Our History
the Background
In 2019, the Government of British Columbia launched an independent, two-person panel as part of an Old Growth Strategic Review. The purpose of the review was to have a public discussion about old-growth management and how multiple values, such as economic, environmental and cultural, could be managed.
The resultant Old Growth Strategic Review recommendations report was released in April 2020, with 14 recommendations on how a new approach to old-growth management for BC. The report identified innovative silvicultural practices as tools to help address forest resiliency, ecosystem health and climate change adaptation. Recommendation #12 calls on the exploration of ways to use innovative silvicultural practices as tools to manage a diverse range of values and interests on the landscape.
In March 2023, the Government of BC announced an investment of $10 million in establishing and advancing a silvicultural innovation program in BC. This investment directly responded to Recommendation #12 of the Old Growth Strategic Review to create a Silviculture Innovation Program (SIP) aimed at developing harvesting alternatives to clearcutting that maintain old forest values. The funds are awarded to the BVRC to carry out and implement the Silviculture Innovation Program.
Our Structure
The Silviculture Innovation Program is administered by the Bulkley Valley Research Centre (BVRC). The BVRC is a not-for-profit organization in Smithers, BC, located on Gidimt’en Territory of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation. The BVRC is responsible for designing and implementing the SIP. The SIP is managed by an Operations Team, consisting of two provincial staff and two BVRC staff. They are supported by a Program Team that carries out SIP initiatives. A ten-person Strategic Advisory Group, with representatives from diverse disciplines across BC, provides strategic advice and guidance to the program.
