With National Forestry Week now underway, Coast Forest Products Association has launched a new website with the goal of starting an important conversation about the significance of British Columbia’s coastal forest industry.
Visitors to the website, www.ourforestsourroots.org have the option to share their own stories, show support for the modern industry, gather insights about the history, and more importantly, the future of the coastal forest industry.
“Coastal forest companies have made enormous strides over the last decade, becoming part of a sustainable, modern, innovative industry through hard work and collaboration,” says Rick Jeffrey, Coast Forest President and CEO. “Thanks to these efforts, this industry has plenty to be proud of and a bright future ahead.”
Forestry is an integral part of the economic fabric of coastal communities, from the Lower Mainland to Port Hardy to Haida Gwaii.
There are more than 38,000 people whose jobs and livelihoods rely on a healthy coastal forestry sector. That’s one in 10 jobs on the coast. Today’s coastal forest industry not only successfully co-exists with other resource sectors, such as transportation and tourism, but also supports them, as many of these workers consider these coastal communities home.
“Each and every person involved in our industry – as well as their families, colleagues and entire communities, now have the opportunity with ‘Our Forests – Our Roots’ to have their voices heard. We want people to speak up in support and build some real momentum. We all depend on a healthy and thriving coastal forest sector,” says Jeffrey.
The new website offers the ideal platform for conversation and will allow people to demonstrate the importance of their livelihoods, their communities and having a healthy and modern coastal forestry sector. Ultimately, community support and the security and certainty of BC’s fibre supply is critical to the industry’s sustainability.
