During these cool autumn evenings, many British Columbians are starting to light their fireplaces or wood stoves to help keep their homes warm. However, people who cut or use firewood must ensure that it was harvested legally.

Before collecting firewood please obtain a firewood permit to ensure that your firewood collection adheres to local regulations, and to verify that firewood collection is permitted in the area from which you plan to obtain your wood.

Firewood collection permits are free and allow British Columbians to collect and transport firewood from eligible crown lands for personal use. Permits must be printed, signed and carried with you when collecting firewood. Firewood permits are available at your local natural resource district office, or online at: www.gov.bc.ca/firewoodpermits

To find out where firewood harvesting is prohibited on lands identified for conservation and/or other public use values in B.C. contact your local natural resource district office.

Firewood permits and their associated documentation describe the permitted areas, methods, and amount of firewood that can legally be harvested in the different natural resource districts.

Cutting down trees on Crown land without an appropriate permit, or selling any such firewood, is an ongoing concern in British Columbia. This activity is illegal and could result in a violation ticket or fine. It also could create safety hazards for recreationalists and other forest users, and negatively affect ecosystems – including fish and wildlife habitats.

Purchasing firewood:

The public can do its part to stop illegal harvesting by purchasing firewood only from legitimate producers who sell wood obtained either on private land or through authorized Crown land harvesting tenures.

• Anyone buying firewood should ask where the firewood comes from (Crown land or private land) and ask for a record of purchase.
• For firewood harvested on private land, the buyer should ask the seller for the district lot number and timber mark number.
• For firewood harvested on Crown land, legitimate commercial firewood producers should have a “Forestry Licence to Cut” document signed by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.