of the Forestry Council, speaking directly to Article 19 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. “The Province is ramming through significant changes to forest legislation, through Bills 23 and 28, without meaningful and informed consultation with First Nations. They are box-ticking. Nations need to have real input into the drafting of this legislation, which will impact their lands and rights.”

In July 2021, FLNRORD outlined 20 policy topics for modernizing forestry based in an Intentions Paper that was developed internally by the ministry, without input from First Nations. These policy intentions are focused on provincial priorities, which do not advance many of the key goals and priority areas for change identified by First Nations in the B.C. First Nations Forest Strategy.

“The engagement process with Nations must be reset,” says Chief Bill Williams, president of the Forestry Council. “We are calling on Nations to reject the process of engagement until we can work together to do the technical analysis needed to assist Nations with understanding the implications on their governance and stewardship responsibilities, and their forest licences. This is the kind of work the Forestry Council was established to do.”

Government has appointed an industrial inquiry commission (IIC) to recommend ways to protect workers when contract tendering and the transfer of cutting and timber-harvesting rights fall outside of section 35 of the Labour Relations Code. Section 35 ensures that the collective bargaining rights of employees are protected when a business or part of it is sold, leased, transferred or otherwise disposed of.

“This commission is the first step in improving protections for impacted workers. We need fair and reasonable approaches to update contract tendering and, in turn, to increase job security,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour. “From my personal experience working in the forestry industry, I know it’s tough work and workers deserve to have their collective agreement terms and conditions protected.”

Bains has appointed Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers to form the commission. Ready has nearly 40 years’ experience in arbitration and mediation in numerous sectors, including forestry. Rogers is an arbitrator, mediator and lawyer specializing in workplace conflict resolution. The terms of reference for the commission’s scope of work include delivering a final report and recommendations to government by Feb. 10, 2022.

Forming the IIC builds on the recommendations government received from the 2018 independent review of the Labour Relations Code, which identified forestry industry successorship protections as an area that needed further consultation, study and analysis.

Strengthening successorship protections aligns with the broader collaborative work happening across government on forestry. The commission will use the review’s recommendations as a starting point for its research. Its findings will help guide future labour relations decision-making on union successorship issues in the forestry sector.

“As part of our new vision for forestry, we are committed to ensuring workers benefit from sustainable, innovative jobs for generations to come,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “By striking this commission, we’re taking our next step to help build a diversified and inclusive forestry sector that provides good, family-supporting jobs across the province.”

In June 2021, the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development released the intentions paper, Modernizing Forest Policy in B.C.: Setting the Intention and Leading the Forest Sector with a new vision for B.C.’s forests. The intentions paper included a commitment to protect good jobs and support workers by considering the role of labour in tenure transfers, continuing to ensure the sustainability of contractors and advancing the need for an industrial inquiry commission.

In a government news release, the province said old-growth forests will now be included in the conservation zone of the ecological forestry triad model – a recommendation made in William Lahey’s 2018 forestry practices report.

Under the 2012 policy, all proposed logging on Crown land is subject to an old-growth assessment. If the site meets the definition of old-growth, it is set aside for conservation. Approximately 10 per cent of Nova Scotia’s forested land has been marked for long-term conservation.

“Old-growth forests are an important part of the province’s biodiversity and must be maintained and protected,” said Tory Rushton, Nova Scotia minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. “Crown land belongs to all of us. We’ve heard from stakeholder groups about the draft policy, and now we want to give the public the chance to provide their feedback as we look to change the way Crown land is managed in this province.”

The draft policy – found here – includes a provision for review every five years.

For many Nations this was the first they had heard or seen of this.

“The honour of the Crown cannot be met through fundamentally flawed consultation,” says Chief Bill Williams, president of the BC First Nations Forestry Council.

In June 2021 Premier Horgan stated that “the first step in protecting old growth forests must be respecting Indigenous land management rights in their territories.”

“To do this,” says Chief Williams, “requires a consistent recognition of Indigenous jurisdiction, not just sometimes when it’s convenient. Nations should be the ones determining areas they want to protect in their territories based on their knowledge, values and principles.”

