Sustainable forest and timber management

Managing forests for timber, water, wildlife, recreation and other values in a sustainable manner involves planning at several management levels. Consideration must be given to stocking standards, tree seed use and tree species selection, among other things, at both local and provincial levels.

Sustainable forest and timber management is a priority for the government of British Columbia. Setting clear objectives for forest management is one way government works to meet public expectations about the use of forest resources.

Timber management

B.C. has the largest and most diverse public forests in Canada. The province is divided into management units of timber supply areas (TSAs) and tree farm licenses (TFLs). There are currently 38 TSAs and 34 TFLs in the province. Local level planning takes place within these management units.

Timber management goals

Goals for timber management in the province are described in the Provincial Timber Management Goals and Objectives:

• Provincial Timber Management Goals and Objectives (PDF, 990KB)
• Provincial Timber Targets: 2023 Status Report (PDF, 598KB)

This document aligns provincial objectives for forestry with government planning and forest legislation guidance (such as the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation) and aids in tracking performance on the ground using measurable targets.

Goals and objectives are regularly refined to address changing forest conditions as impacted by climate change, public priorities and science advances.