The State of BC’s Forests 
The Indicators
Timber harvest — PDF print version
Indicator 13 – Timber harvest
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Overview
- Timber harvests supported much of British Columbia’s economic development, and
continue to be important to the province’s economy. (This indicator examines volume;
for area and economic importance, see Ecosystem dynamics, Forest products, and Jobs and
communities).
- A stable future timber harvest is sustainable provincially, at or above the level of
the average volume harvested in the 1990s, although localized increases and decreases in
timber supply are forecast.
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STATE |
good |
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TREND |
mixed |
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INFORMATION |
partial |
Questions about the timber harvest
Related indicators
- Environmental pressures such as wildfires and pest infestations affect planned timber
harvest levels (see Ecosystem dynamics).
- The state or level of timber harvests affects the economy (see Forest products, Jobs
and communities), ecosystems and perhaps even the climate (see Ecosystem
diversity,
Species diversity, Greenhouse gases).
- Management responses include planning, appropriate forest practices (see Law)
and reforestation (see Silviculture).
Indicator 13-1
How much timber is harvested annually?
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- Timber harvests supported a large part of B.C.’s economic development and continue
to provide the economic base for many rural communities.
- The annual timber harvest from all public and private land increased
10-fold during the 1900s, and levelled off in the 1990s.
- Concern about the rapid increase led to government regulation of harvest levels to
ensure sustainable timber supplies and community stability. Beginning in 1949,
government set allowable annual cuts (AACs) to regulate
harvest levels on public land and some private land.
- In the 1990s, the average total timber harvest was 75 million m3 per year,
of which 66 million m3 per year (88%) were subject to AACs.
- The remaining 9 million m3 per year (12%) were from land with no
government-set AACs, primarily private land and some public land.
- Almost all of the harvest subject to AACs is from 37 timber supply areas
and 34 tree farm licences, for which the provincial government’s
chief forester sets AACs. These provided 87% of the total timber harvest over the past 10
years. The government also sets AACs for more than 800 woodlot licences
and community forests that provided the remaining 1%.
Information
- Detailed data on timber harvest volumes and areas by land status and species exist for
most of the past century, with only a few minor gaps.
- Data are publicly available in the Ministry of Forests’ annual reports.
Sources: MoF’s Annual
reports, Resource
Tenures
Related maps:
Forest Management Units (PDF)
Detailed information: Indicator 13-1 (Excel)
Related international and national indicators:
Indicator 13-2
How does the actual timber harvest compare with the sustainable level?
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- This comparison can be made for areas subject to government-set AACs. In the 1990s,
these accounted for 88% of the total harvest.
- AACs reflect many environmental, economic and social considerations, and provincially
represent a sustainable harvest level. AACs are the maximum level of harvests for a
five-year period. Harvests may exceed AACs for a short period, compensated by lower
subsequent harvests.
- The AACs have changed to reflect new harvesting and milling technologies (increases
in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s), new legislation (the decrease around 1980), and the
establishment of new forest practices and parks (the decrease in the early 1990s).
- Over the past 10 years, the average actual harvest from areas subject to AACs was
66 million m3 per year, or 9% less than the average permitted harvest
(sum of AACs) of 72 million m3 per year. Among the causes for this
difference are market fluctuations and delays in forest planning.
- Due to a large outbreak of mountain pine beetle, some AACs have been temporarily
increased in the last few years for pest control measures and salvage programs.
Information
- The AAC rationales and supporting analyses are publicly available for timber supply
areas and tree farm licences.
Sources: MoF’s Forest Analysis
Related maps:
Forest Management Units (PDF)
Detailed information: Indicator 13-2 (Excel)
Related international and national indicators:
Indicator 13-3
What is the provincial timber supply forecast?
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- Stable future timber supplies are important to B.C.’s economy and to customers who
rely on its forest products.
- A detailed forecast is available for forest management units subject to
government-set AACs. The sum of the timber supply forecasts decreases from 76 to 70
million m3 per year over the next six decades; then increases to a steady
level of 74 million m3 per year. This reflects a shift from existing
forests to second-growth forests. Harvest levels now sustained
by accumulated volume in older forests will in future be sustained by the faster growth
of second-growth forests.
- At the lowest point, during the 2050s and 2060s, the timber supply forecast of 70
million m3 per year is still 7% higher than the 1990s average actual harvest
of 66 million m3 per year.
- The sum of future AACs may be lower or higher than the timber supply forecast due to
changes in the harvestable land base, new management practices, catastrophic wildfires,
pest epidemics and other factors.
Information
- Timber supply forecasts, including analysis assumptions, are publicly available for
timber supply areas and tree farm licences.
- Recent research shows that second-growth forests grow faster than previously estimated. This has been verified by
field sampling and included in the timber supply analyses for about half of the management
units. Unconfirmed estimates are shown separately for the rest.
Sources: MoF’s Forest Analysis,
Site Productivity
Related maps:
Forest Management Units (PDF)
Detailed information: Indicator 13-3 (Excel)
Related international and national indicators:
Indicator 13-4
How does the timber supply forecast vary locally?
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- Stable future timber supplies are important to local economies, especially in rural
areas with substantial economic dependency on the forest sector.
- Recent analyses show local variations in timber supply forecasts among the 37 timber
supply areas (TSAs) and 34 tree farm licences (TFLs). These
provided 87% of the provincial harvest over the past 10 years.
- Increases of 10% or more by 2050 are forecast in 1 TSA and 2 TFLs. Decreases of 10%
or more are forecast in 18 TSAs and 14 TFLs.
- Increases and decreases of more than 10% typically occur over several decades. One
example of an exception is catastrophic events.
- A temporary AAC increase to control mountain pine beetle infestations is included for
2000 in one unit. The infestation may result in future timber supply decreases not
reflected above.
- These forecasts are based on the best available information at the time and do not
incorporate unconfirmed estimates of faster growth rates; anticipated
changes in harvestable land base and management practices in some areas; and some of the
impacts of recent wildfires.
Information
- Timber supply forecasts, including analysis assumptions, are publicly available for
TSAs and TFLs.
- Verified higher growth rates were used in forecasts for half of the forest management
units. Unconfirmed estimates were not included in the rest.
- Economic/social impact assessments for TSAs are publicly available.
Sources: MoF’s Forest Analysis,
Site Productivity
Related maps:
Forest Management Units
(PDF)
Detailed information: Indicator 13-4 (Excel)
Related international and national indicators:
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The State of British Columbia’s Forests – 2004 |