Klay Tindall, general manager of forestry operations for Lil’wat Forestry: “Lil’wat Nation just spent several million dollars to purchase a forest licence in their territory so they could have a bigger say in decisions regarding forest management in their territory. And now the government comes along and is trying to tell the Nation what they can and can’t do?”

He adds that “the province claims they consulted with First Nations, but we don’t know who they are talking to.”

Matt Wealick, Indigenous registered professional forester: “The identification of old growth deferral areas is an initiative that should be led by Nations, not an exclusionary panel telling Nations what they see as ecologically important areas – based on information and criteria they chose to use.”

“This is not just about protecting old growth; this is a land use planning decision that will impact the ability of Nations to make decisions about the use of forest lands and resources in their territories for decades,” says Wealick.

“How many times do Nations have to call the province out on their consultation process before they actually change it?” asks Dr. Charlene Higgins, CEO of the Forestry Council.

“The solution is easy,” she says. “The Forestry Council has offered to work with the province on the development of a transparent process to meaningfully engage with Nations on the modernization of forest policy in B.C., including the principles around the identification of old growth deferral areas. Unfortunately, we have yet to receive any acknowledgment of our offer to work collaboratively. Instead, they have chosen to do their own thing.”

As government leaders and policy makers search for solutions to green infrastructure, today’s announcement demonstrates the carbon-storing power of wood products to create more sustainable cities and a cleaner economy. The paper makes the case for greater use of wood in construction as a major solution toward a more climate-resilient economy. It also recognizes that wood is the only sustainable structural material that grows worldwide and is renewable. It has the potential to enable a substantial decarbonization of the built environment in Canada and around the world.

“Given the abundance of Canada’s forest resources, along with our commitment to keeping them as forests forever, today’s announcement showcases the opportunity we have to displace fossil fuel-intensive materials and help decarbonize the built environment while providing green jobs to Canadians,” stated Derek Nighbor, president and CEO at Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC). Nighbor is also president of the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA).

“Forestry is one of the few sectors that can go beyond net-zero carbon. While the built environment provides a huge opportunity for green transformation, it doesn’t end there,” Nighbor said. “Other sectors like cement and steel are also starting to realize the potential of wood fibre-based biomaterials to help them lower the carbon footprints of their operations. As we plan for a future that is more sustainable and leaves no one behind, we have a real opportunity before Canadian forestry communities and workers – to use more wood and wood fibre based products to drive a greener economic recovery,” Nighbor added.

To read the full report, please visit: worldofwoodfestival.org/timefortimber/

FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. As an industry with annual revenues exceeding $80B, Canada’s forest products sector is one of the country’s largest employers operating in over 600 communities, providing 230,000 direct jobs, and over 600,000 indirect jobs across the country.

Among many proposed benefits, the strategy highlights opportunities for non-traditional and innovative uses of wood fibre, promotes forest-sector growth and aims at creating new markets for innovative and sustainable products.

“The strategy’s vision and content will position Ontario for sustainable growth across the entire forest sector,” said Stéphane Renou, president and CEO of FPInnovations. “The opportunities identified to increase the use of wood fibre, coupled with reaching untapped markets through new and innovative products, will play an important role in Ontario’s economic growth.”

The research of FPInnovations and its partners delivers solutions that address the challenges of the entire Canadian forest-sector value chain. The research is aligned with the Ontario government’s overall strategy to increase the competitiveness of its forest industry to meet the demanding realities of the 21 century. FPInnovations and its partners are well-positioned to assist in its implementation across Ontario.

In Ontario, FPInnovations has a strategic partnership with provincial and federal funders to help create and stimulate economic development opportunities in forestry, bioenergy, milling and manufacturing, engineered wood products, mass timber, and consumer wood products – through the implementation of science, technology, business intelligence, and market analysis for small and medium-sized businesses and Indigenous enterprises. The Ontario team draws on the vast knowledge of the organization’s research scientists and laboratory resources across the country.

The government will also consult with Indigenous partners and engage municipal leaders on the draft for advice on how to best help protect existing jobs and create new ones, help industry innovate and attract new investment while ensuring our forests continue to be managed sustainably for the future of Ontario’s communities and families.

