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Commercial thinning

Last updated on August 26, 2026

Thinning is the cutting of individual trees in a stand to maintain or improve the health of remaining trees by providing space and resources for growth (e.g., sunlight, water, and nutrients).

Commercial thinning (CT) is a silvicultural intervention that is part of a broader silvicultural system. It involves the selective removal of trees, typically damaged, diseased, or of low vigor, from immature stands to meet a timber flow and/or value objective prior to density dependent mortality occurring.

It is a sustainable and innovative approach to:

  • enhance health, vigor, growth, and quality of the remaining trees ensuring diameter uniformity and lowering operational costs at final harvest,
  • generate volume and revenue prior to final harvest, and/or
  • provide flexibility in the timing and quantity of fiber flow.

Commercial thinning (CT) is usually applied to young, even-aged stands on medium or higher productivity sites at lower to mid elevations, and in proximity to processing facilities. At a landscape level, CT should not significantly impact mid-term timber supply.

Commercial thinning does not lead to regeneration obligations.

Commercial thinning guidance:

Please direct your questions to the Intensive Silviculture Specialist at ThinningSupport@gov.bc.ca.  We are also able to provide previous versions of the guidance or stand tending history to assist in site level prescription development.

Extensive commercial thinning research is conducted through experimental projects across the province. Research publications focus on  commercial thinning within different stand types and locations.