BC Timber Sales Review: taking action to evolve BCTS

Through the BC Timber Sales (BCTS) Review, BCTS is enabling better landbase management, unlocking fibre through tailored tools, and ensuring local logs go to local mills and meeting regional needs. This supports healthy forests, resilient communities, and a more predictable forest sector.

On this page

• The BC Timber Sales Review
• The Task Force and engagement
• BCTS' updated mandate
• Spring 2026 legislative changes
• Actions underway

The BC Timber Sales Review

In January 2025, the Province launched a review of BC Timber Sales (BCTS) to ensure British Columbia’s forestry sector continually evolves to overcome challenges and create a stronger, more resilient future. 

The review recognized the significant pressures facing the sector, including a declining annual allowable cut, difficulty accessing fibre, global economic conditions, and increasing environmental and trade considerations. Building on past forestry engagement and the ongoing work of BCTS, the review examined how BCTS could better support a resilient forest sector while continuing to serve the public interest.

The outcome of the review was a clear direction: BCTS must evolve beyond a one‑size‑fits‑all model and be equipped to respond to locally specific needs, support diverse forest values, and strengthen partnerships throughout the province.

The Task Force and engagement

The BCTS review was guided by an independent task force made up of:

• George Abbott, former Member of the Legislative Assembly
• Brian Frenkel, Vanderhoof city councillor
• Lennard Joe, CEO, First Nations Forestry Council

Between January and July 2025, the task force met with more than 50 organizations and individuals, hosted two virtual engagement sessions, and received more than 300 written submissions.

Engagement highlighted the need for:

• Earlier and more meaningful involvement of First Nations and communities
• Greater flexibility in how BCTS delivers work
• Long‑term, locally specific stewardship approaches
• Stronger alignment between forest management, community well‑being, and economic resilience

The BCTS Task Force Recommendation Report (PDF,11MB) is reflective of the extensive feedback received from those who care for B.C.’s forests and are deeply invested in sustainable management, cultural significance, and long-term health.

BCTS' updated mandate

Following the review, the Province expanded the mandate for BCTS as follows:

“BC Timber Sales is a trusted, transparent organization that stewards British Columbia’s forests for the long-term benefit of all people. ​Grounded in public trust and social license, BCTS’s operations reflect the diverse values of the people in British Columbia, uphold First Nations rights and title, and support resilient communities through equitable access to forest resources. ​By enabling predictable access to diverse types of fibre, and fostering innovation, BCTS will create the hosting conditions for a competitive, high valued sector that drives local sustainable economic development.”

In addition to its longstanding role of auctioning publicly owned timber and providing credible market pricing data, BCTS is now directed to play a stronger role in supporting:

These four cornerstones guide how BCTS carries out its work and reflect a shift toward a more balanced, partnership‑driven approach. The goal of BCTS continues to be providing credible data for the Market Pricing System while delivering forest stewardship that reflects public values, advances reconciliation, and supports community-responsive, economically resilient outcomes for British Columbia.

Spring 2026 legislative changes

To support this updated mandate, the Province has proposed legislative amendments to the Forest Act and the Forest and Range Practices Act.

If passed, these changes will give BCTS greater flexibility and new tools to:

• Deliver a broader range of activities beyond traditional harvest
• Manage timber sales over their full lifecycle
• Respond more quickly to emerging forest health and wildfire risks

The amendments are intended to enable BCTS to work differently than in the past, moving away from rigid approaches toward more flexible, partner-driver ways of working grounded in trust, clarity and shared outcomes. With a broader set of tools, BCTS can tailor how work is delivered to better reflect partner priorities, local conditions and shared values, creating new opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and stewardship focused outcomes that matter most to partners and communities. 

Actions Underway

BCTS has already begun implementing actions aligned with the review and expanded mandate, including:

• Using BCTS expertise to deliver stewardship‑focused projects such as wildfire risk reduction, dangerous tree removal, rangeland rehabilitation, partial harvests, and forest health treatments
• Expanding the use of commercial thinning to improve forest resilience and bring additional fibre to market
• Increasing the proportion of fibre dedicated to value‑added wood manufacturing, doubling it to 20% of BCTS timber sale licences
• Making it easier for smaller companies to participate in auctions, including the ability to bid collaboratively
• Actively managing forests over the long term by planting a broader mix of climate‑adapted and native tree species
• Better integrating wildfire risk considerations into planning, reforestation, and forest management decisions
• Advancing First Nations partnerships that support fair‑market returns for timber and reflect local priorities
• Improving the use of logging residuals, such as branches and tree tops, to support sectors like pulp and bio‑products

Looking ahead

Work is ongoing to implement the BCTS Review in a phased and deliberate way. Together, these changes strengthen BCTS’ ability to deliver public value by supporting healthy forests, safer communities, meaningful partnerships, and a more resilient forest sector for British Columbia.