Sustainable Forestry Practices

The fact that most of BC’s forests are publicly owned means that resource management planning is done at a community level, with public input informing regulation to ensure our forests remain vibrant and alive. To begin operations, a company must first become certified and compliance to that certification is assessed by a third party audit process. Those who are licensed to harvest need to prepare stewardship plans showing how harvesting will be done in a way that respects the land and wildlife. Companies must always consult the public and First Nations before extracting logs. Also, to ensure that forests recover from harvesting, the government dictates that those logging are responsible for the area affected until the eco system is on its way to a full recovery. Annually, around 200 million new trees are planted.

British Columbia puts a special focus on protecting certain areas deemed necessary for the health of water and wildlife. Since 1991, areas for wildlife protection have tripled in size and now amount to about 14% of our total forest area. To protect our water, watersheds and wetlands are also designated for protection. Furthermore, research and education targeted to improving practices is undertaken. Finally, an evaluation process continually gauges the efficacy these efforts.

Further demonstrating a resolve to sustainably harvest our forests, in 2010 the Province of British Columbia introduced the Zero Net Deforestation Act, which states that the effects of deforestation must always be offset by planting efforts.

Sustainable extraction and use of forest resources is valuable for our planet and the economy. At Lake Country Log Homes, we are proud to design and create custom homes within the context of British Columbia’s sustainable forestry practices.