Industrial forestry not only threatens the ecosystems and wildlife of the Great Bear Rainforest, it weakens the region’s communities. For over 50 years, British Columbia has adhered to a forest strategy based on cutting high volumes of wood to produce low-value products. This strategy has failed repeatedly because dwindling timber supplies have forced mills to close. Communities such as Youbou, Gold River, Tahsis and Golden have faced economic uncertainty and job loss over the years because of the BC government’s shortsighted forestry strategy.
 
BC isn’t the only place where a high-volume, low-value strategy has failed. Oregon and Washington State, experienced a forest industry plunge in the 1980s. Competition increased in global markets, while more automated logging and processing technologies were introduced, leading to mass layoffs.
 
Today, communities in the Great Bear Rainforest face the same threats. Converting the region’s forests into low value products – or shipping them offshore as raw logs – may serve the short-term interests of corporate shareholders, but does little to build lasting community sustainability.

photos: Adrian Dorst (banner), Al Harvey/Slidefarm (centre)