Coastal Forestry Concerns Highlighted In Open Letter From Campbell River Mayor

Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl is calling on the province to step up and address what he calls a full-blown crisis in coastal forestry.

In an open letter to Premier David Eby, Dahl says communities like Campbell River are running out of time and patience as the forest industry continues to shrink due to what he calls “policy paralysis and regulatory misfires.”

According to the letter, harvest volumes on the coast have dropped more than 40 percent since 2019.

Dahl says more than 5,400 direct jobs have been lost since 2022, and communities like Campbell River are feeling the hit - not just through job losses, but through the loss of major tax revenues.

Mayor Dahl points to a big gap between the government's own commitment to a 45-million cubic metre annual harvest target and what’s actually budgeted for this year, just 32 million cubic metres.

That, he says, could mean $275 million in lost revenue for services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

He also takes aim at the time it takes to get harvest approvals in B.C., calling it a "made-in-B.C. problem" and not something that can be blamed on U.S. tariffs or other outside forces.

Dahl’s letter warns the entire coastal forestry sector is on the brink, with just one more mill closure potentially being enough to bring it all down.

He is asking for a pause in new restrictions until current reviews are done, faster approval timelines, and rules that take into account the coast’s unique geography.

The letter ends by urging the Premier to act before more mills shut down and more communities lose what’s left of their economic foundation.

To view the open letter, visit City of Campbell River.