Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
Effective immediately, the allowable annual cut for Tree Farm Licence 35 will be 125,000 cubic metres, chief forester Jim Snetsinger announced last week.
The new allowable annual cut (AAC) is lower than the previous cut of 325,600 cubic metres, set in 2004 to enable the salvaging of trees affected by mountain pine beetles and the 2003 McLure wildfire.
The new AAC is focused on spruce and pine beetle impacted stands that are comprised of more than 50 per cent spruce or pine.
Tree Farm Licence 35 (also known as the Jamieson Creek TFL) covers 36,557 hectares about 28 kilometres north of Kamloops along the Highway 5 corridor, near the communities of McLure, Louis Creek, Black Pines and Vinsulla. The logging rights are held by West Fraser Mills.
“The harvest level has been reduced to a level consistent with the mid-term timber supply for TFL 35. The new allowable annual cut is sustainable and accounts for a range of important values, including biodiversity and wildlife, and socio-economic considerations,” said Snetsinger.
The chief forester’s 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 goals.
Under the timber supply review, the chief forester or deputy chief forester must determine how much wood can be harvested in each of the province’s 38 timber supply areas and 34 tree farm licences at least once every 10 years.
A new allowable annual cut may be determined earlier in response to abnormal situations, or postponed for up to five years if an allowable annual cut level is not expected to change significantly.