The Federation called for the moratorium after releasing a report demonstrating a 1,000% growth in BC log exports between 1996 and 2005.
Federation president Jim Sinclair said some 3,300 jobs in the province’s forest industry were lost to log exports during 2005 alone, while 27 mills and 13,000 jobs went between 1997 and 2004.
Mr Sinclair dismissed suggestions that the export growth was due to the pine beetle crisis, pointing out that most exported logs were higher value Douglas fir, hemlock and cedar.
He said demand for a moratorium was now expanding across the province, with forest unions appealing to city councils to take the issue to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.
