‘No more band-aids:’ province chooses Campbell River areas for Working Forest Landscape Model

‘No more band-aids:’ province chooses Campbell River areas for Working Forest Landscape Model

Published 3:37 pm Tuesday, September 15, 2026

The Province of British Columbia, in partnership with the Na̲nwak̲olas Council and four of its member First Nations — Tlowitsis, We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and K’ómoks — has identified areas near Campbell River as the first candidate area to explore a proposed Working Forest Landscape Model.

The area was selected through targeted engagement with industry and existing land-use and forest-planning processes.

The proposed model is a co-ordinated, three-zone approach to managing public forests, designed to improve predictability for industry, workers, First Nations and communities while supporting healthy, functioning forest ecosystems. The approach prioritizes the sustainable production of timber for commercial harvesting while focusing on restoring and enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem functions that support multiple uses — including wildfire mitigation and sustainable economic activity, while connecting resilient biodiversity networks between zones. The model also ensures long-term ecosystem function and biodiversity through protected habitat and conservation networks.

The model is part of the government’s response to the pressures facing B.C.’s forestry sector, including fibre constraints, climate-driven wildfires, market volatility, rising operating costs and international trade pressures. It builds on recent forestry modernization efforts and is meant to support a strong, sustainable forest economy alongside stronger biodiversity, ecosystem health and long-term stewardship outcomes.

At UBCM on Sept. 15, Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar said, “This initiative means streamlined permitting — moving away from cut-block-by-cut-block permitting toward operational plan forestry.”

The Working Forest model is not a new idea in British Columbia, it’s one the province has circled for a generation. The model has been proposed by former Premier Gordon Campbell, the BC Liberals and decades of advocacy by the United Steelworkers. Minister Parmar emphasized that under Premier David Eby, the government is actively taking steps to bring a worker-focused working forest to reality.

Alongside this effort, the Province has also been gradually pursuing a transition from volume-based to area-based forest tenures.

“We’ve talked about shifting from volume-based to area-based tenure for decades and haven’t gotten there yet,” Parmar said. “We’ve made considerable progress in the last few years with five expansions and more on the horizon. This aligns well with the Working Forest model too — a zoning approach that clearly outlines the timber harvesting land base, while acknowledging the importance of conservation and protection, consistent with our government’s commitment to protect 30% of the land base by 2030.”

The urgency behind moving from concept to pilot is also tied to current economic pressure on the sector.

“This uncertainty is hurting workers,” Parmar said. “That’s the common message I’ve heard from mayors and councillors in regional districts. This is a stressful time for communities and for municipal budgets and a stressful time for so many workers.”

Candidate areas are selected against a defined set of criteria: forestry sector viability, biodiversity and ecosystem health goals, First Nations partnership, local readiness and the ability to explore activities supporting the objectives of all three zones.

The Campbell River area met that bar on several fronts. It supports significant forestry-sector employment and economic activity, alongside biodiversity and old-growth values considered important provincewide. Na̲nwak̲olas member Nations are also major participants in the local forestry sector, including through the La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership, a joint venture with Western Forest Products that holds Tree Farm Licence 64. Work in the region is expected to support a transition from Nation-led planning toward a Forest Landscape Plan developed jointly with the Province and the inclusion of BC Timber Sales operating areas will let the model be tested across a range of forest tenures and management contexts.

Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Randene Neill pointed to what’s at stake environmentally in the area.

“The Campbell River area is home to important forest and watershed values that support fish and wildlife habitat, biodiversity and long-term ecosystem resilience,” said Neill. “By exploring this model with First Nations and local partners, we can better understand how integrated landscape planning can help protect these values while supporting sustainable economic opportunities and stewardship for future generations.”

Na̲nwak̲olas Council President Dallas Smith said the Nations’ own planning experience positions them well for the work ahead.

“We are pleased to continue to work with the Province to help further strengthen our forests. Our experience with spatial planning, tenuring and evolving participation in forest management with the B.C. government will help us establish how a three-zone working forest will keep people and mills operating, while also continuing to manage biodiversity issues like wildlife and fish habitat and old-growth values.”

This marks the start of the model’s exploration phase — not a final decision on how the Campbell River-area land base will be managed. Over the coming months, government staff and local partners will carry out technical, socio-economic and environmental analysis to understand how a three-zone approach could work on the ground, including what legislative or policy changes might be needed to support eventual implementation.

That exploration will continue to be shaped by partnership with First Nations and focused engagement with industry, local governments, environmental non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders. The Province says it will provide regular public updates on progress and key findings and the same selection approach used for Campbell River will be applied to identify future candidate areas elsewhere in the province.

Neill framed the partnership in terms of shared goals rather than competing priorities and that good economics and a sustainable province go hand in hand with conservation goals and reconciliation.

Smith said that same spirit of collaboration extends to the Council’s relationship with the Province.

“We’re in a good place to collaborate with our provincial and local partners,” he said, “and find the balance we need to remain a world leader in both sustainability and economic opportunity.”

Parmar also connected the model to the Province’s broader push to diversify forestry markets amid ongoing trade pressure with the United States.

Parmar recalled a recent conversation with an investor from China at the Global Buyers Mission in Whistler. Parmar noted he was asked directly whether British Columbia was looking for a short-term relationship or a long-term partnership.

“One challenge our sector has faced is that when things get tough with the Americans, we build new partnerships elsewhere — then abandon them once things improve with the United States. Investors want long-term certainty and stability. Our relationship with the United States has changed permanently and British Columbia is open for business with Europe, Asia and the rest of the world — part of that is Making More in B.C.”