Key actions for consideration in the draft strategy include:

Leveraging sustainable forest management practices

Ontario wood products are globally recognized as coming from forests that are responsibly and sustainably managed. More than three quarters of Crown forests are accredited by third-party forest certification systems. Ontario can leverage the growing consumer preference — both at home and abroad — for renewable, more environmentally conscious and sustainably sourced products, and play a part in satisfying this demand.

Ontario will continue to work with strategic partners, including the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers, Forests Ontario, and third-party certification organizations to reach key groups and ensure that international customers have all the facts they need about Ontario’s strong record in sustainable forest management. Ontario also recognizes that many Indigenous communities hold Treaty rights and they rely on healthy forests to exercise those rights.

Investing in technology to understand the forest

The province is investing in newer technologies, like Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), which produces high-resolution aerial imagery of forests. This will provide more accurate and timely information to forest companies and their investors, and meet the increasing demands of forest management planning. It will also ensure Ontario’s ecosystems are healthy and diverse, by providing technical information to inform natural resource management decisions.

Reducing regulatory burden

Ontario is working to reduce red tape and deliver regulatory burden relief for the forest sector, including streamlining the process for permits and approvals, removing duplication, and modernizing the forest management planning process and the approach to independent forest audits. All of this will reduce costs and barriers to industry and put government resources to better use, while continuing to ensure forests are sustainably managed.

Forest sector investment and innovation program

The Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program, which was redesigned under the Open for Jobs Blueprint, will provide up to $10 million per year in funding over five years to support forest sector businesses in Ontario. The program will strategically support projects that improve business innovation, create and sustain jobs and provide benefit to regional economies.

Promoting innovation

Ontario is working with industry leaders, the Centre for Research & Innovation in the Bioeconomy, FPInnovations, and universities and colleges to support the commercialization of innovative forest products and processes. For example, a northern sawmill converts logs into lumber, the lumber is sold to a southern mass timber producer, the mass timber will then be used in tall wood buildings, and therefore renewable products are supporting job creation across Ontario.

By encouraging and promoting innovation, Ontario will help the industry to stay competitive and adapt to an ever-changing business climate.

Increasing wood use

Ontario is creating opportunities to increase the use of wood in construction where it has not traditionally been used, such as using more wood in low-rise and taller residential, commercial and institutional buildings. The government is working, through efforts such as the Housing Supply Action Plan, to harmonize the Ontario Building Code with national codes to expand opportunities to use mass timber, opening new markets for manufacturers and providing stimulus to the forest sector.

Reaching new markets and addressing trade barriers

Ontario will enable small and medium-sized enterprises to access growing global export markets by providing strategic advice and market intelligence, and by supporting participation in trade missions in emerging markets.

The government continues to recognize the importance of forest product exports, including to the United States, and will work with industry, governments across Canada and with partners in the U.S. to promote fair and open trade.

Growing talent in the forest sector

Forestry is suffering from labour shortages in many roles – from truck drivers, logging operations and mill operations, to skilled trades and supervisors. The government is working to attract young Ontarians and particularly Indigenous youth to forestry careers and highlight pathways into these careers. Programs include the Specialist High Skills Major in Forestry, a key part of Ontario’s education and career/life planning program outlined in Creating Pathways to Success.

Submit comments to the draft strategy here.

The 54-page report from Vancouver lawyer Lisa Helps found that all recommendations made following the incidents were implemented or partially implemented.

However, she recommends changing the B.C. Workers Compensation Act to allow victim impact statements and to remove oversight and approval for charges from WorkSafeBC’s purview.

Read the full article from the Canadian Press on CBC News here.

Given that a large portion of western Canada’s traditional economic development is from natural resources, is it any wonder there is a growing sense of alienation? The lack of dialogue was all the more surprising in B.C., where conditions have become increasingly dismal for the forest sector.

Current trade and production data show strong indications that the B.C. forest sector’s weakness is on par with the last major downturn of 2009-2010.

There are thousands of people out of work, temporarily or permanently, for a number of reasons. But there was hardly any acknowledgement of the pain that the forest industry is experiencing.

