British Columbia’s deputy chief forester has set a new allowable annual cut (AAC) level for the Kootenay Lake Timber Supply Area (TSA).

Effective Tuesday, June 4, 2024, the new AAC for the Kootenay Lake TSA is 550,000 cubic metres. This is a 13.4% reduction from the previous AAC.

The new level reflects adjustments made to consider available harvest on unstable steep slopes, and to account for a higher level of stand-level reserves to address biodiversity, stream edge and wetland management, domestic watersheds, cultural heritage resources and climate change.

The Kootenay-Boundary Region received unanimous support from First Nations to defer harvest of at-risk old-growth forest. Licensees operating in this TSA have agreed to not harvest these areas until a final decision is made regarding old forest management.

To support these deferrals, while a long-term management approach is finalized, and to ensure sustainable forestry practices, this determination includes two partitions:

• a maximum of 25,300 cubic metres (4.6%) of the AAC can be harvested from old forest stands; and
• a maximum of 524,700 cubic metres (95.4%) of the AAC can be harvested from forest stands that are not old.

Old forest is defined as stands older than 250 years in less frequently disturbed ecosystems and stands older than 140 years in more frequently disturbed ecosystems.

The Kootenay Lake TSA comprises approximately 1.24 million hectares in southeastern British Columbia. The TSA overlaps the territory of member First Nations/Bands of the Ktunaxa Nation, Secwepemc Nation, Okanagan Nation (Sylix) and the Sinixt (Lakes Tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes).  

The deputy chief forester’s AAC determination is an independent, professional judgment based on information ranging from technical forestry reports, First Nations consultations, input from the public, and government’s social and economic objectives.

Under the Forest Act, the chief forester must determine the AAC in each of the province’s 37 TSAs and 34 tree farm licences at least once every 10 years.