This Act provides the authority for the allocation and administration of forest resource, primarily timber. The Act requires the Chief Forester to determine an allowable annual cut every five years for tree farm licenses and timber supply areas (woodlot licence and community forest agreement harvest levels are established by regional or district managers). The Act sets out 11 forms of agreements or tenures, granting rights to harvest Crown Timber. The main forms are tree farm licence, forest licence, pulpwood agreement, community forest agreement, woodlot licence, and timber sale licence. The Act provides for innovative forestry agreements to enable licensees to increase the annual allowable cut. It also requires consent for transfer of tenures; provides the ability to suspend and cancel tenures for non-compliance; sets out requirements for timber marketing and scaling; provides for calculation and collection of stumpage and rents; provides for road permits and road use permits to access timber. It enables the Ministry to build forest roads; requires that Crown and private timber must be used or manufactured in the Province unless exempted; provides for review and appeal procedure, offences and penalties; and provides for the establishment of designated areas in support of the Protected Area Strategy.

Act: Forest Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 157

Regulations:

• Advertising, Deposits, Disposition and Extensions Regulation (B.C. Reg. 277/2004)
• Allowable Annual Cut Proportionate Reduction Regulation (B.C. Reg. 156/94)
• Annual Rent Regulation (B.C. Reg. 122/2003)
• BC Timber Sales Business Areas Regulation (B.C. Reg. 243/2003)
• BC Timber Sales Regulation (B.C. Reg. 265/88)
• Christmas Tree Regulation (B.C. Reg. 166/2000)
• Community Tenures Regulation (B.C. Reg. 352/2004)
• Credit to Stumpage Regulation (B.C. Reg. 385/81)
• Cut Control Regulation (B.C. Reg. 360/96)
• Effective Director Regulation (B.C. Reg. 243/94)
• Forest Accounts Receivable Interest Regulation (B.C. Reg. 406/98)
• Forest Regions and Districts Regulation (B.C. Reg. 123/2003)
• Free Use Permit Regulation (B.C. Reg. 335/99)
• Innovative Forestry Practices Regulation (B.C. Reg. 197/97)
• Interest Rate Under Various Statutes Regulation (B.C. Reg. 386/92) see ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY ACT
• Log Salvage Regulation for the Vancouver Log Salvage District (B.C. Reg. 220/81)
• Manufactured Forest Products Regulation (B.C. Reg. 240/2003)
• Minimum Stumpage Rate Regulation (B.C. Reg. 354/87)
• Performance Based Harvesting Regulation (B.C. Reg. 175/95)
• Scaling Regulation (B.C. Reg. 446/94)
• Special Forest Products Regulation (B.C. Reg. 241/2003)
• Timber Definition Regulation (B.C. Reg. 401/87)
• Timber Harvesting Contract and Subcontract Regulation (B.C. Reg. 22/96)
• Timber Marking and Transportation Regulation (B.C. Reg. 253/97)
• Transfer Regulation (B.C. Reg. 351/2004)
• Woodlot Licence Regulation (B.C. Reg. 190/99)
• Designated Areas under section 169 of the Act - notice

Ministry: Forests

• Ministry of Agriculture and Lands Legislative Summaries
• Other BC Government Ministries' Legislative Summaries
• Federal Legislation