Prince George, BC – BC's deputy chief forester has announced the annual allowable cut for the Robson Valley Timber Supply Area will, itself, be cut by more than 80-thousand cubic metres to 400-thousand cubic metres.

The Robson Valley TSA covers approximately 1.46-million hectares south of Prince George to Jasper National Park, including the communities of McBride and Valemount.  In announcing the AAC reduction, deputy chief forester, Diane Nicholls, says it reflects the creation of new wildlife habitat conservation areas.  Nicholls points out the cut level also includes a geographic partition of 355-thousand cubic metres for areas that are considered more easily accessible and says the level will ensure these areas are not over-harvested and the mid-term timber supply is conserved.

The General Manager of the McBride Community Forest Corporation, Marc von der Gonna, says community forests and woodlots (area-based tenures) are removed from the TSA and have their annual allowable cuts determined separately.  von der Gonna says MCFC's AAC will remain unchanged at 50-thousand cubic metres.

The McBride Community Forest Corporation is owned by the village of McBride – it was established 10-years ago to manage the community forest tenure offered in 2002, after the community's mill was shuttered and is credited with saving the local forest industry.