Introduction
The year is 2024. Northern Vancouver Island is entirely occupied by large forest operations. Well, not entirely... Small forests of indomitable woodlot managers still exist among the large industrial operations.
Woodlot Licenses
There are 841 woodlot licenses in British Columbia (March 2024). Sixty-four are located on Northern Vancouver Island, of which 39 are members of the North Island Woodlot Association. Of the various forest tenures that exist on crown land under the Forest Act, woodlot licenses are relatively small (max. 800 ha on the coast) and area-based. Licensees are individuals, partnerships, families, First Nations, and educational institutions.
In exchange for being granted exclusive rights to harvest timber, a woodlot licensee assumes responsibility for managing the entire woodlot licence area.
Responsibilities include forest planning, reforestation, caring for the forest, protecting cultural & resource values, community and First Nations consultations, environmental stewardship, and sustainable small-scale forestry management. The amount of harvesting is sustainable according to a carefully calculated allowable annual cut (AAC).
Frequently characterized by innovative approaches to forestry and forest management, woodlot licences are often a source of local employment in addition to ensuring local management and development of forest resources. They are also considered a good source of timber for value-added manufacturers.
Interactive map
Click here to view an interactive map of the woodlots on North Vancouver Island.
(NOTE: You must have Google Earth Installed to open this file.)
Private Woodlots
Farmers and rural owners of forest land often manage their private woodlots sustainably for products such as logs, poles, firewood, and minor forest products.
If the private woodlot is classified as a ‘managed forest’ with a preferred tax rate, it is managed according to a management plan. However, private woodlots are not governed by the Woodlot Licence Planning and Practices Regulation that applies to woodlot licences on Crown land. The North Island Woodlot Association also has members that are managers of private woodlots.
Small-scale forestry brings people into closer contact with their environment and their values. For some it is an income, but for most, it’s a lifestyle. Land stewardship and the production of wood and non-timber resources are the goals of many private woodlot owners.