Government of British Columbia — Effective immediately, British Columbia’s chief forester, Diane Nicholls, has set new allowable annual cut (AAC) levels for the Timber Supply Area (TSA) 25 and Tree Farm Licences (TFLs) 58 and 60 on Haida Gwaii.
The new AAC for the TSA is 398,000 cubic metres. The new AACs for TFL 58 and TFL 60 are 99,000 cubic metres and 279,000 cubic metres, respectively. The AACs account for the increased preservation of goshawk habitat and include AAC partitions for cedar, which will ensure cedar harvest rates align with requirements for the protection of cedar for Indigenous cultural use.
These new cut levels align the available timber supply resulting from the implementation of the Haida Gwaii Land Use Objectives Order, which ensures requirements for ecosystem-based management are met.
These decisions follow from the Haida Gwaii Management Council AAC determination for the Haida Gwaii Management Area announced in May 2020. The previous AACs for the management units on Haida Gwaii were set in 2012.
The Haida Gwaii Management Area consists of more than 150 islands in the archipelago, of which about half are in protected areas. The timber harvesting land base accounts for about 15% of the area.
The chief forester’s AAC 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 Forest Act, the chief forester must determine the AAC in each of the province’s 37 timber supply areas and 34 tree farm licences at least once every 10 years.