For immediate release:

Vancouver, BC | October 14, 2026

TLA’s provincial election priorities for BC’s forest community and its logging contractors

BC’s forest sector is facing an unprecedented crisis.

Since 2018, the BC government has made over 50 forestry-related regulatory and policy changes, which together have added prohibitive costs to BC’s forest sector and harvesting contractors. As a result, BC mills are now high-cost producers and in an environment of weak markets and high tariffs, while over 30 BC mills have been permanently closed or curtailed eliminating 11,000 high-paying industry jobs.

The Provincial government has both the authority and the responsibility to act by re-assessing these decisions and choosing instead to control the excessive costs of regulations, policies and permitting.

In response to this snap election, the TLA has outlined its three priorities where urgent action and oversight are required from BC’s elected officials. 

1.        Remove barriers and reduce the cost of doing business

The government needs to act on eliminating the barriers within its control so that the forest industry can generate additional government revenue, support a healthy forest, protect communities and thousands of jobs, and strengthen British Columbia’s economy. This can be done by:

  • Freezing new provincial fees, taxes, charges and other government-imposed cost increases during the trade crisis, and cut the red tape around permitting and other administrative requirements.

2.        Get the wood moving and protect BC jobs

Keeping British Columbians working, manufacturing facilities operating, and tax revenue flowing must be a priority for BC. This can be achieved by:

  • Incentivizing ways to increase the timber harvest from the current level of 29 million cubic metres to 45 million cubic metres*, would generate almost $600 million in additional annual government revenue, while putting British Columbians back to work, supporting contractors and communities, maintaining manufacturing capacity and generating additional economic activity throughout the entire province. (*A 45 million cubic metre per year harvest is well below of the 60 million per year sustainable harvest level determined by BC’s independent Chief Forester).

3.        Restore confidence and investment in BC’s forest economy 

Simply put, money runs from uncertainty and BC’s forest sector has become an uncertain place to do business. BC’s forest community and its logging contractors are not looking for a handout. We are asking the government to create the stability and predictable conditions necessary to retain business, attract investment and secure the future of BC’s forest sector. This can be accomplished by:

  • Placing more urgency on working with First Nations and senior industry officials to resolve the barriers preventing economically viable wood from reaching BC manufacturers.
  • Ensuring the Federal government places the same priority on softwood lumber tariffs as it places on autos, steel and aluminum when it is negotiating with the US.

Looking ahead

Communities throughout BC are relying on the leadership of the provincial government, industry and First Nations to create opportunities in the forest sector for British Columbians today and for generations for come. This election is our opportunity elevate that conversation, seek alignment and put the right people at the table — leaders willing to understand and prioritize the importance of forest communities and BC’s logging contractors.

General Voting Day in BC is October 24: Vote Forestry.

[1] BC Council of Forest Industries, “COFI Statement on BC Budget 2026,” media release, Feb 17, 2026, https://cofi.org/cofi-statement-on-bc-budget-2026/.