Harvest timber or firewood to sell

To harvest firewood or timber to sell, you need:

• a timber resources licence; or
• a fuel wood licence; and
• a cutting permit.

A licence gives you the right to harvest commercially in a specific area. The term of a licence cannot be more than 10 years.

A cutting permit tells you:

• how much wood you can harvest; and
• from where in the licence area.

The term of a cutting permit cannot be more than 3 years.

If you're applying for a new licence, we'll issue a cutting permit at the same time as the licence.

If you already have a licence and only need a cutting permit, you follow the same application process.

Eligibility

• You must have a valid Yukon business registration number or proof of exemption.
• Your business must be in good financial standing with the Forest Management Branch.
• The area you're harvesting must be in an approved timber harvest plan. Contact the Forest Management Branch to discuss current or new timber harvest plans:
  • In person: Mile 918.07 Alaska Highway, Whitehorse, Yukon. Our office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Email: forestry@gov.yk.ca
  • Phone: 867-456-3999
  • Phone toll free in Yukon: 1-800-661-0408, extension 3999

Apply

1. Complete the applicable application form. You can also pick up a form at any of our Compliance Monitoring and Inspections offices.
   • Fuel wood application.
   • Timber resource application.
2. Submit your completed application.
   In person: at your local Compliance Monitoring and Inspections office.
3. You will need to pay a non-refundable application fee. The amount depends on the volume of wood being applied for.
   • Under 100 cubic metres: $10
   • 100 to 1,000 cubic metres: $50
   • Over 1,000 cubic metres: $100
4. You'll need to pay a security deposit for each new licence you apply for. The deposit will be at least $100. The deposit could be more if you've had compliance issues in the past.

Application timeline

Before we approve a licence, there's a public and First Nation notification period of at least 30 days. During this time, anyone interested can submit comments relevant to your application. Other factors that might affect the application timeline include:

• the availability of wood;
• the time needed to develop a new timber harvest plan;
• the applicable environmental assessment; and
• your own business’ eligibility.

After submitting your application, we'll send you a letter outlining timelines specific to your application.

You need to report the volume of timber or firewood you harvest. Your cutting permit will specify when you need to report your harvest. Failure to report full harvest volumes may affect your eligibility for future licences.

Report your harvest

1. Complete the harvest report form. Be sure to sign it.
2. Submit your completed form at your local Compliance Monitoring and Inspections office.

You must pay a fee to harvest firewood or timber from public land. This fee is known as stumpage.

The stumpage rate is calculated and set when we issue you a cutting permit. It's a per-cubic-metre cost for the wood you harvested.

Pay your stumpage fee

In person: visit your local Compliance Monitoring and Inspections office.
Mail:
Government of Yukon
Forest Management Branch (K-918)
Box 2703
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6

How your stumpage is calculated

We calculate the stumpage rate based on the sum of fees for:

• timber;
• reforestation;
• development; and
• road-use.

Timber fee

$1 per cubic metre of green or dead timber.

Reforestation fee

• Timber resources licence: $5 per cubic metre
• Fuel wood licence: no charge
• Forest resources permit: no charge

Development fee

The development fee is $0.75 per cubic metre. It includes costs for:

• planning;
• surveying;
• layout; and
• engineering.

Road-use fee

We calculate the road-use fee by adding up the costs of:

• the approved construction;
• expected maintenance; and
• expected decommissioning.

We divide this total by the volume of timber accessible by the forest resources road.

We'll provide you with a cost per cubic metre of timber you harvest.

Request a refund of your stumpage fee

You can request a refund of:

• a security deposit when your project is complete; or
• stumpage fee if you do not cut the volume of wood you paid for.

1. Complete the refund request form.
2. Submit the form.
   In person: visit your local Compliance Monitoring and Inspections office.
   Mail:
   Government of Yukon
   Forest Management Branch (K-918)
   Box 2703
   Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6