The Arrowsmith Timber Supply Area is located on the southern half of Vancouver Island and includes small areas of provincial forest on the Gulf Islands. It is the smallest timber supply area in the province with a total area of approximately 169,000 hectares. The timber supply area is bordered by tree farm licences west of Port Alberni and Lake Cowichan, and is interspersed with private forest land and settled areas in the eastern portions resulting from the historic Esquimalt and Nanaimo (E&N) Railway Land Grant.
Most of the area experiences wet, mild winters and cool summers punctuated by hot dry spells. The western area is strongly influenced by maritime weather and the mountain ranges which divide the island cause higher precipitation in the western half of the timber supply area. Higher elevation areas in these mountains have cold, snowy winters. The mountainous terrain and variation in climate creates a complex mosaic of ecological conditions.
