Facts about British Columbia's Forest

Did you know the province of British Columbia has roughly the same amount of forested land as it did before European settlement? Only 2% of its land has been converted to other uses such as farming, ranching and urban development. When public lands are logged, they are returned to their natural forest state.

Pioneer Log Homes of British Columbia is an advocate of using wood purchased from sustainable forests.

Did you know that BC forests cover 149 million acres, an area bigger than the country of France? The forest industry is an enormous part of the provincial economy, yet only a fraction (1/3 of 1%) of BC forests are logged each year. About 200 million seedlings are planted in British Columbia annually. Forest companies must reforest sites they have logged and remain responsible for the harvested area until there is assurance it will grow into a healthy forest. Of the 149 million total acres of British Columbia’s forests, 134 million acres (90%) were certified sustainable in 2008. One must realize that a mere ten percent of the entire world’s forests are actually certified.

The Pioneer Group will be planting a total of 588,000 trees this spring 2010. We are planting a mix of Pine, Spruce, Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar. We have collected enough seed for approximately 1.77 million seedlings in Williams Lake and 2.33 million seedlings in Quesnel. The Pioneer Group will be responsible for planting between 500,000 to 800,000 seedlings per year. Pioneer Log Homes of British Columbia is a responsible stake holder.

The British Columbia Forest Practices Code Act is a world leading model of forest management regulation that has long been advocated by policy experts. It legislates on the ground results rather than the process. It is built on a foundation of professional skills and accountability. Approximately 95% of BC forests are publically owned so users or licensees are responsible for the soil, timber, wildlife, water, fish, biodiversity and cultural heritage resources. In addition the user is responsible for reforestation, protection of riparian areas, fish and fish habitats, and deactivation of forest roads. An independent academic study found that BC has some of the most stringent practices in the world.

The Pioneer Group is committed to all the stakeholders of BC’s forest. The health of the forests means, healthy families, healthy companies, healthy communities, healthy provinces and a healthy country. This is the mentality of nearly 40 years in family business.

For more information on BC Forest Facts click here.