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Tree Cutting

Last Review/Updated: November 18, 2005

Permission to cut timber on Crown land is available to individuals and companies in Alberta.

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development issues permits and licences for personal and commercial use of the province’s timber resources.

Permits and licences available in Alberta include:

Trees for personal use – The TM66 form is intended for small scale, non-commercial or personal access to timber and trees. It entitles individuals to:

• 20 trees less than 2.5 metres in height for transplanting;
• three Christmas trees; or
• up to 5 cubic metres of green volume.

The TM66 Form is the legal authority to harvest in specific areas as designated by Sustainable Resource Development. The form costs $5.00, is valid for 30 days from time of purchase and is available from local Sustainable Resource Development offices.

Local Timber Permit – A one-year disposition intended for non-commercial or personal use only, the Local Timber Permit entitles the holder to harvest up to 50 cubic metres of green volume.

The cost of the permit is $20. The holder must also pre-pay timber dues and the reforestation levy on harvested volume as stipulated in the Timber Management Regulation. Sustainable Resource Development also requires a minimum security deposit of $1,000 in the event the holder is responsible for any site degradation. The deposit is refundable should no incidence of degradation occur.

Local Timber Permits are available from your local Sustainable Resource Development office.

Commercial Timber Permit

Awarded through a public bidding process, Commercial Timber Permits are short-term agreements that can be in effect for anywhere from 30 days to five years. They are generally issued to make a specific amount of timber available to meet local demand for smaller timber operators. More information about the obligations of permit holders, results of past sales and notice of pending sales is available here.

Timber Quota – Issued as a 20-year agreement, a Timber Quota gives companies the right to a specific volume of coniferous or deciduous wood. A coniferous quota allots a specific percentage of annual allowable cut volume, whereas a deciduous quota allows a specified volume to be harvested within a specific area in a forest management unit. Quota holders must submit annual operating plans and general development plans to government for review and approval.

Forest Management Agreement

An FMA is an area-based agreement that is typically in place for 20 years and can be renewed. It provides the holder with the right to harvest, remove and grow timber in a specific area. FMA-holders must prepare and be accountable for detailed forest management planning within a sustainability framework, which includes responsibility for protecting other forest values, including wildlife and watersheds.

For additional information about timber permits and licences, please contact your local Sustainable Resource Development or the Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Information Centre (here) or phone 780-422-2079, toll free in Alberta by dialing 310-0000.