Okanagan timber supply area reviewed

The provincial government is accepting comments for the next two months on the future of the Okanagan Timber Supply Area.

The discussion paper provides the results of the timber supply analysis. It also describes the geography, natural resources and current forest management practices in the Okanagan Timber Supply Area, all of which will be used by the chief forester in the allowable annual cut (AAC) determination.

Feedback from Indigenous peoples and the public will also be considered by the chief forester before setting the new allowable annual cut.

The Okanagan Timber Supply Area covers nearly 2.4 million hectares in the south-central region of the province, with 760,781 hectares available for timber harvesting.

Kelowna is the major population centre in the timber supply area. Smaller settlements include Armstrong, Chase, Coldstream, Enderby, Keremeos, Lake Country, Lumby, Oliver, Osoyoos, Peachland, Penticton, Salmon Arm, Sicamous, Spallumcheen, Summerland, Vernon, West Kelowna and the unincorporated areas of central and North Okanagan.

Okanagan Timber Supply Area (submitted photo/Province of B.C.)

The chief forester’s AAC determination is an independent, professional, sustainable forest management decision, based on information ranging from technical forestry reports, First Nations and public input to the government’s social and economic goals.

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