British Columbia's environmental forestry policy record in perspective

Abstract

Some environmental groups and US forest companies, each for their own reasons, have criticized forest policy in British Columbia as lax, and the US Congress and media have taken up the call for stricter regulations in Canada. A comparison of BC forest policy with the policies of the USDA Forest Service and six major softwood-harvesting states reveals that British Columbia has more stringent regulations than has been supposed. Focusing on clearcutting, riparian zone management, and protected areas, we find that BC policy in spring 2001 was generally comparable to that of Washington State and Oregon; only the Forest Service had stricter rules. State practices in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia were less stringent.