Soo Timber Supply Area
Last updated on June 11, 2026The Soo timber supply area (TSA) lies within the South Coast Natural Resource Region and is administered by the Sea to Sky Natural Resource District.
It is bounded on the west by Tree Farm Licence 38 and the Sunshine Coast TSA; on the north by the Lillooet TSA; and on the south and east by the Fraser TSA. The communities of Lions Bay, Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton are within this TSA.
Effective May 12, 2011 the allowable annual cut (AAC) for the Soo TSA was 480,000 cubic metres. In this determination, the partition in the existing AAC of at least 90,000 cubic metres per year to the helicopter operable portions of the land base is removed.
Adjusted Allowable Annual Cut (AAC)
The AAC for the Soo TSA has been reduced three times since the 2011 determination, through the Allowable Annual Cut (AAC) Administration Regulation to account for the establishment of two Community Forest Agreement (CFA) tenures and a First Nations Woodland Licence (FNWL) resulting in an effective AAC of 368,276 cubic metres.
Effective September 15, 2020, a Community Forest Agreement (CFA) was created, the AAC for the Soo TSA was 467,473 cubic metres. The AAC was reduced under the AAC Administration Regulation on that date. When a CFA is issued the AAC of the TSA is adjusted to reflect the land removed from the TSA.
Effective July 20, 2021, the Soo TSA AAC was 391,118 cubic metres due to the establishment of N2V Lilwat First Nation Woodand Licence.
Effective December 12, 2022, the Allowable Annual Cut Administration Regulation was used to reduce the AAC for the Soo TSA in which the Squamish CFA K5Y is located. The AAC for the Soo TSA was 368,276 cubic metres.
Postponement Order
The Forest Act — Section 8 (3.1) of the Forest Act stipulates in part that: If… the chief forester considers that the allowable annual cut…is not likely to be changed significantly with a new determination, then…the chief forester by written order may postpone the next determination…to a date that is up to 15 years after the date of the relevant last determination and must give written reasons for the postponement.
Effective April 20, 2023, a Chief Forester Order (Postponement Order) was established, as outlined in Section 8 (3.1) of the Forest Act.
Current Timber Supply Review
- Rationale for AAC Determination (PDF, 553KB)
- Public Discussion Paper (PDF, 577KB)
- Data Package (PDF, 526KB)
The Soo TSA includes the communities of Lions Bay, Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, as well as many smaller communities. It lies within the South Coast Natural Resource Region of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
Contact information
Feedback is welcome on any issue related to the timber supply review for the Soo TSA. Public input is vital to the timber supply review process.