Bob Williams has spent most of his life involved in forest management in BC, including as the province’s forests minister in the early 1970s. Williams argues that regionally based forestry with co-management by local communities and First Nations would best serve BC’s public forests and the communities that depend upon them for economic benefits and jobs. The first half of the paper documents the decline of forestry in BC while the second half outlines a more hopeful alternative model. The report outlines how, if implemented well, a system of regional forest co-management with First Nations could:

– maintain or enhance environmental health and sustainability.
– provide for public involvement at the local level in planning, claims, management and stewardship.
– provide fulfilling jobs with a living wage.
– create economic growth and improve equity and fairness throughout the province.