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Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

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This Act is current to June 30, 2026

See the Tables of Legislative Changes for this Act’s legislative history, including any changes not in force.

Forest Act

[RSBC 1996]

CHAPTER 157

Contents

Part 1 —

Definitions and

Interpretation

Definitions and

interpretation

1.1

Delegation of minister's powers and duties

1.2

Delegation of chief forester's powers and duties

1.3

Corporate relations

Part 2 — Classification and Management of Forests and Forest Land and Regulation of Cutting Rates

2-4

Repealed

Provincial forests

Wilderness areas

Timber supply areas

Allowable annual cut

8.1

Adjusting the allowable annual cut

Plans, studies, analyses and information

Apportioning cut

Part 3 — Disposition of Timber by the Government

Division 1 — Forms of Rights to Crown Timber

Rights to Crown timber

Form of agreements

Division 2 — Forest Licences

Applications

13.1

Direct award of forest licence to produce bioenergy

13.2

Designation of bioenergy supply contracts and specification of allowable annual cut

Content of forest licence

14.1

Mountain pine beetle salvage area

14.2

Supplemental forest licence

Replacement

15.1

Repealed

Surrender of tree farm licence

Repealed

Transfer to other timber supply area

Consolidation and subdivision of forest licences

Division 3 — Timber Sale Licences

Applications

Repealed

Content of timber sale licence

22.1

Exemption from requirement to pay bonus offer

22.2

BCTS disposition agreements

22.3

Volume harvested under BCTS licence deemed to be harvested under non-BCTS licence for cut control purposes

22.4

Payment for timber respecting non-BCTS licence with reduction

22.5

Limitation on issuance of timber sale licences

23-24

Repealed

Division 3.1 — Conversion of Timber Sale Licences

24.1-24.9

Repealed

24.91

No compensation

Division 4 — Forest Licence Area Restriction

Permanent transfer to adjacent timber supply area

Minister may impose area restrictions

Division 5 — Timber Licences

Rights in tree farm licences

Rights not in tree farm licence

One timber licence

29.1

Consolidation of timber licences

Content of timber licence

Extension of term of timber licence

Non-timber use

Division 6 — Tree Farm Licences

Applications

Repealed

Content of tree farm licence

35.1

Repealed

35.2

Management plan for tree farm licence

Replacement

36.1

Repealed

Private tenure

Private land

Consolidation and subdivision of tree farm licences

39.1

Change in boundary or area

Division 7 — Pulpwood Agreements

Repealed

Content of pulpwood agreement

Repealed

Consolidation and subdivision of pulpwood agreements

Division 7.1 — Community Forest Agreements

43.1

Repealed

43.2

Applications for community forest agreements

43.3

Content of community forest agreement

43.4

Replacement of community forest agreements

43.41

Repealed

43.5

Repealed

43.51

Direct award of community forest agreements

43.52

Change in area or boundary

43.53

Transition for community forest agreement allowable annual cut

Division 7.11 — First Nations Woodland Licences

43.54

Award of first nations woodland licence

43.55

Content of first nations woodland licence

43.56

Replacement of first nations woodland licences

43.57

Change in area or boundary

Division 7.2 — Repealed

43.6-43.8

Repealed

Division 8 — Woodlot Licences

Applications

Content of woodlot licence

45.1

Transition for woodlot licence allowable annual cut

Replacement

46.1

Repealed

46.2

Consolidation of woodlot licences

Repealed

47.1

Change in area or boundary

47.2

Repealed

Division 8.1 — Direct Awards

47.3

Direct award of specified licences

Division 8.2 — Licences to Cut

47.4

Licence to cut for persons occupying land or for energy resource purposes

47.5

Content of occupant and master licences to cut

47.6

Forestry licence to cut

47.7

Content of forestry licence to cut

47.71

Applications for fibre supply licence to cut

47.72

Content of a fibre supply licence to cut

47.73

Volume deemed to be harvested under licence for cut control purposes

Division 8.3 — Disposition of Timber Acquired under Forestry Revitalization Act or Subject to Waste Assessment

47.8

Disposition of timber in a tree farm licence

47.9

Disposition of timber not harvested or removed under an agreement

Division 9 — Free Use Permits for First Nations and Others

Free use permit

Issuance and content of free use permit

49.1

Free use permit in area subject to area-based licence

Division 9.1 — Christmas Tree Permits, Contract Logging Authorizations and Government Use

