The provincial government wants more B.C. logs processed in B.C.
With that in mind, it’s applying a new, targeted fee-in-lieu of manufacturing for exported logs harvested from a coastal BC Timber Sales licence.
The government says this will create more jobs in British Columbia by increasing fibre supply to mills and cutting down on log exports.
Forest communities that will benefit from the change on the B.C. coast are in Nass, mid-Coast, North Coast, northwest Interior and Haida Gwaii. As well, the Soo Timber Supply Area is now included to allow continued harvesting in otherwise uneconomical stands in that area.
“British Columbians believe that B.C. workers and the communities they live in should be first in line to benefit from our natural resources, and for too long government policies encouraged exporting logs even when there were local mills that couldn’t get access to fibre,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “This change will give B.C. mills more opportunity to get the fibre they need.”
The fee will be dependent on the economics of individual stands. Stands containing high-value species and that are easily accessible will have a higher fee than stands with low-value species that are remote and difficult to access. Companies will have to demonstrate that stands are uneconomical to qualify.
This will be in effect for five years, starting July 31st.
