Public Involvement
An Important Resource for All
West Fraser practices sustainable forest management on public lands in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. We recognize that, in addition to aligning with provincial legislation, sustainable forestry management must also reflect community priorities and local knowledge gathered through regular public engagement.
Our Approach
West Fraser engages with Indigenous Nations and fosters meaningful relationships while also seeking input from communities, stakeholder groups and the public to develop comprehensive, sustainable forest management plans. That’s why we host open houses, participate in regional planning activities and contribute to ongoing regional advisory committee work.
Our promise is to build value by supporting both a healthy environment and economy. Communities near our operations provide input on planned activities in the forests where they live, work and play. These conversations are an integral part of our forest management planning process.
To maintain our license to harvest, West Fraser submits detailed forest management plans for government approval. They must be approved before any work can begin. These plans include details on harvesting as well as management of other values (such as scenic points, cultural sites, roads and habitat management) and reforestation activities.
Learn more about opportunities for public involvement in Alberta and British Columbia by reading our materials for each of the areas where we have forest licenses or by contacting us.
The provinces of Ontario and Quebec directly manage public involvement activities in the areas where West Fraser has tenure.
The Government of Alberta allocates timber production on public lands through Timber Permits, Timber Quotas and Forest Management Agreements (FMAs).
An FMA is a 20-year renewable, area-based form of forest tenure.
In British Columbia, timber harvesting on public land takes place in each of the province’s 37 timber supply areas (volume-based tenure) and 34 tree farm licences (area-based tenure).
West Fraser operates in a number of timber supply areas and tree farm licences. We complete planning documents as specified under the Forest Act and the Forest and Range Practices Act, and make them available for public review and input.