B.C. Conservatives pledge to end stumpage fees, review fire management if elected [Video]

British Columbia Conservatives are promising changes they say will bring more stability to the province’s struggling forest industry.

Leader John Rustad announced his plan for the sector a week before the official launch of the provincial election campaign, saying a Conservative government would do away with stumpage fees paid when timber is harvested and instead put a tax on the final products that are produced.

Rustad said Saturday that under a provincial Conservative government, a small fee may be charged upfront, but the bulk would come at the end of the process, depending on what type of product is created.

He also promised to review how wildfires are managed, as well as streamline the permit process and review what he calls the province’s “uncompetitive cost structure.”

“British Columbia is by far the highest cost producers of any jurisdiction in North America. We need to be able to drive down those costs, …