In B.C., forest tenure holders, timber harvesting contractors, their suppliers, workers and families are facing a province-wide meltdown. A major labour strike on the B.C. Coast is heading into its fifth month, paralyzing the entire Coast; timber supply is shrinking in the Interior, leading to unaffordable stumpage and mill closures; market conditions for various commodity products are frustrating; there is a 20 per cent duty on lumber exports to the U.S.; and new provincial policies and initiatives are leading to turmoil and uncertainty.

Every day I receive calls from contractors venting their anger. People are scared. The province’s primary industry is melting down and, aside from some funds for re-training and transition, there is little empathy for the pain and suffering of those who are so dramatically affected.

On Sept. 25, 2019, more than 400 logging trucks rolled through downtown Vancouver as part of the independently organized, grass-roots B.C. logging convoy to express frustration and angst about the demise of their industry and their livelihoods. Emotions ran high for the truckers in the streets of a city that seems to have forgotten its roots. I have never seen such an open display of support from the general public or the industry itself, with massive logging trucks blaring their horns among the city towers.

There is no doubt that there is a recession in the B.C. forestry sector. However, reasons differ from the last go-around in 2009-2010. Many of today’s problems weren’t created overnight, nor will they be resolved quickly.

The situation is so bad that there are now fundraisers occurring in parts of the province to help forest workers feed their families due to Interior mill closures. The absolutely unacceptable five-month labour strike has paralyzed the majority of the B.C. Coast industry, causing some to lose their homes and vehicles.

For an industry that is the economic backbone for much of rural B.C., why isn’t this crisis on the news every single night? Why isn’t it discussed every day in the provincial legislature? Why wasn’t it a major theme for federal party candidates?

Instead we see photos of climate activists while our federal government carries on with a carbon tax and desire to set aside 25 per cent of Canada’s land base. Loggers are the true carbon warriors, yet no photos with party leaders offering them praise have been published. When will government finally understand that active forestry is one of the best ways our country can manage carbon? Our working forests are most effective when functioning as a working forest, not stagnant parks.

The rural-urban divide is beyond a notional discussion; it is blatantly palatable. We need government policies best suited for the industry and the communities that rely on it, not the mass of disillusioned voters in our cities.

We need voices in Ottawa that fully understand forestry and timber harvesting, and are not afraid to stand up and talk about what is needed to ensure we continue to have a forest sector that is resilient and strong, and provides prosperity for those who have invested their entire livelihoods into working in British Columbia’s and all of Canada’s forests.

David Elstone is the executive director of the Truck Loggers Association in B.C.

The plan outlines 32 actions to help diversify Newfoundland and Labrador’s forest sector, as well as strengthen the province’s economy and support the creation of new jobs.

N.L. Premier Dwight Bell, along with other members of the provincial government, representatives from Indigenous governments and organizations, forestry, and community leaders, announced the plan on Jan. 28.

According to the provincial government, the plan also details how industry partners will pursue opportunities and remove barriers to sustainable forest management, research, innovation and diversification, business development and risk management, public awareness, and human resources, skills and labour.

The province believes that the industry will meet and exceed lumber production levels seen before the forestry sector downturn by:

• Creating research and development programs to help improve the logistics of moving wood fibre to the mill, sawmills and market, as well as to diversify Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Ltd.’s product lines
• Retaining silviculture programs to increase the annual allowable cut and support the replacement of forest timber land conversion to other uses
• Expanding sawmill production and diversifying wood products to increase forest industry business activity
• Increasing direct Indigenous employment in forestry by forming joint ventures and economic partnerships with Indigenous groups
• Increasing forest sector activity in Labrador
• Supporting the Atlantic Woodworks program to encourage using engineered wood products in midrise construction
• Increasing timber allocations and harvest levels to 20 per cent by 2020.

So far, N.L’s Department of Fisheries and Land Resources has increased timber allocations and harvest levels by 16 per cent compared to 2016 levels.

