Road to Recovery: The state of B.C.’s forestry industry as it grapples with public perception

CHEK
WatchIn this week's segment of Road to Recovery with Douglas Magazine, CHEK's Jasmine Bala chats with Brian Menzies, executive director of the Independent Wood Processors Association of British Columbia.

In this week’s segment of Road to Recovery with Douglas Magazine, CHEK’s Jasmine Bala chats with Brian Menzies, executive director of the Independent Wood Processors Association of British Columbia.

The Independent Wood Processors Association of BC (IWPABC) represents the province’s “higher value wood manufacturers that maximize the use of every stick of wood harvested,” according to its website.

READ MORE: Road to Recovery: How social enterprise fits into climate change mitigation

The organization is made up of small- and medium-sized companies, many of them owned by families.

“The IWPA is committed to a future for BC’s forest sector: We strongly support sustainable forest management to ensure our children’s children have a future in forestry and continue to enjoy BC’s vast natural forests,” the website reads.

The forestry industry plays a big role in B.C.’s economy, employing more than 100,000 people in 2019, generating over $13 billion in GDP and paying nearly $8.5 billion in wages, salaries and benefits, according to a report by the BC Council of Forest Industries.

At the same time, it’s also an industry grappling with pandemic-related challenges, climate change mitigation, and public perception about forestry management of new and old growth forests.

Menzies discusses in this episode what a high value-based approach is in forestry management, old growth versus new growth, and some common misconceptions about the forestry sector.

Road to Recovery is done in partnership with Douglas Magazine.

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Jasmine BalaJasmine Bala

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