PLAN PROVIDES VISION FOR FURTHERING MANUFACTURING

Generating More Value from Our Forests offers a vision for further manufacturing in British Columbia and outlines targeted actions to support the development of value-added and next-generation forest products.

The Vision

By 2020, British Columbia’s environmentally sustainable forest sector will generate more economic value per hectare of forest land than any other jurisdiction on Earth.

Economic activity will be driven by expanded markets and more diversified, higher-value manufacturing capacity.

This will be achieved through innovation and broad partnerships among forest stakeholders, ranging from governments to First Nations to industries and workers; from small firms to global companies; from rural communities to large urban centres.

Targeted Actions

Champion Wood First:

· Stimulate the domestic market by promoting the structural use of wood for commercial, institutional and mid-rise residential buildings;

· Maximize the use of wood in publicly owned and provincially funded buildings;

· Encourage the use wood as a design element in new construction;

· Showcase new and innovative wood building products and techniques; and

· Position British Columbia as a leader in international markets.

Move Innovation from Lab to Market:

· Expand local manufacturing capacity and build technical expertise by piloting next generation products;

· Improve the flow of information between researchers, investors and manufacturers to promote commercial opportunities; and

· Provide hosting conditions that attract capital investment and encourage strategic alliances.

Facilitate “Right Fibre to the Right Process”:

· Pilot new fibre merchandizing and sorting methods to get manufacturers the dimensions, species and grades of fibre they need without being burdened by material they can’t use;

· Establish web-based mechanisms to streamline and facilitate the sale of fibre to manufacturers;

· Work towards a target where primary mills make 25 per cent of their products available for further manufacturing; and

· Work to increase the number and size of community forests, and encourage communities to direct some of their fibre to further manufacturing.

Promote Wood Education and Culture:

· Increase consumer awareness about the climate-friendly attributes of wood products;

· Build a more knowledge-based workforce by retraining existing workers and attracting youth through education programs; and

· Address the shortage of wood design and manufacturing programs.

-30-


Media contact:	Jennifer McLarty Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Forests and Range 250 387-4592

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.