“Forestry has traditionally been a major sector of Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy – this sector is valued at $380 million, and supports more than 5,000 direct and indirect jobs,” said Bill Dawson, executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Forest Industry Association, in a statement. “We are a sector comprised of a diverse group of companies, institutions and organizations dedicated to forest research, development and manufacturing, with companies ranging from small businesses to a major international corporation. Our sector has the knowledge, experience and drive to diversify, sustain and grow forestry, and with strategic support from the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, we are ready to meet the challenge through the Forestry Sector Work Plan.”

N.L.’s Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour Bernard Davis also announced the Employment Enhancement Program for employers engaged in secondary processing in resource sectors, including forestry. Opening April 2019, the program will provide wage subsidies of up to 60 per cent of $12 per hour and training allowances. The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Transfer Agreements will provide $500,000 in funding for the program.

The review, launched in January 2017, was launched with the goal of improving logging contractors and licensees’ competitiveness by finding commonalities and encouraging improved business relationships.

According to a news release, phase one of the review included an economic assessment of the contracting sector to gather information and identify the industry’s main economic drivers.

Former provincial cabinet minister George Abbott and other members of Circle Square Solutions then spoke with contractors and licensees to identify issues. These findings, along with the economic assessment, led to a number of recommendations.

Former B.C. premier Dan Miller led the final phase of the review: conversations between contractors and licensees to reach a consensus on the recommendations.

While facilitating these conversations, Miller discovered that the most financially sustainable top 25 per cent of contractors and licensees were already sharing information, planning together and negotiating rate models.

Consequently, Miller recommended amendments to the regulation that will:

• require the parties to jointly develop rate models in order to enhance transparency
• ensure mutual recognition of changed circumstances in order to reassess rates and enhance job stability
• create an arbitration process based on the rate model
• increase access to information through mandatory data collection

Miller also recommended the development of a best practices guide.

“As allowable annual cut levels decline and forest-sector economics shift, it is ever more critical that contractors and licensees – being codependent in the B.C. forest sector – find ways to work together to improve competitiveness,” said Miller in a statement. “My final recommendations focus on creating a sustainable environment where a diverse range of contractors and licensees – large and small, single and multi-phase – can survive and thrive in the long term.”

The review also recommends the elimination of the fair market rate test outlined in the regulation, which had caused delays in settling contractors and licensees’ rate disputes, consequently hindering their ability to operate sustainably.

At the TLA convention, Minister Donaldson explained the legislative changes will be implemented in the fall, following a six-month process involving engagement with industry stakeholders.

“Elimination of the fair market rate test is a monumental change for our industry, allowing contractors to more equitably share in the value of the timber resource,” said David Elstone, executive director of the Truck Loggers Association, in a statement. “It will result in a fundamental shift in the relationship between contractors and their employers across the province.”

The changes are part of the Coast Forest Sector Revitalization Initiative, a government program that aims to “reverse a systemic decline that has taken place in the coast forest sector over most of the last two decades,” according to a news release.

“We’re committed to rebuilding a strong and healthy coastal forest sector for British Columbians,” said Premier Horgan in a statement. “Through the forest policy reforms I’m announcing today, we will see more logs and fibre processed in B.C., supporting B.C. workers, their families and communities.”

The initiative has five goals, which will be executed through legislative, regulatory and policy changes in the next two years:

• Rebuilding solid wood and secondary industries so more B.C. logs and fibre are processed in B.C.
• Increasing fibre availability for domestic mills by improving harvest performance
• Upholding a credible auction system by verifying independent timber sale licenses
• Creating stronger business relationships between BC Timber Sales, major licensees and First Nations
• Amending the Forest and Range Practices Acts and auditing the private managed forest land regime to reestablish public trust

These reforms come after six months of consultation with First Nations, industry and labour.

As part of the program, the fee for log exports will be based on harvest economics, beginning July 1, 2019.

The waste policy will also be reformed, with the goal of redirecting some of the two million cubic metres of wood waste to pulp and paper producers, as well as the bio-products and bioenergy sector. In the spring, a coastal fibre recovery zone will be established, along with penalties for leaving more waste than acceptable, based on new lower waste benchmarks in harvested areas. Penalties will also be increased for reporting waste late.

