Continuous forest inventory applications in the determination of sustainability in British Columbia

The application of data from a continuous forest inventory, CFI, system over fifteen years to a wood lot licence in British Columbia is described. The B.C. Forest Service is responsible for forest management based on an annual allowable cut where the cut calculation has been related to the silvicultural system of clear cutting, based on computer modelling to predict growth and yield. Public pressure toward selection cutting and retention has developed and clear cutting is being partly replaced by retention to create a continuous forest cover system in which CFI could be applied.

Canada and its provinces have been working towards CFI, coordinated through the Canadian Forest Inventory Committee whose objective is to measure, record and report on Canada's forest inventory and to monitor change and the forest's sustainability. This approach may also be useful to the National Forest Strategy Coalition.