The BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) is:

A network of rural community based organisations engaged in community forest management, and those seeking to establish new community forests.

– BCCFA (2014)

Although the concept of community forestry has been around since 1945, there were only a handful of community forests operating in BC until the turn of the century. The BCCFA was formed in 2002 and the number of Community Forest Agreements began to rise. By 2008, 52 community forests were involved in the Community Forest Agreement (CFA) Program. This number is steadily growing as more communities support the approach for local-control over forest resources and the management of forest ecosystems. Collectively, community forests represent ~2% of the provincial annual harvest.

Each year a Community Forest Indicators Report is made publicly available. These reports provide a peak into the operations of BC’s Community Forests and includes an annual survey which attempts to measure the benefits that community forests generate. Currently there are eighteen indicators which help provide tangible, quantitative information on economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits. Find the past and current annual reports here.

For more information about Community Forests in BC, check out:

Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations: Community Forest Agreements

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