Meanwhile, BC Timber Sales will engage with First Nations and other licensees in area-based planning to create better landscape-level planning and forest management practices. BC Timber Sales will also work with these groups in business arrangements that would result in all parties sharing timber volume, expertise and/or capital, as well as decision-making and mutual benefits.

“The announcements made today by the Premier will fundamentally address growing concerns about forest management on the coast,” said David Elstone, TLA’s executive director, in a statement. “As timber-harvesting contractors, we recognize change is required and that the industry needs certainty. We are hopeful the announced initiatives will support industry sustainability, and the TLA remains available to continue working with the Premier to meet the government’s objectives while the contractors’ concerns are heard.”

The coastal forest sector generated more than 24,000 direct jobs and $3.1 billion in gross domestic product in 2017.

“It can seem counterintuitive to some, but the profit motive protects our forests,” says Alexandre Moreau, public policy analyst at MEI and author of the publication. “By this logic, forestry companies make substantial investments to reduce waste and get the most out of each tree harvested in the forest.”

Canada’s forest cover has remained relatively stable since 1990 despite harvesting activities, and innovation has a lot to do with that, says the institute. For one thing, the volume of softwood roundwood needed to produce a given quantity of boards fell by nearly a quarter between 1990 and 2017. For another, recycled sawmill products accounted for only 20 per cent of pulp and paper mills’ supply four decades ago, whereas it’s over 80 per cent today.

“A lot more is produced while cutting down fewer trees. Whether in sawmills or in pulp and paper mills, efficiency gains have allowed more to be done with less. The value added to sawmilling sub-products, with the help of new technologies, has also boosted productivity, with the wealth derived from each tree continuing to rise,” says Moreau.

The forestry sector employs nearly 60,000 workers and generates $6.5 billion in economic activity in Quebec alone. “The forest accounts for 10 per cent of jobs in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, and more than 40 per cent in Northern Quebec,” Moreau says. “That’s why it’s so important to seize the opportunities provided by forests, and why it is also important to debunk certain myths regarding the state of the forests and their harvesting.”

“Today’s technology and methods allow the forest to be harvested in a way that respects the environment, meeting both social expectations with regard to respecting biodiversity and the economic needs of the workers and communities that depend on the forest,” says Moreau. “Recent history teaches us that the profit motive will be a great help in this regard.”

“This project is important because it is reshaping the way Mi’kmaq will be involved in natural resource management. This initiative creates economic opportunities in Nova Scotia while providing sustainable growth options that help pave the way for other First Nations embarking on this journey” Sohi said in a news release. 

According to the release, the funds will support Mi’kmaq implementation of an approach to forestry in the province known as Netukulimk, which ensures forest development is consistent with Indigenous values, and creaes jobs in Indigenous communities.

“CMM is very appreciative of the support received from NRCAN over the last three years in making today’s announcement possible,” Angie Gillis, senior director with the CMM, said in the release. “The support received for the Mi’kmawey Forestry Initiative will not only pave the way for the stewards of our Nation in the forestry sector, but it will also create innovative opportunities by modernizing the practice and concept of Netukulimk in the management of our lands for our future generations.”

Nova Scotia’s Minister of Lands and Forestry, Iain Rankin, said the province supports the direction of the Mi’kmaq to, “develop further capacity as they apply their own management concepts and become leaders in ecological forest management.”

The report includes a compendium of projects and initiatives taking place across the country as part of the Canadian forest products sector’s active efforts to support caribou recovery. The report highlights multiple factors impacting caribou populations, and the unique position Canada’s forestry professionals are in to support caribou recovery with science, research, and by advancing on the ground partnerships.

Canada forest products sector is recognized globally as a model for sustainable forest management. Professional foresters across the country plan harvests through the lens of 150+ year timeframes to ensure we can enjoy our Canadian forests for generations to come. They also consider several forest values including fire risk mitigation, protecting watersheds, and preserving wetlands, in addition to maintaining habitat for the over 500 mammals, birds, and fish who call the forest home.

