BC’s Chief Forester will soon decide an Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) for the Sunshine Coast Natural Resource District (SCNRD). The AAC determines how much logging can occur in the Timber Harvest Land Base (THLB) on the Sunshine Coast over the next ten years.
NOTE: The THLB represents 160,000 hecatres of public forested land, but it is NOT the only place that logging occurs. For example, woodlot licences and the Sunshine Coast Community Forest (area based tenures) are not accounted for in the THLB. Logging in these area based tenures is additional to the proposed allowable cut of 1.273 million cubic metres per year in the THLB.
The ACC decision is based on assumptions outlined in a 2023 Timber Supply Review (TSR) Analysis Discussion Paper. The paper is based on a 2021 TSR Data Package.
The Timber Supply Review is a complicated process. There are serious problems with the TSR data package assumptions, analysis and systemic issues with the review process and BC forest management practices. Ultimately, these problems have led to forest liquidation instead of forest stewardship.
The 2023 TSR is based on a forest plantation model intended to normalize Sunshine Coast forest for timber simply. It is not a step toward the “paradigm shift” the BC government has promised with respect to watershed stewardship, old growth protection, species at risk, and biodiversity conservation. Its recommendations ignore local government and community needs and values around natural asset management, climate adaptation and mitigation.
Specifically, the SCNRD 2023 TSR data package and discussion paper assumptions:
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- Do not account for effects of climate change on forest health and resilience, biodiversity and water supply.
- Target removal of remaining low to mid-elevation old growth forests in the next 10 years.
- Make no allowance for setting aside mature forests to become future old growth in depleted and under-represented forest ecosystems (old growth recruitment).
- Neglect to consider impacts on local drinking water source area ecosystems and recharge areas.
- Ignore risks and impacts of flooding and fire on downstream communities, natural and built infrastructure;
- Conflict with recent changes to BC forestry laws and regulations made specifically to address the chronic mismanagement of our forests and protection of all forest values.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE to this process and its outcomes by adding your voice on the TSR recommendations by May 1, 2023.
Here’s how:
- Send an email to Jillian Tougas (Distict Manager SCNRD) by May 1, 2023. Let the BC Minity of Forests (MoF) know that the proposed ACC recommendation is far too high, and that you want the Chief Forester to set far lower AAC that:
- Accounts for effects of climate change
- Conserves remaining Coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone old growth forests and ensures old growth recruitment in identified at risk ecosystems
- Protects drinking water source areas
- Protects communities from downstream impacts of flooding
- Delivers the promised “forestry paradigm shift”
- Send a quick form letter letter to the Ministry of Forests and share it with your friends.
- Support / join our Team: The SCCA, Tuwanek Ratepayer, quathet Old Growth, and My Sea to Sky are collaborating to review the TSR data package and discussion paper and craft a detailed submission to the Chief Forester. If you have expertise and time to support our submission, please contact us at info@thescca.ca