Christmas tree permit

Repealed

51.1

Contract logging authorization

51.2

Limitation on issuance of contract logging authorizations

Use by government employees and agents

Part 3.1 — Cutting Permits

52.01

Definition

52.02

Requirement to obtain cutting permit

52.03

Issuance of cutting permit

52.04

Application for cutting permit

52.05

Mandatory refusal to issue cutting permit

52.06

Refusal of cutting permit for supplemental forest licence

52.07

Cutting permit for master licence to cut

52.08

Content of cutting permit

52.09

52.10

Extension of cutting permit

52.11

Postponement of cutting permit

52.12

Effect on cutting permit of expiration, cancellation, surrender or termination of agreement

52.13

Transition — immediate application

Part 4 — General Tenure Provisions

Division 1 —

Interpretation

Interpretation and application

53.1

Holders of agreements

53.2

Repealed

Division 2 — Dispositions of Agreements

53.3

Cutting permits to be treated as part of agreement

Transfer of agreements permitted

54.01

Conditions attached to ministerial approval of dispositions

54.02

Mandatory refusal of dispositions

54.1

Repealed

54.2

Confirmation of completion of disposition and effect of completion

54.3

Dispositions exempt from certain requirements

54.4

Transfer of certain agreements not permitted

54.5

Repealed

54.6

Effect of disposition on obligations

54.61

Suspension of rights if condition of disposition not met

Division 2.1 — Corporate Changes of Control and Amalgamations

54.62

Interpretation

54.63

Notice of change of control or amalgamation

54.64

Review of change of control or amalgamation

54.65

Circumstances in which minister may take administrative action

54.66

Administrative actions following change of control or amalgamation

54.67

Proposal by corporation following administrative action

54.68

Exempt changes of control

54.69

Subsequent suspension or cancellation of rights

Division 2.2 — Dispositions of Private Lands Subject to Agreements and Exchanges of Rights

54.7

Disposition of private land subject to tree farm licence or woodlot licence

54.8

Repealed

55-56

Repealed

56.1

Repealed

Exchanges of rights

Division 3 — Extensions, Increases and Reductions

Repealed

58.1

Extension of timber sale licences

58.2

Repealed

58.201-

58.21

Repealed

58.3

Surrender of BC timber sales agreement

59-59.1

Repealed

60-60.95

Repealed

Temporary reductions

Return of surrendered harvesting rights

62.1

Definitions for sections 63 to 63.05

Reduction among licences in timber supply area

63.01

Determining groups of licences

63.02

Distributing timber supply area reductions among groups of licences and ungrouped licences

63.03

Distributing remaining part of timber supply area reduction among groups of licences and ungrouped licences

63.04

Distributing combined allowable annual cut reductions among licences in groups of licences

63.05

Distributing remaining part of combined allowable annual cut reduction among licences in groups of licences

63.1

Repealed

63.2

Date of increase or reduction in allowable annual cut and prorating

64-66

Repealed

Repealed

Increase: disposition or deletion

Reduction by chief forester of allowable annual cut

Reductions in allowable annual cut

Repealed

Removal of dead or damaged timber

Removal of dead or damaged timber from a timber supply area

Timber cruise

Compatible use

Division 3.01 — Allowable Annual Cut Partition

75.01

Definitions

75.02

Partition order

75.03

Increase or waiver of harvested volume limit in order

75.04

Consolidation, subdivision or replacement of licences subject to an order

75.05

Penalty for non-compliance with minister's order

75.06

Relief from penalty

75.07

Regulation making powers

Division 3.1 — Cut Control

75.1

Interpretation

75.11

Exception for licences that define "volume of timber harvested"

75.12

Bonus bid equalization payment for attributed timber volumes

75.2

Limit on total cut for licences with a term of 5 years or less

75.21

Limit on total cut for forestry licence to cut

75.22

Cut control period for short term licences that are extended

75.3

Reconciliation of cut control for short term licences

75.4

Cut control period for major licences

75.41

Cut control limit for major licences

75.5

Cut control period for other licences

75.51

Cut control limit for other licences

75.6

Reconciliation of cut control for major and other licences

75.61

Reconciliation of cut control for woodlot licences

75.7

Carry forward of excess harvest volume

75.8

No carry forward of unharvested volume

75.9

Exemption from cut control limits

75.91

Penalty for exceeding cut control limits

75.92

Relief

75.93-

75.96

Repealed

Division 4 — Suspension and Cancellation

Suspension of rights

76.1

Notice and duration of suspension

Cancellation

BC timber sales — disqualification, suspension and cancellation

78.1

BC timber sales — minister's powers of suspension and cancellation

Continuing liability

Division 4.1 — Miscellaneous

79.1

Residual fibre orders

When compensation is not payable

80.01

Repealed

80.1

Repealed

80.2

Forestry Revitalization Act

Division 5 — Refusal to Issue Authorizations

Grounds for refusing to issue authorization

81.1

Repealed

Part 5 — Timber Marking

Timber marking:

