The province has reduced the Annual Allowable Cut in the Haida Gwaii Management Area, affecting the islands’ two Tree Farm Licences (TFL) and one Timber Supply Area (TSA).
The new allowable cut for TSA 25 is now 398,000 cubic metres, while TFL 58 and 60 are down to 99,000 cubic metres and 279,000 cubic metres respectively.
The total volume is 28,000 cubic metres less than the 804,000 figure announced in May by the Haida Gwaii Management Council.
HGMC, which includes representatives from the provincial government and the Council of the Haida Nation, initiated a years-long timber supply review as a result of concerns over the rate of harvest of western red cedar and the status of the forest inventory on Haida Gwaii.
READ MORE: CHN, province reach ‘milestone’ tree cutting agreement, reducing annual cut by 13%
B.C.’s chief forester, Daiane Nicholls, released the updated AACs Oct. 27, stating the increased volume accounts for more preservation of goshawk habitat and include partitions for cedar, ensuring harvest rates align with protections of the tree species for Haida cultural use.
“These new cut levels align the available timber supply resulting from implementation of the Haida Gwaii Land Use Objectives Order, which ensures requirements for ecosystem-based management are met,” reads a statement from the Ministry of Forests.
“These decisions follow from the Haida Gwaii Management Council AAC determination for the Haida Gwaii Management Area announced in May 2020. The previous AACs for the management units on Haida Gwaii were set in 2012.”
At the time of posting interview requests with the council were not returned.
