Illegally cutting down trees to use for firewood is a serious problem throughout the province, but especially in the south coast region. In the Powell River area, the problem is growing as more people are going into the backcountry to cut trees on Crown land without the appropriate permit.
Mark Scott, compliance and enforcement officer with the ministry of forests, lands and natural resource operations, said a lot of the wood that is being illegally cut has a high value. “We would normally be collecting a fair chunk of change from stumpage revenue on it,” he said. “Its best use isn’t for firewood, it would be for lumber production.”
Compliance and enforcement officers in the Sunshine Coast Forest District office in Powell River manage the south coast region, an area that includes the lower and upper Sunshine Coast, Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, Hope and Chilliwack. Scott said the Powell River, lower Sunshine Coast, Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton areas are hot spots for illegally cut trees. “We’re finding a very high percentage of our industrial roads are being impacted by illegal firewood cutting,” he said.
Illegally cutting wood can create safety hazards for professional foresters and outdoor recreation users and can negatively impact an area’s ecosystem. It can result in a violation ticket of $173 or more if significant environmental damage is done.
“We have been issuing violation tickets and we’ve contemplated some more severe charges, especially when the unauthorized cutting has had a bigger impact on the environment,” Scott said. “We are adding additional resources to patrolling and monitoring for illegal firewood cutting.”
In the last year, officials have issued about 10 violation tickets and 15 warning tickets. Officials also seize the illegally cut wood.
There’s no need to consider cutting firewood illegally, Scott said. People can apply for a permit either in the district office or online and there is no charge. The permits are available throughout the year, except for when there are fire restrictions due to hot, dry weather. “We like to encourage people to, if they can, try and get their wood during the drier season,” he said. “If you’re cutting wood in the middle of the winter, a lot of the time that wood is going to be soaking wet and it’s not great to burn anyway.”
When people purchase wood, they should make sure to buy it from a legal, reputable outlet, Scott said. If it’s a cash transaction, people should ask for a receipt, which includes the name of the seller and the volume of wood, he added. “If they are ever stopped or questioned, they can produce the receipt,” he said. Firewood bought and sold without the proper documentation can be seized and removed by officials.
Interested readers who would like to cut firewood on vacant Crown land for personal use can obtain a permit by contacting the Sunshine Coast district office at 7077 Duncan Street in Powell River or online.