interpretation

Timber mark duration

Timber marks

Applications

Scaled timber brands

Applications

Marine log brand

Marking with marine log brand

Transfer

Evidence

Registers

Part 6 — Timber Scaling

Timber scaling:

interpretation

93.1

Misrepresentation prohibited

Timber to be scaled

94.1

Scaling of special forest products

Scale site authorization

Scale

Scale return

Scaling charges, costs and expenses

Second scale and second check scale

Scaling

Re-examination

Suspension and cancellation

Part 6.1 — Forest Resource Inventories

102.1

Definitions for

Part 6.1

102.2

Requirement to prepare and maintain forest resource inventories

102.3

Time periods within which forest resource inventories must be prepared

102.4

Content of forest resource inventory

102.5

Maintenance of forest resource inventory

102.6

Requirement to keep records respecting forest resource inventory

102.7

Requirement to submit forest resource inventory to chief forester

102.8

Requirement to review forest resource inventory in special circumstances

102.9

Verification of information in forest resource inventory

Part 7 — Payments to the Government

Amount of stumpage

103.1

Assessments for merchantable Crown timber that is not cut and removed

103.2

Assessments for merchantable Crown timber that is not cut under road permit and stored

Stumpage rate for timber licence

Stumpage rate determined

105.1

Complete and accurate information

105.2

Redetermination of stumpage rate at direction of minister

105.3

Small scale salvage costs portion to be paid into special account

Cruise instead of scale

More than one rate

Rate on unscaled or incorrectly scaled timber

BC Timber Sales Account

Repealed

Annual rent

Calculation of annual rent

112.1

Annual rent for council

Timber cruise

Part 8 — Roads and Rights of Way

Definitions

Issuance of road permit

Application for road permit

Mandatory refusal to issue road permit

Road permit content — general

118.1

Repealed

Road permit content — right to harvest timber in right-of-way

119.1

Road permit content — right to cut timber in right-of-way

119.2

Volume cut under road permit deemed to be harvested under licence for cut control purposes

