Forest Operations Map
Last updated on March 28, 2024Recent amendments to the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) require Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) holders to make a Forest Operations Map available for public review and comment as part of the cutting/road permit review and approval process.
As part of the new public review and comment process, companies may choose to use the Forest Operations Map (FOM) online portal. A new online tool that allows the public to find, view, and comment on planned forestry operations, such as proposed cutblocks and roads.
FOM provisions will come into force on April 1, 2024, to give FSP holders time to prepare for the new FOM process.
On this page:
- FOM applicability and content requirements
- FOM review and comment period
- FOM validity period
- FOM and Cutting/Road Permit approval
- FOM effective date
- FSP holder access to the FOM software
- Resources for Forest Practitioners
FOM applicability and content requirements
The Forest Operations Map (FOM) is intended to enhance transparency of operational planning and to provide engagement opportunities for interested members of the public, and community stakeholders.
The requirement to publish a FOM only applies to FSP holders, meaning any agreement holder under the Forest Act that is required to prepare an FSP. For FSPs held by multiple agreement holders, each agreement holder must prepare a FOM.
A FOM is NOT required if timber harvesting is:
- Required to eliminate a safety hazard, required for seed collection (opening < 1 ha), removing felled trees from landings and road right of ways, if harvesting is necessary for pest control (volume ≤ 500 m3)
- Exempt from the requirement to have an FSP, such as incidental (does not exceed 50 m3), related to a research installation
- Associated with non-forestry activities (not authorized under the Forest Act)
What must be included in a Forest Operations Map
Forest Operations Maps must include the following elements:
- Identify the FSP holder who prepared the FOM
- Identify the FSP to which the FOM pertains
- Include a map scale and size satisfactory to the Minister that includes
- General geographic area with approximate location of proposed cutblocks and roads for each identified cutblock and road
- Year in which timber harvesting or road construction is intended to commence
- Period during which operations depicted on the FOM are scheduled to take place (start/end year)
FOM notification requirements
Notification requirements ensure that the public and interested parties are aware that a FOM is available for review. Anyone who prepares a FOM must publish public notice at least once in a newspaper (defined in the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation) and on a publicly available website (no paywall) maintained by government or the FSP holder. This notice must specify:
- Address at which a person may view and comment on the FOM, optional website address at which the FOM may be accessed
- Hours during which the FOM can be viewed and comments can be submitted
- Mailing address and email address to which a person may submit comments
- Three-year validity period during which the FOM may be relied upon to apply for a cutting, road permit or issue a timber sale license (TSL) to harvest a cutblock or construct a road shown on the FOM
- Period during which the FOM is publicly available and comments will be received
FOM and consultation with First Nations
While the FOM is a good source of information for First Nation communities, it does not replace existing consultation processes for the Province’s duty to consult.
These changes were brought into force by updates to the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation (FPPR).
FOM review and comment period
The review and comment period begins on the date stated in the public notice and ends 30 days thereafter. During this time, the FOM holder must accept public comments on the FOM. A FOM must be available for review at any reasonable time during business hours, at the specified address, and optionally on a publicly accessible website.
The FOM validity period
An FSP holder may rely on a FOM for the application for a cutting or road permit for three years. The three-year period starts on the date stated in the public notice that the FOM review and commenting period commences. A Timber Sales Manager may rely on a FOM for the issuance of a TSL for three years. The three-year period starts on the date the FOM review and commenting period ends.
Some FOM requirements differ for BCTS. Specifically:
- Operating period (validity) for the FOM is three years, starting the day review and commenting period ends (30 days after publication of the FOM)
- BCTS is not required to submit a report on review and comment or to submit the FOM to government
FOM and Cutting/Road Permit Approvals
Each FOM holder, prior to cutting or road permit application, must submit a report on the public review and comment to government that should include:
- Final FOM (showing proposed and final shapes to depict changes)
- Copy of the public notice
- Comments received, and a description of any resulting changes to the FOM
Bill 41/2023 enables permit refusal under the Forest Act if the FOM requirements outlined above have not been met. Ministry staff responsible for cutting permit, road permit, or timber sales licence issuance will compare the permit/licence application to the final FOM submission. If inconsistencies exist between the cutblocks and roads depicted in the permit application versus those in the final FOM, the permit application must be refused, and timber sale licences should not be issued. All features contained in the application must be depicted on the associated FOM for permit or licence approval.
FOM effective date
FOM regulations will take effect on April 1, 2024. Starting on that date, all Forest Stewardship Plan holders must comply with the new FOM provisions to successfully apply for a cutting permit or road permit. It is not possible to pre-comply with FOM provisions and advertise legally viable FOMs prior to April 1, 2024. However, in an effort to minimize delays in cutting permit or road permit applications Forest Stewardship Plan holders are encouraged to prepare FOM submissions ahead of time and immediately post them for public review and comment starting April 1, 2024.
FSP holder access to the FOM software
If you are a Forest Stewardship Plan holder and want to use the FOM software to administer and submit FOMs, please fill out the access spreadsheet and submit it to FOM.ADMIN@gov.bc.ca.
In order to request access you will need:
- the Business BCeIDs for the users in your company
- the Forest Client IDs (8-digit number) you are authorized to submit FOMs under.
The Forest Client ID links the user to the FSP they are submitting FOMs under. If you have several different Forest Client IDs with different FSPs linked to them, you need to indicate which users are supposed to submit FOMs under which Forest Client ID (FSP). This is a security feature ensuring that one FSP holder does not edit the FOMs of a different FSP holder.