Timber Permits - Commercial - Forest Management

 
     
 
 
 Commercial Timber Permits are timber dispositions issued pursuant to section 22 of the Forests Act, and sections 37 to 41 of the Timber Management Regulation authorizing a person to harvest Crown timber.
To review provincial legislation related to commercial timber harvesting and permits, visit the Alberta Queen's Printer website at: What is the size of a Commercial Timber Permit (CTP)?

The size can vary. Generally Commercial Timber Permits are less than 5000 m3 of timber.

How many Commercial Timber Permits are in Alberta?

There are 264 active Commercial Timber Permits in Alberta. Commercial Timber Permits are allocated for both coniferous (e.g. spruce and pine) and deciduous (e.g. aspen) timber in Alberta.

What is the difference between Commercial Timber Permits and Coniferous Community Timber Permits?

Commercial Timber Permits provide timber access to operators who are not part of the Community Timber Program.
  • These permits are allocated by competitive auctions and tenders or non-competitively by direct sales.
  • Operators who are successful getting the timber permits pay the dues rate set in the Timber Management Regulation.
  • This permit may include coniferous and/or deciduous timber.
Coniferous Community Timber Permits are issued by direct award to local, eligible small operators.
  • These permits include coniferous timber only.
  • They are set at a fixed dues rate as per the Timber Management Regulation.
For additional information, see; Are CTP holders responsible for reforestation?

It depends. In general, Commercial Timber Permit holders pay a reforestation levy or fee to an authorized association to do the reforestation. CTPs held by a Forest Management Agreement or Timber Quota holder must follow the respective reforestation requirements.

The government sets reforestation standards. It also receives annual reforestation results for all commercial timber dispositions. These results are monitored to ensure reforestation is successful. How can you get a Commercial Timber Permit?

Under the authority of Section 38 of the Timber Management Regulation, Commercial Timber Permits can be issued competitively by tender or auction, or non-competitively through direct sale.

The government advertises the sales at least two weeks in advance on the department website and through local newspapers. The sales are usually between August to October.

Commercial Timber Permits (CTP) require the holder to meet significant forest management standards and achieve a high level of environmental protection. Therefore, potential bidders must be aware of the significant liabilities that will accrue to the successful bidder.

All bidders are strongly encouraged to use professional consulting foresters to advise them prior to submitting a tender, especially if they are not experienced in logging operations in Alberta.

Who can bid on Commercial Timber Permits?

Bidders may be either individual persons or corporate bodies.
  • A bidder who is an individual must
    • Be at least 18 years of age
    • Have resided in Alberta for at least 6 months preceding the tender
    • Not be in default under the Forest Act (hereinafter the 'Act') or any regulations under the Act (this includes being current on any debt or liability to the Crown in right of Alberta and to the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta)
  • A bidder that is a corporate body must
    • Be in good standing with Alberta Corporate Registry
    • Not be in default of the Act or any regulations under the Act (this includes being current on any debt or liability to the Crown in right of Alberta and to the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta)
For more details, visit the Service Alberta website at: Are there any Commercial Timber Permits for sale?

The 2018 Commercial Timber Permit (CTP) sale took place on October 18, 2018.

Provincial Timber Permit Sales 2018 Results



  
 
 
 
For more information about the content of this document, contact Wendy Machan.
This information published to the web on February 25, 2016.
Last Reviewed/Revised on October 22, 2018.