The Silviculture Industry

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The Silviculture Industry

BC's silviculture industry is supported by key organizations, collaborating to implement innovative strategies and maintain a delicate balance between human needs and forest preservation.

Today, BC's silviculture industry serves as a model for forest management excellence. Through meticulous planning, responsible harvesting, and rigorous reforestation efforts, we meet global timber demands while safeguarding our natural heritage. These practices not only support our economy but also protect biodiversity, preserve wildlife habitats, and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Our Industry's History

British Columbia's

Key Silviculture Organizations

Guiding Principles

We learn from mistakes as well as successes. We look at what is going well to support creative problem-solving. We investigate and correct failures while amplifying success generated by industry innovators and leaders.

Our job is to build trust in order to change culture. To do this, we collaborate as peers when sharing ideas. We are bounded by mutual respect and a commitment to increase safety and well-being within the industry.

We do not compete on safety. This ethical tenet informs all the work we do. Working together as a whole industry to keep everyone safe is in everyone's best interest.

BC Forest Safety Program's Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC)

The SAC aims to support the health, safety and culture of employees and contractors within BC's Silviculture contracting sector. This goal is achieved through strategic objectives set out in the BC SAFE Forestry Program. The program is managed by the Western Forestry Contractors' Association (WFCA) and supported by the BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC). The SAC reports to the WFCA Board and the BCFSC. Decisions are made via consensus. While the SAC works to develop industry best practices and guidelines the group has no enforcement capabilities. The program’s outcomes are guided and monitored by SAC members, including volunteer silviculture workers and employers, government and industry clients, WorkSafeBC and the BCFSC representatives. As the membership suggests, collaboration among the group is the principal method used to achieve SAC’s purpose. The SAC has quietly led the way on important health and safety issues in the industry since the early 2000s. Issues such as Musculoskeletal Injury, resource road driver training, SAFE companies certifications, competency-based training, bullying and harassment, and many more have been addressed by the committee. The SAC develops annual work plans and brings those plans to the BCFSC for approval. The group works to anticipate, identify and respond to emerging issues related to silviculture workplace health, safety, and wellness and acts as a strategy forum for that agenda. The committee has at least three regular annual meetings, late winter, early spring and fall. There is an executive committee that meets once a month and monitors the program regularly. The SAC submits a work plan to the BCFSC annually and runs a daylong safety program at the WFCA's Annual Conference. The SAC’s primary vessel for education is the Forest Safety Advocate position, held by Jordan Tesluk. The Safety advocate engages with various stakeholders, employees and employers to understand health and safety issues, responds to questions, direct people towards resources, and generally advocate for industry best practices. Overall, the SAC commits to continuous improvement, ongoing self-review, self-correction, responsiveness, curiosity, and a willingness to consider practices and opinions outside the sector and beyond the status quo.

They provide regular communication and press releases about industry issues and events, including annual conferences and staging international conferences on wildfires.

They advocate for sound, appropriate regulations and standards (labour and contracting standards) and establishing values-based business practices.

They advocate for high professional standards such as professional compliance certificate development, review of professional reliance standards and input into the BC Timber Sales (BCTS) structure and policy framework.

The WFCA actively participates in the BC Forest Safety Council and advocates for implementing safety programming and training for the industry.

To learn more visit: https://wfca.ca/

Western Forestry Contractors Association (WFCA)

The WFCA is an association of contractors who provide all levels of pre and post-harvest planning and implementation services to the forest industry. They are based in British Columbia, Canada. The WFCA was established in 2017 through a merger of two organizations with long histories of supporting forestry contracting businesses in BC. Society of Consulting Foresters of BC (CFBC): Founded in 1968 as a division of the Association of BC Forest Professionals to raise the profile of forestry consultants, improve standards of work, and increase opportunities in contracting work with the government. Western Silvicultural Contractors’ Association (WSCA): The WSCA was formed in 1984. Before this time, contractors, workers, and worker-cooperatives were members of the Pacific Reforestation Workers Association (PRWA). After the WSCA branched off, the PRWA continued until its dissolution a few years later. Since its inception, the WSCA has been key in advocating for effective forestry stewardship and a regulatory environment that aligns with industry realities and member interests. The WSCA was a founding member of the BC Forest Safety Council, developing leading safety programs for the sector through the Safe Silviculture Project, and was directly involved in developing increased protection for silviculture worker wages under Section 37.9 of the Employment Standards Regulation. The merger of the two organizations into the WFCA created one unified system, a more comprehensive voice for the members, and brought more resources and long-term stability. The WFCA’s mission is to promote and support sustainable forestry practices, ensure a safe and healthy work environment, and provide advocacy and representation for the industry. They partner with government, industry, licensees, regulatory agencies, and community stakeholders. Membership with the WFCA provides health and safety information and resources, industry news and updates, and an annual conference. The WFCA represents over 200 members involved in forest management, including logging and reforestation. It is funded through membership and governed by a board. Members are expected to comply with the WFCA’s respectful code of conduct. The WFCA funds various initiatives, including contributing to the Silviculture Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC), holding contractor meetings, addressing emerging issues (i.e. Covid), conducting labour market research and holding an annual conference. The WFCA does not have any enforcement capacity.

