Features Forestry Management Harvesting
New allowable cut set for Western Forest Products

July 27, 2018 - Effective July 25, 2018, the allowable annual cut for Western Forest Products’ Tree Farm Licence 37 is 847,000 cubic metres.

This new cut level includes a partition, so that no more than 770,200 cubic metres per year can be harvested from areas suitable for ground-based harvesting systems.

“After reviewing all of the factors involved, consulting with First Nations and considering information provided by the licensee, I am satisfied that the new allowable annual cut reflects government’s objectives for all forest resources within Tree Farm Licence 37, and will sustain the timber supply over the next 10 years,” said Shane Berg, deputy chief forester.

The cut level is about a five per cent reduction from the previous allowable annual cut of 889,415 cubic metres set in 2009, when 18,351 hectares were removed from Tree Farm Licence 37 to form a portion of the Pacific Timber Supply Area.

The reduction is consistent with a previously projected decline in the harvest level. It will ensure there is no disruption in the timber supply over the next decade, as harvesting in the tree farm licence gradually transitions from old-growth to second-growth timber.

Located in the Nimpkish Valley on the northern half of Vancouver Island, Tree Farm Licence 37 covers nearly 160,000 hectares, with approximately 86,000 hectares available for timber harvesting. It includes the communities of Port McNeill, Sayward and Woss.

The new allowable annual cut takes into consideration biodiversity, old-growth forest management and wildlife habitat protection, as well as social, cultural heritage and economic factors in the region.

The dominant tree species are western hemlock, mountain hemlock, western red cedar, balsam, Douglas fir and yellow cedar.

The deputy chief forester’s allowable annual cut determination is an independent, professional judgment based on information ranging from technical forestry reports, First Nations and public input to the government’s social and economic objectives.

Under the Forest Act, the chief forester must determine the allowable annual cut in each of the province’s 37 timber supply areas and 34 tree farm licences at least once every 10 years.

July 27, 2018  By Government of British Columbia