119.3

Deactivation of road

119.4

119.5

Issuance of road use permit to eligible holder

119.6

Issuance of road use permit for natural resource development purpose

119.7

Road use permit content

Repealed

120.1

Declaration of forest service road

Road and trail construction

Part 9 — Marine Log Salvage

121.1

Repealed

Log salvage district

Receiving station licence

Log salvage permit

Disposal and acquisition of salvaged logs

Area closure

Part 10 — Manufacture in British Columbia

Crown timber to be used in British Columbia

127.1

Attempt to export timber or wood residue

Exemptions

Exemption conditions and permit

Part 11 — Recovery of Money, Miscellaneous

Division 1 — Recovery of Money

Lien

130.1

Limitation period

Person acquiring or dealing in timber responsible for payment

Removal permit

Powers cumulative

Division 2 — Miscellaneous

Repealed

Repealed

Records and returns

136.1

Limits on disclosure of reported information

136.2

Information about security interests held in agreement

136.3

Information about affiliates of corporate agreement holders

Entry on land

138-139

Repealed

How notice or document may be served

Extension of time

141.1

Duty to comply with orders, exemptions and conditions

Personal liability

Part 11.1 — Inspections, Audits and Assessments

Division 1 —

Interpretation and Application

142.1

Definitions and application

Division 2 — Inspection and Collection of Information

142.11

Officials

142.2

Entry on land or premises

142.21

Inspection

142.3

Retention of records

142.31

Delivery of records

142.4

Obligation of a forest revenue official

142.41

Obligation of person on request of forest revenue official

142.42

Penalty for failure to provide information

142.43

Order for compliance

142.5

Evidence

Division 3 — Assessment of Stumpage, Fees in Lieu, Penalties and Interest

142.51

Assessment of estimated stumpage and interest

142.52

Assessment of estimated fee in lieu and interest

142.6

Period to be considered in making an assessment

142.61

Penalty

142.7

Payment of assessed amount

142.71

Notice of assessment

142.8

Serving a notice of assessment

142.81

Proof and onus

Division 4 — Appeals of Assessments

142.9

Appeal to revenue minister

142.91

Appeal to court

142.92

Affect of pending appeals

142.921

Part 12 does not apply

Division 5 — General

142.93

Information sharing

142.931

Information-sharing agreements

142.94

Regulations

Part 12 — Reviews, Appeals, Regulations, Penalties

Division 1 — Reviews

Determination that may be reviewed

Request for review

Powers on review

Division 2 — Appeals

Determinations that may be appealed

146.1

Part 8.1 of Forest and Range Practices Act applies

Parties to appeal

148-148.6

Repealed

Powers of commission

149.1

Repealed

149.2

Order for compliance

Repealed

Division 2.1 — Appeals of Contraventions

150.1

Forest and Range Practices Act applies to contravention appeals

Division 3 — Regulations

Regulations

151.01

Criteria for exercise of discretionary powers

151.1

Regulation making power to establish forest districts

151.2

Repealed

151.3

Area-based allowable annual cut

151.4

Repealed

151.5

Adapting cut control for provisions respecting conversion of timber sale licences

151.51

Adapting cut control for provisions respecting first nations woodland licences

151.6

Regulation making power for fibre supply and forestry licence to cut

151.7

Regulation making power for first nations woodland licences

151.71

Regulation making power in relation to extension and postponement of cutting permits

151.8

Regulation making power in relation to dispositions of agreements and corporate changes of control and amalgamations

151.9

Regulation making power in relation to records and returns

Interpretation for sections 152 to 162

Requirement for written contracts and subcontracts

Assignability of contracts and subcontracts

Mediation and arbitration under contracts and subcontracts

Register of Timber Harvesting Contract Mediators and Arbitrators

Requirements for replaceable contracts and subcontracts

157.1

Agreement to make a replaceable contract or subcontract non-replaceable

157.2

Waiver by licensees, contractors and subcontractors of certain rights under regulations

Special provision for certain expired contracts

Applicability of certain prescribed provisions to existing contracts and subcontracts

Non-compliance with prescribed requirements for contracts and subcontracts

Included regulatory powers for sections 152 to 161

No compensation

Division 4 — Offences and Penalties

Fines

163.1

Interference, non-compliance and misleading

Part 3 offence

164.01

Offences in relation to confidential information

164.1

Cancellation and disqualification

Repealed

165.1

Prohibition against restricting competition in sale or purchase of logs

165.2

Remedies preserved

Officers of corporation

Repealed

167.1

Defences to a prosecution

167.2

Section 5 of the Offence Act

167.3

Part 6 of the Forest and Range Practices Act applies

Part 13 — Designated Areas

Definition

Specifying Crown land as a designated area

What is the effect of specifying a designated area?

Conditions

Suspension and cancellation

Allowable annual cut and allowable harvest in a designated area

173.1

Effect of reduction on annual allowable cut determination

Order prevails

Hearing not required

175.1

No compensation during first 4 years of designation

175.2

Compensation for fifth and subsequent years of designation

175.3

Set-off for benefits previously received

175.4

Limit on compensation

Part 14 — Nisg̱a'a Final Agreement Implementation

Repealed

Repealed

Award of licences

Spent

Part 15 — Special Purpose Areas

Division 1 —

Definitions for

Part 15

Definitions for

Part 15

Division 2 — Designation of Special Purpose Areas

Designation for access purpose or non-timber production purpose

Designation for first nation purpose, BCTS licence purpose or community forest agreement purpose

Purpose and cancellation date of designation

Limits on power to extend designation

Division 3 — Impacts and Restrictions on Area-Based Licences and Timber Licences

Impacts on harvest profile and AAC of area-based licence

Impacts on non-TFL timber licence

Request for information by chief forester

Notice to holder of area-based licence or non-TFL timber licence

Deletion of licence area from area-based licence or timber licence

Order for early deletion of licence area

Order to extend deletion if special purpose area overlaps cutting permit area

Cancellation of area-based licence or timber licence if entire licence area deleted

Effective date of AAC reduction for area-based licence

Deletion of cutting permit area within licence area

Deemed amendment to affected agreement or cutting permit

Order to suspend rights under area-based licence or timber licence

Restriction on entering into or amending area-based licence or timber licence

Division 4 — Impacts and Restrictions on Forest Licences

Definitions for Division 4 of

Part 15

Impacts on harvest profile and AAC of timber supply area

Notice to holders of forest licences

Effective date of AAC reduction for timber supply area

Reduction to forest licences following designation as special purpose area

Reduction to AAC available for BCTS licences

Method of reduction if designation made other than for BCTS licence purpose

Notice and effective date of reductions to forest licences

Order to amend, suspend or cancel rights under cutting permit under forest licence

