The City of Prince George has embarked on an ambitious survey. We’ve always known forestry is a big economic driver in this community, but how much so? “Forestry really is what Prince George was built on and we want to be able to measure the impact that it consistently has in the city,” explains Melissa Barcellos, the Prince George’s Economic Development Officer. Prince George will survey several sectors: primary and secondary manufacturers, fibre supply companies, and silviculture companies. The goal is to, one, get a clear picture of the direct and indirect impacts of forestry and, two, attract more manufacturing companies to Prince George. “SPF lumber is the majority of what’s coming out of Prince George and its going to other places, where it’s then re-manufactured, creating value-added jobs and new businesses in other cities.”