Input Invited On Kootenay Lake Timber Supply Review

September 3, 2009
Ministry of Forests and Range

VICTORIA – The Ministry of Forests and Range invites the public to comment on an updated timber supply analysis of the Kootenay Lake timber supply area.The results of the analysis are included in a discussion paper released today as part of a comprehensive timber supply review of the Kootenay Lake timber supply area. The chief forester will consider the analysis along with public input, consultation with First Nations and other technical reports when he determines a new allowable annual cut later this year.

The Kootenay Lake timber supply area currently has an allowable annual cut of 681,300 cubic metres. Since the previous timber supply review, government has issued two new community forest agreements and Government Actions Regulation Orders to protect critical caribou habitat. These changes have decreased the size of the area available for timber harvesting. As a consequence, the base case analysis indicates an initial harvest level of 645,000 cubic metres per year, which is about five percent lower than the current allowable annual cut (AAC).

The base case forecast is for discussion and comparative purposes and due to areas of uncertainty, the AAC determined by the chief forester may be different than this forecast.

Under the comprehensive timber supply review, the chief forester must determine how much wood can be harvested in each of the province’s 37 timber supply areas and 34 tree farm licences every five years. The chief forester’s allowable cut determination is an independent, professional judgment based on information ranging from technical forestry reports and public input, to the government’s social and economic goals. The timber supply review accounts for environmental concerns such as biodiversity, water quality, and scenic values, in addition to social and economic issues.

Comments on the timber supply analysis discussion paper will be received until Nov. 5, 2009. Copies of the discussion paper are available on the Ministry of Forests and Range website at www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts or from the Kootenay Lake Forest District office in Nelson.

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Contact:
Dale Anderson
Stewardship Officer
Kootenay Lake Forest District
250 825-1114

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