New Film Showcases Sunshine Coast Community Forest’s Long-Term Vision for Land, Water, and Community

Sechelt, B.C. – The Sunshine Coast Community Forest (SCCF) is featured in a new film as part of a province-wide project led by the BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA), showcasing the work and impact of community forests across British Columbia. The film highlights how the SCCF is taking a long-term, community-driven approach to forest management, one that balances ecological health, community priorities, and sustainable economic activity.

“The Sunshine Coast Community Forest manages its tenure with a focus on accountability to the community and responsibility to the land,” shared Warren Hansen, Operations Manager of the SCCF. “We are excited to share this film with our community and beyond, to help increase awareness of the role community forest like this one play in British Columbia.”

Over time, the community forest has evolved its approach, strengthening community engagement, building relationships with First Nations, and aligning its work with shared values specific to environmental stewardship and long-term sustainability.

“We're not looking at the balance sheet solely on a year-to-year basis, but for several generations into the future,” added Hansen. “We're planning for future old growth by setting aside 30 per cent of our forest for old growth recruitment where new trees are established and grow into what will become old growth forests, leaving more retention, and prioritizing riparian protection. In our community, water is of the foremost importance. We are thinking about what this forest will be for our children’s children.”

Photo caption: An image from the Sunshine Coast Community Forest video, filmed by Olam Films

The film features on-the-ground examples of forest management practices that reflect this long-term vision. This includes partial harvesting techniques that maintain the forest canopy or the top area of the forest, protect ecosystem function, and reduce environmental impact while still supporting local economic activity.

In addition to its operational work, the SCCF places strong emphasis on community involvement in decision-making. Through advisory panels, local engagement with the community, and collaboration with partners, the community forest provides opportunities for residents to have a voice in how the land is managed.

“The Sunshine Coast Community Forest is accountable to the community and to the land itself,” said Kathleen Suddes, Chair of the SCCF Board of Directors. “What we’re working toward is a long-term vision, one where future generations can walk through these forests and know that the right decisions were made.”

The film also highlights the broader role community forests play in supporting local priorities including ecosystem health, recreation, and community resilience to wildfire and climate change. By reinvesting benefits back into the region and taking a values-based approach to forestry, community forestry reflects a growing shift toward more locally driven forest management across the province.

“Community forests are about local people making decisions for the places they live in. The Sunshine Coast Community Forest shows how that approach can lead to thoughtful, long-term care of the land and tangible benefits for the community,” said Jennifer Gunter, Executive Director, BCCFA.

The Sunshine Coast Community Forest film is now available to view online as part of the BCCFA’s community forest film series. Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/hYp14QtwR-0

About the SCCF

The Sunshine Coast Community Forest (SCCF) is committed to being a leader in ecosystem-based management, and to steward their tenure in a sustainable, respectful manner that advances all their communities. The SCCF provides an opportunity for community-led management of local forest according to the values and needs in the community. This includes sustainable timber harvesting, recreation, biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, education, foraging and cultural use, and employment opportunities. The proceeds from timber sales go back into the community in a variety of ways including community donations and sponsorships, enhancing recreational opportunities by funding trail building, and habitat restoration. For more information on the SCCF, visit www.sccf.ca/ or follow the SCCF: Facebook | Instagram

About the BCCFA

The BCCFA is the collective voice of more than 100 rural and Indigenous communities across British Columbia dedicated to sustainable, locally driven forest management. As a grassroots, member-driven, non-profit society, the BCCFA promotes and supports community forestry as a strategy for ecosystem resilience, local economic development, and long-term land stewardship. Through advocacy, education, and technical support, the BCCFA helps communities exercise meaningful local decision-making over forests, create forest-based jobs, respect Indigenous rights and cultural values, and foster healthy rural economies and resilient ecosystems. For more information on the BCCFA and community forests in British Columbia, visit www.bccfa.ca or follow the BCCFA: Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | Blue Sky | YouTube

To book an interview with BCCFA, contact

Valeria Molina, Communications Liaison | valeria@amplifyinc.ca | 250.879.3006

To book an interview with SCCF, contact

Sara Zieleman, Executive Director | sara@sccf.ca