Annual cut hacked by 20%

The annual allowable cut for the Okanagan Timber Supply Area has been reduced by about 20%.

The new AAC for the Okanagan is 2,462,800 cubic metres, the province announced on Thursday.

In recent years, the cut had been increased to allow for the salvage of stands affected by the mountain pine beetle.

The new amount is 7% below the AAC set in 2006, before the mountain pine beetle epidemic, a news release from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development said on Thursday.

The new AAC, set by B.C.’s deputy chief forester Shane Berg, considered Indigenous Peoples forestry principles, limits on harvesting in community watersheds, wildlife habitat and a national park reserve area.

The area covered includes Armstrong, Chase, Coldstream, Enderby, Kelowna, Keremeos, Lake Country, Lumby, Oliver, Osoyoos, Peachland, Penticton, Salmon Arm, Sicamous, Spallumcheen, Summerland, Vernon, West Kelowna and unincorporated areas of north and south Okanagan.

Numerous comments were received from First Nations, licensees and residents of the TSA, the release said.

The Okanagan TSA covers about 2.45 million hectares with approximately 31% of the area available for timber harvesting. Major tree species include Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, spruce and balsam.

The annual allowable cut is set every 10 years.