BACKGROUND - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 730

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ECONOMY
British Columbia's economy has always relied on resource-based activities. The first indi-
genous people hunted the region's abundant wildlife and fished in its trout- and salmon-
filled rivers. Then Europeans arrived on the scene, reaping a bounty by cutting down forests
for timber and slaughtering the wildlife for its fur. Luckily, the province is blessed with a
wealth of natural resources. In addition to timber and wildlife, British Columbia holds rich
reserves of minerals, petroleum, natural gas, and coal, and water for hydroelectric power is
plentiful.
Forestry
Almost two-thirds of British Columbia—some 60 million hectares (148 million acres)—is
forested, primarily in coniferous softwood (fir, hemlock, spruce, and pine). These forests
provide about half the country's marketable wood and about 25 percent of the North Amer-
ican inventory. On Vancouver Island, the hemlock species is dominant. Douglas fir, balsam,
and western red cedar are other valuable commercial trees in the region. The provincial
government owns 94 percent of the forestland, private companies own 5 percent, and the
national government owns the remaining 1 percent. Private companies log much of the pro-
vincially owned forest under license from the government. Around 75 million cubic meters
of lumber are harvested annually, directly employing 85,000 workers. The forestry industry
generates $10 billion annually in exports, more than all other industries combined.