Canadian Coastal Forest Sector Faces Deepening Crisis, Coalition Warns
The Coastal Forest Policy Coalition is sounding the alarm over what it describes as a structural crisis in British Columbia’s coastal forest sector, citing mill closures, job losses, and a chronic lack of economically viable fibre supply driven largely by policy constraints.
Coastal harvesting volumes have fallen sharply over the past decade. In 2025, the Coast is expected to harvest 6.5 million cubic metres of timber, less than half of the 15 million cubic metres considered the sustainable allowable annual cut.
The Coalition says the shortfall reflects a permitting system that has become increasingly complex and time-consuming. Permit submissions have dropped 93%, from roughly 2,300 per year in 2016 to just 167 by mid-2025. At the same time, permit preparation timelines have stretched from about 90 days historically to 300 days today.
As a result, coastal harvesting has declined by 50% over the past ten years, contributing to the closure of nine mills since 2018 and the loss of 5,400 jobs since 2022.