B.C. announces $25M for old-growth forest planning, another $90M for forest manufacturing jobs

Minister Bruce Ralston seen in this file photo. (Province of BC/Flickr)

The B.C. government is promising $25 million to help plan the management of old-growth forests in the province.

The funding will go towards the province's Forest Landscape Planning (FLP) tables, which help logging sites operate properly under B.C.'s land-use policies.

The new funding will also allow roughly 50 First Nations to meaningfully contribute to eight new FLPs in the province, though it's not yet clear where the new FLPs are located.

"In collaboration with First Nations and industry, we are accelerating our actions to protect our oldest and rarest forests," said B.C. Premier David Eby in a release Wednesday.

The province says it's also investing $10 million into the research and implementation of alternatives to clear-cutting in B.C.

B.C. MANUFACTURING JOBS FUND

On Wednesday, the province also announced another $90 million for its new manufacturing jobs fund.

Created earlier this year, the fund was launched to help the forestry industry transition to new operations.

"The [fund] will, for example, support mills to process smaller-diameter trees and manufacture higher-value wood products, such as mass timber," said the province in its release Wednesday.

When the fund launched in January, the province said $90 million would be dedicated to the fund over the next three years. Wednesday's announcement of an additional $90 million brings that total to $180 million.

"It will accelerate shovel-ready projects across the manufacturing ecosystem that will bring direct benefits and stable, family-supporting jobs to communities throughout the province," the release continued.

Eligibility for funding through the B.C. Manufacturing Jobs Fund has also been expanded across the province. Previously, projects inside the Metro Vancouver and Capital regional districts were ineligible for the funding.

"As we work to protect more old growth, we know we need to accelerate our efforts to build a stronger, more innovative forestry industry that better shares the benefits with workers and communities," said B.C. Forests Minister Bruce Ralston in the release.

"That's why we are doubling provincial investments to help mills retrofit to get off old-growth logs and manufacture more high-value wood products right here in B.C., so we create more jobs from every tree," he said.