Amending Prescriptions for Achieving Free-Growing Forests

Harvesting on Crown land in British Columbia comes with reforestation obligations. Following logging, forest companies are required to re‐establish a “free‐growing” stand of healthy, commercially valuable trees. The growth of the stand must not be impeded by competition from plants, shrubs or other trees. Timeframes and standards for achieving free‐growing are provided in a pre‐harvest silviculture prescription, silviculture prescription or site plan.

In 2003, the Forest Practices Board reported on the achievement of free‐growing across British Columbia. That report summarized the status of cutblocks that were to be free‐growing by August 2002. Overall, the results of that study were very positive. Across the province, 85 percent of cutblocks were free‐growing within the required timeframes.