Effective immediately, the new allowable annual cut for the Morice Timber Supply will be 1.9 million cubic metres and decrease to 1.6 million cubic metres effective March 16, 2020, chief forester Dave Peterson announced today.

For the first five years, the new allowable annual cut includes a substantial amount of pine that has been dead for 10 years, as well as dead spruce and dead balsam. The 300,000-cubic-metre reduction in the allowable annual cut in 2020 reflects that at that time dead trees will have degraded to the point that they are no longer suitable for harvesting. In October 2002 the allowable annual cut was set at 1,961,117 cubic metres, but temporarily increased in February 2008 to 2,165,000 cubic metres to recover maximum economic value and speed regeneration of forests impacted by the mountain pine beetle.

The Morice Timber Supply Area covers approximately 1.5 million hectares, with about 649,000 hectares available for timber harvesting. The timber supply area includes the District of Houston, as well as the communities of Topley and Granisle. 

Quote:

Dave Peterson, chief forester -

“This two-tiered allowable annual cut provides an opportunity for licensees to continue the salvage of dead pine until the end of its shelf life in 2020 and allows for a more gradual decrease in the cut level.”

Quick Facts:

• The chief forester’s allowable annual cut 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 harvest levels in each of the province’s 38 timber supply areas and 34 tree farm licences at least once every 10 years.

Learn More:

A copy of Morice timber supply area allowable annual cut determination is available online at: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts/tsa/tsa20/

Media Contacts:

Greig Bethel
Media Relations
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261