Restriction on entering into or amending certain forest licences

Division 5 — Impacts and Restrictions on Certain Other Licences and Permits

Order to amend, suspend or cancel rights under certain other licences or permits

Restriction on entering into or amending certain other licences or permits

Division 6 — Impacts and Restrictions on Roads, Ancillary Road Structures and Improvements

Application of Division 6 of

Part 15 to road authorized under special use permit or master licence to cut

Order to deactivate road

Government deactivation of road

Order to amend, suspend or cancel rights in relation to road

Prohibition on constructing road under pre-existing authorization

Restriction on authorizing new road

Prohibition on removing ancillary road structure

Order that property in ancillary road structure vests in government

Prohibition on constructing timber production improvement under pre-existing authorization

Order to amend, suspend or cancel rights in relation to timber production improvement

Restriction on authorizing new timber production improvement

Division 7 — General Provisions in Relation to Special Purpose Areas

Requirement to serve notice of orders

Extension of time periods

Exemption for licence entered into for special purposes

Effect of suspension of rights under

Part 15

Division 8 — Regulations Under

Part 15

Regulations under

Part 15

Part 16 — Compensation in Relation to Special Purpose Areas

Division 1 —

Definitions and

Interpretation for

Part 16

Definitions for

Part 16

Meaning of "deletion period"

Meaning of "net income"

Meaning of "remaining term"

Division 2 — Compensation for Area-Based Licences and Non-TFL Timber Licences

Definitions for Division 2 of

Part 16

Compensation for area-based licence for deletion for access purpose

Compensation for area-based licence for deletion for non-timber production purpose

Compensation for area-based licence for deletion for other special purposes

Compensation for non-TFL timber licence for deletion for access purpose

Compensation for non-TFL timber licence for deletion for non-timber production purpose

Compensation for non-TFL timber licence for deletion for other special purposes

Division 3 — Compensation for Forest Licences

Definition for Division 3 of

Part 16

Compensation for forest licence for reduction for access purpose

Compensation for forest licence for reduction for non-timber production purpose

Compensation for forest licence for reduction for other special purposes

Division 4 — Compensation for Cutting Permits

Compensation if special purpose area overlaps cutting permit area

Compensation if special purpose area does not overlap cutting permit area

Compensation for cutting permit issued for community forest agreement or woodlot licence

Duty of cutting permit holder to provide information to minister

Division 5 — Compensation for Other Agreements

No compensation for fibre supply licence to cut or free use permit

Compensation for forestry licence to cut

Compensation for timber sale licence

No compensation, unless regulations provide otherwise, for pulpwood agreement

Compensation for Christmas tree permit

Division 6 — Compensation for Roads and Timber Production Improvements

Interpretation rule for ancillary road structures

Application of Division 6 of

Part 16 to road authorized under special use permit or master licence to cut

Compensation for road located in special purpose area

General requirements for compensation for road

Compensation for road located outside special purpose area if road associated with cutting permit

Impact requirements for road associated with cutting permit

Compensation in other cases if road under road permit located outside special purpose area

Compensation if road under special use permit located outside special purpose area

Compensation for timber production improvement located in special purpose area

Compensation for timber production improvement located outside special purpose area

Duty of holder of licence to provide information to minister

Order to cancel rights in relation to road for which compensation provided

Division 7 — General Provisions in Relation to Compensation

Compensation may take form of agreement

Reductions and exceptions in respect of compensation

Limit on compensation in relation to special purpose areas

Division 8 — Regulations Under

Part 16

General regulation-making powers for

Part 16

Regulations respecting determination of net income

Regulations respecting provision of information

Regulations respecting compensation for cutting permits

Regulations respecting compensation for roads and timber production improvements

Part 17 — Reductions for First Nation Purpose or BCTS Licence Purpose

Definitions for

Part 17

Reduction authorization order

Impact of reduction authorization order on harvest profile

Reduction to forest licences following reduction authorization order

Compensation for forest licence following reduction

General provisions respecting compensation in relation to reduction authorization orders

Regulations under

Part 17

Part 18 — Expropriations and Deletions Under the Park Act

Definitions for

Part 18

Purposes of

Part 18

Regulations under

Part 18

Part 19 — Transitional Provisions for the Forest Amendment Act, 2021

Definitions for

Part 19

Previous deletions to area-based licences

Previous deletions to non-TFL timber licences

Previous deletions to timber licences in tree farm licence areas

Previous reductions to forest licences

Entitlement to compensation under former compensation provisions

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