Area of Crown land logged in BC 1989 - 2018

This graph, based on ministry of forests data, shows the trend in the area of BC logged each year. Data has been mapped as 5-year averages to smooth out the data so that the trend can more easily be seen. The dip shown at 2013 includes the years 2009 to 2013, during which period the world financial collapse occurred.

Over the period shown here, the average cut rose from 191,000 hectares per year to 240,000 hectares per year. As less and less primary forest remains as time goes on, this figure would rise unless the volume logged (AAC) is reduced.

Since negative effects caused by clearcut logging—such as increase in area burned by forest fire and magnitude of floods are related to the total area logged, those effects appear set to get worse unless the cut is reduced.