Premier Eby says new markets, reforms will help forestry, but results will take time

Premier David Eby says a recent agreement advancing wood construction in China will deliver results for the forestry industry in British Columbia, but also acknowledges that it will take "time, energy and commitment" to create a sustainable industry.

A five-year-agreement between British Columbia's Forests Ministry and the Chinese government signed last week boosts the research, development and promotion of modern wood construction in China, and Eby says it is part of the work that will deliver results for the provincial forestry industry by diversifying markets.

Eby delivered the keynote address at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, B.C., Tuesday night, and says British Columbia's forestry industry has taken the biggest hit from U.S. tariffs.

A draft of the speech released before the event says punitive tariffs from the U.S. have had devastating effects on the foundational industry of forestry, including mill closures leading to job losses, and communities losing revenue. 

The premier says his government has been fighting on multiple fronts, including tackling what he calls "long-standing structural permitting issues."

He says there are no quick fixes when it comes to permitting, but adds that "reform is overdue" in praising a recent landscape plan for the Nimpkish Valley on Vancouver Island as a milestone.

Eby says the plan has delivered higher harvest levels, predictability for industry and ecological protection bringing together governments, First Nations and industry to manage an area of 1,660 square kilometres near Alert Bay and Port McNeill. 

These results will take time, he says, but "they are real" and "they are the future of a sustainable industry."

He says his recent trade trip to India has also shown him the significance of that country as a market opportunity, which can be realized through minor changes in outreach to furniture makers and high-end homebuilders.

Eby says the work around forestry is "challenging" and "it always feels too slow for the urgency of the threat," but promises that "predictable land access, permit reform, value added investments and new trading relationships" will deliver a better future for forestry.   

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck