ForestWorks

This week, ForestWorks hosts Russ Taylor, a wood business and market consultant who’s been in the business 45 years. We talk markets, investment, renewable forest products in a circular economy, and the impacts of BC’s forest policy on the industry going forward.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative President and CEO Kathy Abusow joins us on ForestWorks this week. In her role since 2007, she has led the organization’s independent certification of sustainable forestry practices and expansion into conservation projects, education, and community building.

This week, former BC NDP Premier Mike Harcourt and UBC forestry professor and researcher John Innes join us on ForestWorks. Listen in for a conversation about provincial forest policy, the science is sustainable forest management, and how BC’s approach stacks up in the global context.

This week on ForestWorks we speak with two local politicians elected to serve the interests of very different communities – Port McNeill and the City of Vancouver. Both, however, are forest towns with deep ties to the industry. And both our guests have concerns about where BC is headed. Join us for the conversation.

On this week’s show was speak with Tamara Meggitt, member of a forestry family in Courtenay who has emerged as a grassroots organizer for pro-forestry rallies, events, and dialogue in BC. She had to cancel a rally planned for the legislature recently, so we thought it would be good to hear her message on another channel.

On this week’s episode of ForestWorks we speak with Dallas Smith, the founder, president and CEO of the Nanwakolas Council. The Council is an organization of five Vancouver Island First Nations with the mission of protecting and managing cultural values while building opportunity and partnership with government and industry. It recently announced an agreement with Western Forest Products.

Nanaimo Mayor and long-time NDP MLA Leonard Krog joins us once again on ForestWorks. In this episode we examine the current provincial government’s new forest policy, and the impact it will have on forest towns like Nanaimo.

John Rustad relates his personal story in forestry first as a working professional and later as BC’s minister responsible for the portfolio.

Gary Bull is a forestry scientist and researcher at UBC - one of the world's top forest specialists with a long history of working at the global scale through the UN, WWF, World Bank, and more. Join us for this episode as we speak to Gary about the true story of old-growth in BC and how the industry is adapting to climate change and other challenges.

ForestWorks sat down with Robert Dennis, elected Chief Councillor for the Huu-ay-aht First Nation from the west coast of Vancouver Island. He has served his nation for decades and recently helped lead a significant investment in a forestry business in Huu-ay-aht .

The United Steelworkers Union has played a key role in BC forestry, representing thousands of workers across the industry. This week, we are joined by local union leaders Jeff Bromley and Brian Butler.

In this edition of ForestWorks host, Stewart Muir sits down with veteran Registered Professional Forester Murray Wilson to speak about the role historical forest management is playing in worsening forest fire seasons and the changes that could help. In recent years BC’s forest fires have pushed more carbon into the atmosphere than all other sources in the province combined, so it’s an important challenge.

Charlie Rensby is a Village of Burns Lake Councillor and has worked with Stand UP BC Forestry to organize rallies in support of responsible forestry in the province. Join us this week as we talk about advocating for the interior forestry sector. 

This week ForestWorks is joined by David Elstone - forester; past executive director of the Truck Loggers; and editor of View from the Stump, a monthly newsletter providing a grassroots perspective on forestry in BC.