The Timber Harvesting Land Base area within the Fort Nelson Timber Supply Area (TSA) has been modified following an annual update to the BC Energy Regulator's spatial dataset.
DATE ISSUED: April 5, 2023
EFFECTIVE DATE: April 6, 2023, 4:00pm PST
The BC Energy Regulator (BCER) has completed an annual update to its spatial dataset for the Timber Harvesting Land Base (THLB) and modified the THLB area within the Fort Nelson Timber Supply Area (TSA). This change aligns the Application Management System (AMS) with the Provincial Timber Harvesting Land Base by Timber Supply Area dataset.
The THLB is an estimate of the land where timber harvesting is considered both acceptable and economically feasible. It is used for timber supply analysis and could include areas that may never be harvested or may exclude areas that will be harvested.
A THLB dataset is created for a given TSA upon the completion of a Timber Supply Review by the provincial Chief Forester. AMS uses this dataset to determine if an application overlaps a THLB polygon. When new cut is required and the application falls within a timber harvesting land base, the applicant must provide the merchantable timber volumes on Crown land for the new cut area. The applicant is also required to provide the name of the registered professional forester who provided this information within the application.
The THLB area has been modified within the Fort Nelson TSA area, as shown in Appendix C. The area shown in grey is current and will remain part of the THLB; the area shown in red has been removed. There is no change to the THLB dataset in the Dawson Creek or Fort St. John TSAs.
The following are potential impacts to applications:
- Applications “In Progress – Draft” must be re-validated prior to submission to ensure the submission validates against the most current version of the THLB dataset.
- Applications and Amendment applications “Submitted” and/or “In Review” prior to April 6, 2023 will proceed to a decision based on the THLB dataset at time of submission.
- Applications put to “In Revision” after April 6, 2023 will validate against the updated dataset.
- Applications and Amendments submitted after April 6, 2023 will validate based on the updated THLB.
- There will be no data conversion for applications approved.
There will be no change to the Application Management System (AMS) validations or the requirement to respond appropriately to the THLB workflow, located under the Forestry Tab.
If you have any questions regarding this Technical Update, please contact:
Donna Bozarth
Director, Applications Support & Enhancements
BC Energy Regulator
250-574-5273
Zack King
GIS Spatial Data Administrator
BC Energy Regulator
250-794-5233
