File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds)

By James Peters

Community Forest

Could Kamloops be the next B.C. city to have its own community forest?

Jun 18, 2025 | 5:38 PM

KAMLOOPS — Logan Lake officials credited the management of its community forest as one of the reasons the district was able to fend off the massive Tremont Creek wildfire in 2021.

Now, a city councillor is pitching the idea of a community forest for Kamloops.

Chairing the Livability and Sustainability Select Committee Wednesday (June 18), Councillor Stephen Karpuk pitched the idea of signing a community forest agreement with the province, which would gather a parcel of Crown land under the city’s control.

“It does give more local control to local communities,” said Karpuk. “We can apply our — and I say our being the local First Nations and ourselves, should that work out — an opportunity to put our values on that landscape. I think that’s really an important factor that’s lost when you have a provincial body that you’re always trying to advocate to give us a piece.”

A community forest does not have to lie directly adjacent to its community. Karpuk noted Barriere’s community forest is closer to Sun Peaks.

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Furthermore, the woods can be managed in a variety of ways. The councillor noted Logan Lake has both thinned its forest with FireSmart strategies and built hundreds of kilometres of mountain biking trails.

For Kamloops, a community forest might be used to benefit the local industry.

“We still have some industrial base — that being Tolko, River City (Fibre) and Kruger paper,” said Karpuk. “We also have some smaller businesses that operate within the city doing veneer and specialty wood products. I think there’s, going forward this, an opportunity to maybe secure fibre for those businesses and maybe grow, as they have done in other communities.”

Expanding community forests has been included in Forests Minister Ravi Parmar’s mandate from Premier David Eby.

After Wednesday’s discussion, City of Kamloops staff will prepare a brief report to bring to the entire council for further debate.