Effective immediately, the new allowable annual cut for Tree Farm Licence 46 will be 403,000 cubic metres, chief forester Jim Snetsinger announced today.

The new allowable annual cut reflects the reduced area of the tree farm licence. Since the chief forester's last determination, land has been removed from the tree farm licence to the Pacific timber supply area and to form a woodlot.

While Tree Farm Licence 46 covers 63,419 hectares, only 45,333 hectares are available for logging. The tree farm licence is on southern Vancouver Island between Cowichan Lake, Nitinat Lake and Port Renfrew. The logging rights are held by Teal Cedar Products. The tree farm licence has been logged before and is comprised mainly of second-growth hemlock.

Quote:

Jim Snetsinger, chief forester -

"Tree Farm Licence 46 has seen several changes and land removals since 2003. Due to decreases in total area and timber supply, I have determined that an annual cut of 403,000 cubic metres is the appropriate level for sustainable harvesting in Tree Farm Licence 46."

Quick Facts:

* 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 37 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.

Learn More:

The chief forester's allowable annual cut determination is available from the South Island Resource District office in Port Alberni, or online at: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts/

Contact:

Cheekwan Ho

Public Affairs Officer

Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

250 356-5261

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect