A study done by the B-C Council of Forest Industries projects job losses in the forest sector this year as the industry heads into a period of transition.

The economic-impact study says the long-term outlook is strong for the full range of renewable forest products that B-C is capable of producing, but it says there's a need to stabilize the fibre supply for a predictable path forward.

COFI vice-president Kurt Niquidet says the industry has been challenged by rapidly changing market conditions, fires and insect infestations and the impact of new public policies.

It says timber harvesting on Crown land has declined by about 30 per cent since 2021, and the industry faces a shortage of timber for B-C mills.

Source: the Canadian Press