FAQ
General
What is a community forest?
A community forest agreement is long term tenure issued by the provincial government for a specified geographic area that is established for the benefit of the communities and supports opportunities such as recreation, wildfire resiliency, wildlife enhancement, watershed management, First Nations stewardship, and contributes to a more diversified forest economy.
What is a Community Forest Agreement?
A Community Forest Agreement (CFA) licenses a local government, community group, or First Nation to manage the forest resources on fixed areas of Crown forest land. In British Columbia, more communities are interested than there are licenses available. In recent years, government has committed to establishing additional agreements.
A CFA confers all the financial and legal responsibilities associated with managing public forest on the tenure holder.
How is an area-based tenure different than the volume-based tenures that the major forestry companies have?
Area-based tenures (e.g. Community Forest and Woodlot Licenses) provide the rights to harvest only within specific boundaries. This means that planners must have a long-term vision to determine sustainable timber harvest volumes that will ensure that there will always be forests within the fixed area to provide future harvesting opportunities. Harvesting is usually at a smaller scale than those on volume-based tenures and occurs at a steady pace on the same land base. This contrasts with most timber harvesting in the B.C. Interior that is planned and carried out by forest companies who have rights to a fixed volume within very broad geographic areas. Timber harvesting on these tenures tends to occur at larger scales and intensities.
How do communities get a Community Forest Agreement?
The Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations has the discretion and authority to invite communities to apply for a Community Forest Agreement.
Who will benefit from the Community Forest?
The Community Forest will deliver a wide range of social, environmental, and economic benefits to the Lhtako Dene, Nazko, ?Esdilagh, and Lhoosk’uz Dene Nation Governments, along with the City of Quesnel. By prioritizing local procurement of goods and services, supporting local milling and manufacturing, and incorporating local values into land management decisions, the Community Forest will strengthen the long-term resilience of the region. Each community involved brings its own unique values and priorities—some may emphasize water protection, while others focus on education, stewardship, or long-term employment. The Community Forest provides a platform for local-level decision making that promotes sustainable forest management and reflects the needs of those who live closest to the land. It creates opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to collaborate through shared governance, cooperative planning, training, employment, and profit-sharing. Benefits also include increased local employment, enhanced environmental education and research opportunities, conflict resolution in sensitive areas like watersheds, improved wildfire mitigation, and greater community awareness and involvement in resource management. In this way, the Community Forest becomes more than a source of timber, it becomes a foundation for community well-being, ecological stewardship, and future-focused development.
Will firewood cutting or Christmas Tree removal be allowed on the Community Forest?
Firewood cutting for personal uses (less than 5 cords) or a Christmas Tree will require an individual to obtain a Free Use Permit (FUP) from the Ministry of Forests (FOR). The application is free, can be filled out online and does not require an approval.
Will I be able to continue to fish, hunt and gather berries, mushrooms, etc. for my personal use (at no cost aside from hunting and fishing license costs)?
Yes, and the productivity of these resources may actually be improved as a result of the style of management used on the Community Forest.
How will the Community Forest communicate with other tenure holders in the area?
Prior to any proposed harvest operations, the Community Forest will directly engage with other tenure holders whose interests overlap the proposed area. This includes ranchers, trappers, guide outfitters, licensed water users, and mineral tenure holders. A Forest Operations Map (FOM) will be made available for public review and comment before it is submitted to government for approval, ensuring transparency and community input throughout the planning process.
To further support open communication, the Community Forest will host an annual open house and "Community Forest Days" to share updates, answer questions, and celebrate local involvement. This website will also be regularly updated with the latest news, planning documents, and information related to the Community Forest’s activities and initiatives.
How much logging will be done annually?
Annual Allowable Cut – a regulation set by the provincial government - is 53,250 cubic meters. This is apportioned into 42,850 cubic meters per year of coniferous volume and approximately 10,500 cubic meters per year of deciduous volume. That volume equates to about 1,065 truck loads of logs per year. This is 2% of the total allowable cut for the Quesnel Timber Supply Area.
Who runs the Community Forest?
A board of directors representing the shareholders (Lhtako Dene, Nazko, ?Esdilagh, and Lhoosk’uz Dene Nation Governments and the City of Quesnel) provide strategic direction to the management team. The current management team hired is Consus Management Ltd.
Where can I find information about other community forests in BC?
The Province of BC has information on community forests here
The BC Community Forest Association is the voice and advocate for community forestry in BC and has existed for 20 years. You can find links to the other community forests
BC Community Forest Association has published annual indicators reports since 2014 that quantifies the benefits to communities, see past reports here
See the members of the BC Community Forest Association here
BC Community Forest Association has more FAQs here