Author: Jason Wark | Forteck BC Project Manager
THE CONTENT IN OUR WEEKLY EMAIL IS CURATED BY FORESTERS FOR FORESTERS
Curated information is derived from a combination of Forteck crew members with first-hand experience and verified online sources or government sites. We work very hard to provide quality educational information relevant to the forestry industry to promote forestry and the great things foresters can do. Please let us know if you find any misinformation and we will correct it immediately. It takes a village to educate! Thank you for reading and working together in further teaching people about forestry. #forestryproud
Stumpage Fees
All timber harvested on crown land in British Columbia requires stumpage fees to be paid to the government. Stumpage rates are determined by the volumes, species, and grades of the timber that is harvested. The money raised by stumpage fees supports important services throughout BC including education and health care. Funds are sometimes shared with First Nations under forest consultation and revenue sharing agreements. Stumpage is to be paid on all timber that meets merchantability specs, meaning anything that can be utilized in a mill. All of the timber that leaves a harvest area on a truck will get weighed and scaled at the mill or scaling site and stumpage will be charged accordingly, but what about all that logging slash and debris left behind after harvesting is complete?
Waste & Residue Assessments
That is what waste and residue assessments are for. An unbiased estimate of the volume and quality of the timber left standing or on the ground is determined during a waste and residue survey. This is done by establishing a randomized plot system to determine the average volume of merchantable timber left behind per hectare. There are different benchmarks of how much volume of waste can be left behind based on the biogeoclimatic zone of the harvest area. Any volume exceeding these benchmarks will require stumpage fees to be paid by the license holder.
New Assessments
There are new waste assessment procedures in BC that were announced April 1st, 2019. This new process has been implemented to determine a more accurate measurement of the true volume left behind and will assist in cut control and better forest management in the future. Getting up to speed on the new procedures has been a challenge for many companies. Our goal at Forteck is to help assist clients in preparing plans and completing surveys as efficiently as possible. Our team of professionals can work through the process and complete field surveys and submissions in a timely manner
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