CHALLENGES & NEXT STEPS

The Crisis in Numbers 

Coastal forestry is operating far below its sustainable capacity, with serious consequences for workers, businesses, and communities. Despite abundant forests, complex and compounding policies have created serious instability and have limited access to fibre. 

  • The coastal harvest fell to 8.8M m3  in 2024 – a 38% drop since 2018, leaving mills and contractors short of supply. 
  • The decline for 2025 is even more stark – the coastal harvest is projected at 6.5 million cubic metres, less than half of the sustainable Allowable Annual Cut of 15 million. 
  • Since 2018, nine mills have closed and since 2022 alone 5,400 jobs have disappeared — taking with them valuable skills and expertise. 
  • More than 700 supply-chain companies face uncertainty as fibre access declines. 

“A continued decline in volume harvested… will potentially devastate the forest industry …communities like ours will lose family-supporting jobs and major taxpayers, exacerbating the already high cost of living.”

 ~North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas and Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog

The Process Problem 

Government has accelerated permit processing – but approval times are not the real issue – it’s getting permit applications submitted in the first place. Government has reduced approval times to 25 days on average once a file is submitted. But preparing a submission has become so complex that most never reach that stage. 

  • Preparing a permit application can take an average of 300 days, compared to just 90 days historically.
  • This has led to a 93% decline in submissions — from more than 2,300 annually in 2016 to just 167 by mid-2025.  

Without applications moving through the system, harvest levels continue to fall despite BC’s abundant forest resources. 

Why This Matters 

Forestry delivers some of the highest per-worker returns to government of any major industry in BC. That means it plays an outsized role in funding healthcare, housing, education, and infrastructure. Yet revenues from the coast are collapsing just as the province faces a record deficit. 

  • Since 2022, coastal forestry revenue has fallen by $400 million. 
  • At the same time, BC is facing a $11.6 billion deficit. 
  • Each dollar of forestry revenue not realized is a dollar less for services British Columbians rely on. 

Next Steps We’re Calling For 

We believe this crisis can be addressed through practical, collaborative action. These steps would begin to restore stability, provide certainty, and ensure coastal forestry continues to support both communities and responsible forest management. 

Initial Next Steps: 

  • Streamline permit preparation — restore timelines closer to the 90-day standard of the past. 
  • Provide regulatory certainty — pause new initiatives until existing systems are working effectively. 
  • Develop coast-specific approaches — create solutions tailored to the unique challenges of coastal operations.