Public invited to comment on North Island Timber Supply Area
The public is invited to get involved in the timber supply review for the North Island Timber Supply Area (TSA) by submitting comments before Feb. 20, 2023.
Under the Forest Act, to ensure that B.C.’s forests are managed sustainably, the chief forester must determine the allowable annual cut (AAC) in each of the province’s 37 TSAs and 33 tree farm licences at least once every 10 years. The public is invited to provide comment on this update to the management of B.C.’s forests.
As part of this public review, a discussion paper has been released that provides the results of the timber supply analysis. It also describes the geography, natural resources and current forest-management practices in the North Island TSA, all of which will be used by the chief forester in a future AAC determination.
Before setting the new AAC, the chief forester will consider input and feedback from Indigenous Peoples and the public on the discussion paper. This is the first timber supply review for the North Island TSA since its creation in 2017.
This review will also be used to continue government support for putting First Nations front and centre in the development of modernized forest policy and furthering the Province’s stated goal of getting more value for its forests.
The North Island TSA covers approximately 1.7 million hectares on northern Vancouver Island. The current AAC for the North Island TSA is almost 1.25 million cubic metres. The TSA includes the territories of a number of First Nations, all of which have been invited to provide input on this timber supply review for consideration in setting the AAC for the area.
The regional service centre in the TSA is Campbell River. Several other communities are included in the TSA, including Courtenay, Comox, Gold River, Port McNeill and Port Hardy.
The chief forester’s AAC determination is an independent, professional judgment, based on information ranging from technical forestry reports, First Nations’ and public input, and the government’s social and economic goals.
Learn More:
To download a copy of the discussion paper, visit the following Ministry of Forests’ Forest Analysis and Inventory Branch webpage:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/managing-our-forest-resources/timber-supply-review-and-allowable-annual-cut/allowable-annual-cut-timber-supply-areas/north-island-tsa
Comments can be submitted through email to: [email protected]
or by phone: 250 286-9300