New harvest levels for Haida Gwaii have been determined by B.C.'s deputy chief forester Jim Sutherland.

In April, the Haida Gwaii Management Council established an allowable annual cut of 929,000 cubic metres for logging on all of Haida Gwaii based on environmental, social and economic considerations. As committed to in the Haida Reconciliation Protocol, this was a joint decision between the province and the Council of the Haida Nation through the Haida Gwaii Management Council.

Based on the allowable annual cut for the islands, B.C.'s deputy chief forester Jim Sutherland has now determined the allowable cut for two tree-farm licences and one timber-supply area, effective Sept. 20, 2012.

• Tree Farm Licence 58 - (Teal Cedar Products Ltd.) now has a cut level of 79,000 cubic metres per year, of which red and yellow cedar should not exceed, on average, 32,000 cubic metres per year.
• Tree Farm Licence 60 - (Taan Forest Inc.) has an allowable annual cut of 340,000 cubic metres, of which red and yellow cedar should not exceed, on average, 133,000 cubic metres per year.
• Timber Supply Area 25 - has an allowable annual cut of 512,000 cubic metres, of which red and yellow cedar should not exceed, on average, 195,000 cubic metres.

The deputy chief forester's allowable annual cuts adds up to slightly more than the annual cut determined by the Haida Gwaii Management Council because they apply to municipal areas, which are not included in the management council's AAC.

Quote:

Jim Sutherland, deputy chief forester -

"This is the first time that the decision about how much commercial forest to harvest on Haida Gwaii has been made with the participation of the Haida Gwaii Management Council. It was a consensus driven process guided by Haida cultural values, ecosystem integrity and environmental considerations."

Quick Facts:

• Haida Gwaii consists of more than 150 islands located roughly 80 kilometres off the northern coast of B.C.
• The Haida Nation and the B.C. government signed the historic Reconciliation Protocol in 2009, which included the commitment to establish the Haida Gwaii Management Council.
• The deputy chief forester's determinations are independent professional judgments based on information from technical forestry reports, First Nations and public input.
• 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.

Learn More:

For further information on timber-supply reviews and a copy of the deputy chief forester's decision, visit: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts/analysis.htm

For more information on the Haida Gwaii Management Council, visit: http://www.haidagwaiimanagementcouncil.ca/

Contact:

Brennan Clarke
Media Relations Officer
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261