Moving the Coastal Forest Industry Forward

Minister of Forests and Range, Honourable Pat Bell. Photo Credit: Government of British Columbia

Coast Forest Products Association congratulates the Honourable Pat Bell on his re-election as MLA of Prince George-Mackenzie and his reappointment as Minister of Forests and Range. The association looks forward to continuing to work with the minister and his staff to strengthen the relationship between industry and government, and build a strong and sustainable coastal forest industry.

B.C. Wood-frame Housing Rebuilding China

A demonstration house in the Guanzhuang Township used to train local builders on-site in the techniques of wood-frame construction.

One year after the devastating Sichuan earthquake the first wood-frame houses constructed of B.C. wood are now being completed in China.

This 124 square metre demonstration house is located in the Guanzhuang Township and was used to train local builders on-site in the techniques of wood-frame construction. Local builders, used to working with brick and concrete, are now recognizing the superior strength and earthquake resistance of wood-frame construction. For the first time ever B.C. lumber sales to China are rivaling those to Japan, partly due to historically low lumber prices, but also due to joint industry/government projects like these that are opening up markets for B.C. wood products in Asia.

Comparing the A and the A+ Student

In a province where forests are a major part of our collective identity, the more citizens that are aware of sustainable forest management (SFM) and marketplace tools like forest certification, the better off we all are. However, Christopher Pollan’s recent article in The Tyee (www.thetyee.ca) entitled “The War over Eco-Certified Wood”, leads readers to perceive conflict where none should exist.

While the article threads facts into the story, the overall picture is one of misguided negativity. As the CEO of the Coast Forest Products Association, I think the people of British Columbia have enough negativity on their hands right now with the biggest economic hit to the forest sector we’ve ever seen.

The article mentions the ad campaign SFI is running, which focuses on the fact that 90% of the world’s forests are uncertified. The ad promotes SFM, with a call to source products from certified forests and encourage responsible forest management. Calling SFI a “better than nothing” approach is shortsighted and is a slap in face to those who are on the ground doing right by our forests and our communities here in BC and on the coast.

Coast Forest’s members manufacture products from well-managed forests and compete with international producers that may be absent the legal forest management framework we have in BC, and may also not have independent certification. The fact that BC has the most certified area of any jurisdiction anywhere in the world is something we should be proud of. BC’s widespread adoption of independent certification sets the bar for the rest of the world, so I wholly agree with SFI’s approach – and the approach of many major forest product customers – of not wasting energy arguing over the A and A+ student.

With 90% of the world’s forests remaining uncertified, the fact is that most of the class isn’t doing well or isn’t showing up at all, and that is a globally significant problem.

I believe in inclusive procurement policies – policies that don’t limit a company in their efforts to meet their sustainability goals. We promote all three of the major systems used in BC and Canada – CSA, FSC, and SFI. And we are not alone – companies and governments around the world take an inclusive approach. For example, the UK’s independent Central Point for Expertise on Timber (CPET) has deemed all three systems as providing a legal and sustainable assurance for forest products. This rigorous independent assessment doesn’t see a war over certified wood.

On a final note, the article talks about the all-to-common occurrence of greenwashing. Influencers and governments across North America are addressing this issue – and both SFI and FSC are positively referenced in their independent reports (Terrachoice Environmental Marketing, and Canada’s Competition Bureau, among others.)  Mr. Pollon speaks of a “war over eco-certified wood.” Perhaps that war only exists in the minds of a few campaigning organizations and the certification system they exclusively endorse.

- Rick Jeffery, President & CEO