Closed-door meetings with forests ministry staff and community and first nations leaders began Thursday in Williams Lake, as the B.C. government91裸聊视频檚 ambitious plan to remake the struggling Interior forest industry picks up speed.

The B.C. industry has been rocked by sawmill closures as it copes with reduced timber supply after extensive beetle damage and a slump in lumber prices. The NDP government has also moved to regulate Crown forest licence transfers, redistribute logging rights and impose restrictions on log exports.

In January, Premier John Horgan invited industry leaders to lead their own meetings on sharing forest harvest rights with local communities. Now ministry staff are conducting their own private meetings, starting in Williams Lake Thursday and Friday.

During the week of July 21, meetings are set in 100 Mile House, Anahim Lake, Burns Lake, Mackenzie and Terrace. The week of July 28 they move to Castlegar, Cranbrook, Hazelton, Houston, Quesnel and Revelstoke, with Kamloops, Vernon and northern communities during August.

Forests Minister Doug Donaldson said the public is invited to have their say on the province91裸聊视频檚 priorities, with a discussion paper and submissions . Topics include forest tenure, sustainability, climate change and forest carbon, manufacturing capacity, innovation and the 91裸聊视频渇ibre bio-economy,91裸聊视频� making forest-dependent communities more resilient, and reconciling with Indigenous communities.

91裸聊视频淧art of this government91裸聊视频檚 approach is to see more involvement of first nations in forestry,91裸聊视频� Donaldson said in an interview with Black Press. 91裸聊视频淎lmost every day when we91裸聊视频檙e sitting in the legislature I have first nations come into my office to express interest in more volume and getting involved in forestry.91裸聊视频�

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That timber volume largely would have to come from existing forest licences. New legislation passed this spring requires the minister91裸聊视频檚 approval before tenures can be sold from one company to another, such as the proposed $60 million sale of Canfor91裸聊视频檚 harvest rights to Interfor after the closure of the Vavenby sawmill near Clearwater.

tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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