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Harvesting rights in Alberta are granted through 3 forest tenure systems.
Alberta owns all timber located on provincial Public lands. Under Alberta's Forests Act, the right to harvest Crown timber is allocated to companies and individuals through forest tenures. Alberta's forests are managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development.
To achieve sustainable forest management, the province establishes Acts, regulations, standards, policy directives and procedures. Alberta government policies support sustainable forest management to provide ecological, economic, social and cultural opportunities for the benefit of present and future generations.
There are three main forest tenure systems in Alberta:
Based on the forest tenure type, timber is issued to a forest tenure holder by a specific timber disposition, which can include a:
For further information, see: Differences between the main types of forest tenure in Alberta
Forest Tenure System | Timber Disposition | Main Types |
---|---|---|
Forest Management Agreements (FMA) | Forest Management Agreements | N/A |
Timber Quotas | Timber Quota Licence |
|
Timber Permits | Timber Permits |
The Alberta government does not transfer land ownership rights through these forest tenures. Each forest tenure gives the holder specific rights and responsibilities to manage the forest and harvest timber for either short or long periods. Broadly speaking, tenure allocations in Alberta are either area-based or volume-based.
Proposals received in response to the “Request for Proposals Commercial Timber Permit in Forest Management Units WO1 and WO2” are currently being evaluated.
The government will notify potentially affected Indigenous communities of its intent to renew Forest Management Agreements (FMAs). Also, the public and Indigenous communities have the opportunity to get involved through the consultation processes during forest management planning.
Forest Management Agreement holders are required to consult with the public and Indigenous communities during the development of the Forest Management Plans. Other tenure holders also make their specific plans available for public and Indigenous consultation on an annual basis.
Public consultation can include:
For more information, see:
Under the authority of the Forests Act, the Alberta government has developed strict regulations, planning and operating standards, and policy directives in order to manage our forest resources in a sustainable and ecologically sound manner.
These documents regulate and guide:
Each forest tenure must follow its applicable regulations, standards and directives. The government also monitors all forestry-related activity on Alberta public land to ensure that these regulations, standards and policy directives are followed.
Where possible, all timber harvesting should occur in a manner that will minimize the impact on:
Reforestation must take place in all areas where timber is harvested.
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