Non-Timber Forest Resources (NTFRs)

Non-timber forest products are botanical and mycological products and associated services of the forest other than timber, pulpwood, shakes or other wood products. Examples include wild berries, mushrooms, floral greenery, craft products, herbs, ethnobotanical teaching and forest tourism.

With over 200 species in BC that are harvested for commercial, personal and traditional uses, CFAs view NTFRs as an economic opportunity, helping to diversify their activities and reducing the pressure to harvest timber for financial return. The CFA tenure and the First Nations Woodland License are the only ones in BC that have the rights to develop and manage NTFRs. Section 43.3 of the Community Forest Legislation through the Forest Act gives rights to harvest and collect fees for NTFRs. However, there is no regulation to guide how this is done, and any current activity is informal.

BCCFA and the member communities recognize that aboriginal peoples rights and with respect to access and use must first be considered in the process of any NTFR product development.