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Farm License 55 managed by Louisiana Pacific north of Goldstream River, and Tree Farm License 56
managed by Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation south of Goldstream River. An AAC
determination is a very lengthy process that occurs every 5-10 yrs. In 2011 a new AAC was set for the
Revelstoke Timber Supply Area at 225,000 cubic meters / year. Additional information on the
Revelstoke Timber Supply Area can be viewed at: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts/tsa/tsa27/#documents
Where can harvesting happen?
The Timber Harvesting Land Base (THLB) is that portion of the Crown lands on a management unit that
are physically capable of growing timber that can be economically harvested , and is not otherwise offlimits to logging. The determined AAC assumes that every single tree that is within the THLB, that is not
within a park, an Old Growth Management Area / a mountain caribou reserve, or otherwise deemed
necessary to permanently preserve, will be harvested in order to reach the determined AAC. A
considerable amount of the THLB in the Revelstoke Timber Supply Area is located close to the City of
Revelstoke.
The THLB in the Revelstoke Timber Supply Area is only about 24% of its total forested area about
58,000 hectares - and of that about 1% gets harvested per year. Therefore about 0.24% of the total
forested land base about 600 hectares - gets harvested annually.
The following graph shows the amount of THLB in Landscape Unit R14 Liberty which is located on the
west side of Lake Revelstoke across from the Downie Loop.
Inoperable
Non-productive
Unstable
Wildlife Tree patch
Mtn. Caribou
reserve
THLB
allocated by the Crown. Downie Timber, BC Timber Sales, and Stella-Jones are all entitled to AAC within
the Revelstoke Timber Supply Area.
If a licensee does not harvest the timber they have been allocated within a five year period, the Ministry
will take any unlogged volume away from the licensee and may award it to another licensee. Therefore
forest licensees are expected by government to harvest a certain volume within their operating area
within a five year timeframe.
What revenues come from harvesting?
Forest licensees pay the government for the timber harvesting rights in the form of stumpage and
annual rents. These government revenues help pay for benefits that we all enjoy such as healthcare and
education. The latest Revelstoke Timber Supply Review estimated that the B.C. government derives
17.2 million dollars annually from the harvested Revelstoke Timber Supply Area timber. It is estimated
that all the timber harvested annually in the various Revelstoke area management units contributes
approximately 46 million dollars to the province annually.
Downie Sawmill is the largest employer in Revelstoke with about 275 full-time, well paid positions.
There are approximately 375 people in Revelstoke directly employed by the forest sector, which is about
12% of the labour force. However, the income associated with these 375 positions represents
approximately 20% of the communitys total income.
How is harvesting planned?
The overarching planning document in the Revelstoke area is the Revelstoke Higher Level Plan which
was created through extensive public input in the 1990s. The Revelstoke Higher Level Plan was adopted
in 1998 and some elements of the Plan became legal objectives in 2005. Forest licensees are each
required to prepare a Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) which outlines how the forest licensee will meet
the objectives of the Crown, when practicing forestry within their operating area. These objectives
include timber, fish and wildlife, visual quality, recreation, water quality, etc. These plans are available
for public and First Nations comment prior to approval by the District Manager. FSPs are revisited every
5 years.
Before a forest licensee can do any harvesting, it is also required to apply for and receive a cutting
permit from the MFLNRO. The Ministry must issue a cutting permit provided the cutting permit
application is consistent with the forest licensees FSP and has met other legal criteria. Prior to the
harvesting of timber, the forest licensee must also prepare a Site Plan which addresses how the
planned operations will meet its FSP on that particular site. The public can ask to view Site Plans.
In B.C., only registered professional foresters are permitted to sign off on FSPs and Site Plans. These
foresters have completed required training (usually a university degree), a period of mentorship,
successfully passed an entrance exam and annually updated their competence. When planning harvest
areas professional foresters consider numerous currently-held principles of good forest planning
including (in no particular order):
Forest health
Operational feasibility
Stand characteristics (age, species, volumes)
Economics
Markets
Non-timber values (recreation, wildlife, visuals etc.)
Future logging opportunities (not isolating harvestable timber)
Site disturbance (season and harvesting method)
Safety
forest companies are focused on high value products utility poles by Stella Jones, dimensional lumber
and specialty products by Downie Timber/Selkirk Specialty Woods, beams and high end cedar from
Kozek Sawmill and laminated veneer lumber by Louisiana Pacific Engineered Wood Products. For these
reasons, the Revelstoke forest industry has continued to operate through the recent market downturn,
when many other mills around the province shutdown, and has a bright future. The Revelstoke industry
provides employment and community stability, and revenue to government.
I hope this article has helped explain how B.C.s public forests are managed. Please join us for the open
house on January 13th 6-9 PM at the Community Centre to learn more.