They take a knowledge-based approach to safety, composed of three elements:

Collaborate

Assess what is causing injury, incidents and other feedback.

Conduct Research

Gather info through assessments, develop industry best practices, training and safety management systems.

Work With Stakeholders

Advance consistent application of safety solutions through education, advocacy, and sharing of health & safety information.

To learn more visit: https://www.bcforestsafe.org/

BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC)

The BC Forest Safety Council, a non-profit organization, was created in 2004 due to findings from the provincial government’s Forest Safety Task Force. The task force's mandate was to find ways to reduce the high levels of injuries and fatalities in the forest sector. Task force members included representatives of forestry companies, unions, independent contractors, associations, and WorkSafeBC. Task Force key outcomes: Industry’s adoption in 2004 of the Health and Safety Accord for the BC Forestry Industry & Creation of the BC Forest Safety Council The Council comprises industry leaders, workers, and government representatives who work together to promote and develop best practices for safety in the industry. They provide training and certification programs, establish safety guidelines, conduct research to identify and address safety issues and administer the BC SAFE Companies Program. This program helps companies to achieve SAFE certification by establishing health and safety programs consistent with regulations and best safety practices. The harvesting, hauling, and silviculture sectors decided in 2004 to fund the BCFSC through a special assessment collected by WorkSafeBC. All companies that pay into the organization can apply to become members and nominate and vote for directors to serve on the board. The board meets four times yearly, with their annual general meeting in June. The BCFSC receives funding from the forest industry’s WorkSafeBC assessments, this is money paid to WorkSafeBC by forestry companies for being part of the province’s workers' and employers' insurance system. Each company owes WorkSafeBC dues based on wages paid to its workers. Another source of revenue is cost-recovery fees, such as course dues. The BCFSC works at the direction of the industry to develop, implement and continually improve initiatives that will secure enhanced safety performance. Groups like the Strategic Silviculture Advisory Committee are considered industry subject matter experts. The BCFSC believes injury prevention is most effective when the industry leads change. Although employers must maintain acceptable safety performance standards to maintain their SAFE Certification and are subject to quality assurance reviews by the BCFSC and verification audits directed by WorkSafeBC, the BCFSC does not maintain or possess a mandate to conduct enforcement around specific issues or events.

WorkSafe

Services include education, prevention, and support for injured workers and no-fault insurance to protect workers and employers.

To learn more visit:

https://www.worksafebc.com/en

WorkSafeBC (WSBC)

WorkSafeBC is an independent agency that operates under the authority of the British Columbia Workers Compensation Act. They are responsible for overseeing the workers’ compensation system in BC. They aim to promote workplace health and safety and enforce occupational health and safety regulations. They assist injured workers and their families and support employers in improving workplace safety practices. WSBC was established in 1917 as the Workers’ Compensation Board of BC and was renamed WorkSafeBC in 2002. They are governed by a Board of Directors, with representatives from both workers and employers. Their influence extends to all sectors of the economy as they are responsible for ensuring that employers meet their obligations to provide a safe and healthy workplace for their employees. They have the authority to issue penalties and fines to employers who are found to violate health and safety regulations. Employers in BC are legally required to register with WorkSafeBC and pay premiums based on their industry classification, payroll size, and claims history. The premiums are used to fund compensation and support provided to injured workers and the prevention activities and services provided. WSBC collaborates with employers to prevent injury and illness and help comply with occupational Health & Safety regulations and the Workers Compensation Act. Where needed, they provide compensation, support in recovery, rehabilitation and safe return to work. WSBC also is heavily mandated to include education around health and safety. They work with companies to move towards compliance and understanding of Occupational Health & Safety Codes, Regulations and Guidelines through call centers and officers. WSBC can enforce. WorkSafe will respond primarily in a complaint-based manner. However, they conduct regular inspections of worksites to ensure compliance and best practice.

Advocacy

The PRWA played a significant role in raising awareness about the importance of reforestation work. Their advocacy led to changes in legislation and policy that improved working conditions and wages for workers.

Pacific Reforestation Workers Association (PRWA)

The PRWA was founded in the 1970s. They were a non-profit organization representing tree planters and other reforestation workers on the Pacific Coast in Canada.

Their mission was to improve working conditions and fair wages for forestry workers. The PRWA originally comprised silviculture workers, worker-cooperatives, and contractors and advocated for these groups within the government landscape.

They emphasized the grassroots expertise and experience in silviculture fieldwork that the association members could offer the government and industry. They made suggestions for Forest Service contracts and labour laws.