“Caribou recovery planning is one part of this important web of work we undertake in our forests every day,” said FPAC CEO Derek Nighbor. “Today’s report provides insights into a number of the activities that are making a difference in supporting caribou recovery while recognizing it is important to find solutions that consider all wildlife species living in our forests, including caribou. Our made in Canada approach to forest management is rooted in planning for the entire ecosystem which will help us keep our forests healthy for generations to come, and will help us sustain rural and northern communities and family-supporting jobs across Canada,” he added.

To help support the viable implementation of Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) and Recovery Strategies (Boreal and Southern Mountain Caribou), FPAC is committed to continuing our work with federal and provincial governments on the following recommended approaches:

• Recognition and use of the most recent and complete science and knowledge in caribou plans and further commitment to address knowledge gaps
• Regional flexibility is acknowledged in caribou planning (e.g. disturbance thresholds, buffer widths and habitat definitions)
• Recovery Strategy implementation requires that a thorough socio-economic assessment be done with the engagement of impacted parties as well as integrated approaches that balance needs of other species on the landscape
• Recognition of progressive recovery contribution to date, including the utilization of more tools within SARA, which could include the use of Conservation Agreements, and codes and standards to support caribou recovery and allow for greater certainty for our sector to make important community investment decisions
• Inclusion of the forest sector, Indigenous communities, practitioners, and municipalities in the development of caribou plans

“Canada’s forests and forestry workers create real environmental, social, and economic opportunities for our country,” said Nighbor. “This report and its recommendations reflect an ongoing commitment from the dedicated professionals in our sector to work with all levels of government, Indigenous communities, researchers and scientists, and local community groups to support caribou recovery across Canada,” he concluded.

The efforts and initiatives within Forest Sector Contributions to Woodland Caribou Recovery have been undertaken in partnership with a host of leaders from various communities including provincial governments, Indigenous communities, scientists, environmental groups, worker groups, and local municipalities. 

Find the report here: www.fpac.ca/forest-sector-contributions-to-woodland-caribou-recovery/

“The environment and the economy go hand in hand,” Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Canada said in a statement. “By investing in P.E.I., to make homes and buildings more energy efficient and by reducing emissions in the agriculture and forestry sectors, we are supporting PEI’s economy, creating good middle-class jobs, and tackling climate change while providing savings for Islanders.”

P.E.I., is investing $24 million to support a wide range of projects to help families, businesses, industries, farmers, and landowners make environmentally friendly changes that benefit the economy and the environment. With this investment, Islanders will continue to benefit from a clean environment and make the province a leader in the global fight against climate change.

“These growth-generating agreements, which include optimizing equipment fleets and supporting the next generation through scholarships, pave the way for a very promising new collaborative model based on complementary knowledge that should lead to major achievements for the future of the forest industry,” said Stéphane Renou, president and chief executive officer, FPInnovations.

“With the new fund, the faculty of forestry, geography and geomatics will be able to support more student projects, such as participation in science education activities, research projects with FPInnovations and internships,” said Sophie D’Amours, rector, Université Laval. “The faculty will also be able to recruit new world-class research leaders and attract top student talent from all over the world.”

Agreement with the LFC
For the LFC, the new operational dynamic is mainly based on sharing expertise in forest genomics research — until now absent from FPInnovation’s portfolio of expertise — and includes, among other things, the allocation of office and laboratory space. This co-location of research teams and infrastructure-sharing will make it possible to broaden FPInnovations’ scope of expertise and maximize the impacts of research investments for the LFC.

Agreement with Université Laval
As for FPInnovations and Université Laval, they will pool their expertise notably in the areas of building, wood processing, forestry operations, Indigenous forestry, smart manufacturing, and climate change. This collaboration is being achieved through a master agreement totalling $2.5 million over a 10-year period, in addition to optimizing equipment assets which, by pooling the assets of each partner, allows researchers to benefit from a state-of-the-art research environment.

FPInnovations fund
FPInnovations is also taking the opportunity today to announce the creation of the FPInnovations Training and Research Support Fund at Université Laval’s faculty of forestry, geography and geomatics, worth half a million dollars. Annual instalments of $50,000 will be paid annually to this fund over a 10-year period. This amount will be used to financially support the faculty’s student projects and to encourage the development of innovative and promising research projects in the fields of wood and forest sciences or any other related field that can stimulate multidisciplinary projects.