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Unit 1 - Management of Alberta's Forests

Public Land Tenures

Under Alberta’s Forests Act, the right to harvest Crown (public) timber is allocated to companies and individuals through forest tenures. These public land tenure agreements are legal documents that describe the rights and responsibilities of the forest company with respect to the forest. Wildlife habitats, water, and soils must all be safeguarded as part of the forest company’s long-term harvesting plan.
Source: Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta


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In Alberta, there are three main forest tenure systems:

Forest management agreements
  • are agreements between companies and the provincial government
  • are area-based forms of tenure
  • are the most secure type of forest tenure in Alberta
  • represent shared government-industry responsibility and commitment
  • are long-term and renewable
  • allocate timber
  • provide rights regarding Crown timber
  • require that a forest management plan be in place before any timber is harvested

Currently, there are 20 forest management agreements in place in Alberta, including 3 joint agreements. To see a map of these 20 forest management agreements, view Forest Management Agreement Boundaries.
A timber quota
  • is intended to provide small to medium-sized timber operators with a long-term secure wood supply
  • lasts for 20 years
  • is renewable as long as the holder is in good standing with the Crown
  • can be either area-based or volume-based, however, currently there are no area-based timber quotas
  • can be one of two types: coniferous timber quota or deciduous timber allocation
  • holder cannot harvest trees until a timber licence is obtained

Currently there are 115 timber quotas in Alberta; 78 coniferous timber quotas and 37 deciduous timber allocations
Timber permits
  • generally are for local community use and small timber operators
  • are issued through a permit system
  • are volume-based
  • have a government developed management plan for the permit harvesting area
  • are usually issued for less than five years
  • generally are non-renewable
  • are small tenures, for personal or commercial use

Timber permits can be one of four main types:


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To read more about Forest Tenures in Alberta, visit Forestry Tenure in Alberta. Courtesy of Alberta Forest Products Association.