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The New Forest Act was presented to B.C. Ministers Ravi Parmar and Randene Neill on September 9. Developed with scientists, Indigenous communities, foresters and residents, the framework prioritizes ecological balance through a Protect-Restore-Harvest approach that limits harvesting based on the condition and ecological capacity of the land.
Published 12:19 pm Sunday, September 27, 2026The New Forest Act was presented to Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar and Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Randene Neill, along with senior government staff.
Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar and Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Randene Neill were recently introduced to the New Forest Act by the Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society .and her team presented the framework to the ministers and senior-level government staff on Sept. 9. She said that the ministers and staff were highly receptive during the presentation, asking questions and productively discussing the framework at hand.
“What mattered to us was getting the proposal directly in front of the people responsible for these files and being able to explain how it differs from what government is currently proposing. We wanted them to see that this is a serious, incredible alternative to the current forestry system.
” The act, which was developed in Grand Forks and the Boundary region, came together through the help of scientists, leaders, Indigenous communities, retired foresters, and residents.prioritizing ecological balance over timber flow in all forestry activity.
“Its Protect-Restore-Harvest framework would protect remaining primary forests, restore damaged landscapes, and concentrate timber harvesting in areas where ecological limits allow it. Harvesting would shift toward selection and partial-cutting systems designed to maintain functioning forest ecosystems,” reads the BFWSS release.
“When the government is making decisions about logging, first they have to identify what remains intact. Second, they identify the damaged areas that need restoration. And then they can determine where timber harvesting can occur. And the timber harvesting has to be within the ecological limits of the land.
Forestry can continue, but the land determines the limits,” she said.which would be integrated within the current framework. It proposed three zones: Working Forest Zone, Multiple Use Zone and Conservation and Protection Zone. The framework would also introduce boards at each watershed level. The boards would consist of residents who would help make decisions within the ecological standards established by the New Forest Act.
Houghton added that the new act would re-establish local mills, log sort yards, and more, which would create more jobs in logging and milling and would give local businesses more access to local timber.
“There would be a rejuvenation of local logging and local milling under our system. There’d also be a lot of jobs available in restoration. There are actually generations of jobs available in restoration in BC. ” “The current system isn’t supporting itself.
And we’re saying not only to prioritize ecological integrity, but also to prioritize local jobs,” said Houghton. Earlier this year, BFWSS went on its 2026 New Forest Act Roadshow, presenting the framework to the public across 12 B.C. communities.
“We’ve taken it around the province, and we’ve had conversations with people in forestry communities, various groups, local governments, forest professionals, members of the public, and what we’ve observed is that there’s an appetite for a much bigger conversation about how B.C. manages public forests,” she said. Houghton said that the next step involves even more conversation, specifically a seat at the table with people in charge who can make a difference.
“Our immediate goal is to keep putting the proposal in front of people who can do something with it. So government, communities, forest professionals, First Nations, as well as the public. We’ve now taken it from an idea that began in the Boundary and it turned into a detailed legislative framework and it’s been presented directly to the ministers responsible.
” “The next question is whether B.C. is willing to have a serious conversation about changing the system itself, because when it comes to forestry in B.C. , nothing changes until the legislation changes. ”
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