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Premier Eby’s Visit to the Wetzin’kwa Community Forest
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
During his tour of Northern British Columbia, visiting communities along Highway 16 from Prince Rupert to Smithers, Premier David Eby paid a special visit to the Wetzin’kwa Community Forest (WCF). This rare opportunity to connect with the provincial government face-to-face brought together representatives from Smithers and the Village of Telkwa, First Nations including Cassyex House and the Office of Wet'suwet'en, local woodlots, the Pacific Inland Resources (PIR) mill, surrounding community forests, and other community members, providing a platform to share the work being done through the community forest model in the Bulkley Valley.
To kick off the day, Premier Eby toured the WCF, ten minutes outside of Smithers, visiting a lookout point with a stunning view of the town, the PIR mill, and Babine Mountains Provincial Park. There, the Premier was welcomed to the Yintah (“territory” in Wet'suwet'en) by Hereditary Chief Woos, who presented him with a locally trapped and prepared lynx hide, along with an accompanying story.
Following the tour, a roundtable discussion gave representatives the opportunity to share success stories and feedback and ask questions. The Premier expressed strong support for the community forest model and acknowledged its importance to the Bulkley Valley. He also agreed with Smithers, Telkwa, and PIR that expanding the WCF could be a benefit the community, and shared plans to pass the proposition along to the Minister of Forests.
Another key discussion point was the necessity of keeping the PIR mill in operation. Sam Coggins, RPF, PHD, and General Manager of the WCF, shared, “There is some uncertainty at the moment because mills across the North have been shutting down over the past five years. We need Pacific Inland Resources to remain open, or there will be nowhere else that would be economically feasible to send our wood.”
Woodlots and community forests also discussed the benefits of a small tenure, including alternative methods of harvesting to clear-cutting and enhanced stewardship involving cultural burns, huckleberry planting, and signage reflecting local First Nations values. Coggins noted that this work ties into reconciliation efforts, an essential community value of the WCF.
Another important benefit highlighted was the support the community forest provides to surrounding communities, both financial and non-financial. Now in its 20th year of operation, WCF has provided meaningful funding to local non-profits through its grant program, and donations are also made to initiatives including the local food bank and student bursaries, along with annual contributions to WCF’s shareholders, the Town of Smithers, the Village of Telkwa, and its partner, the Office of Wet’suwet’en.
Additionally, over the past year, the WCF has worked on several projects with financial support accessed through the Forest Enhancement Society of BC. Representatives shared these successes with the Premier, which included air curtain burning – a controlled method for disposing of clean wood and harvest debris - implemented with this funding, allowing for significant progress in wildfire risk reduction.
While these programs provide significant benefits throughout the Bulkley Valley, Coggins explained that increasing costs in all aspects of forest management make it more difficult to maintain them. As community forests and woodlots are asked to account for an increasing number of values when harvesting timber, accessing fibre is becoming more challenging and costly.
“We’re operating at increased costs, and further increases will have a big impact on our ability to provide these benefits,” said Coggins.
In response, Premier Eby discussed work being done by the Ministry to address overlapping forest management values and improve timely access to fibre, including opportunities to streamline cutting permits for community forests operating on a block-by-block basis.
For Coggins, having these conversations directly with the Premier was particularly valuable at a time when the forestry industry throughout Northern B.C. continues to face uncertainty. Several longtime Smithers residents noted the significance of having the Premier visit the community, providing local representatives with a rare opportunity to share both the challenges they face and the successes of the community forest model.
Going forward, WCF hopes the visit demonstrated the importance of community forests on a provincial level, and the role they can play in supporting communities while helping maintain a strong local forest economy. Coggins is also working with the BC Community Forest Association on a follow-up letter to the Premier in hopes of continuing the conversation.
“There are a lot of positives coming out of community forests in general,” said Coggins. “I believe the future for forestry in B.C. lies in area-based tenure, and community forests are leading the way in maintaining the local forest economy.”
