Questions and answers
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this project.
Is this official data?
Yes. Everything here is built from the British Columbia government's own open data: the Forest Operations Map, the RESULTS harvest records, the Technical Advisory Panel old-growth layers, fish and stream layers, and more. The project processes that data; it does not invent it. Every figure traces to its source on the sources page, and you can download the data yourself.
Are you accusing logging companies or First Nations of doing something wrong?
No. This project is about the public's right to see and comment before old forest is logged. Overlap with old growth or a deferral area, or being near a fish record, is a reason to look and to comment, not proof that a block will cause harm or that any rule was broken. The site does not name licensees and does not allege wrongdoing. First Nations rights and title are respected; questions about public decisions are addressed to the province about its own decisions and records.
Can old growth recommended for deferral really still be logged?
A deferral is a recommendation, not a law, and not every area the 2021 panel recommended was actually deferred. It has already happened here: nine named openings around Port Renfrew have recorded harvest that began after the recommendation, inside the recommended areas. The deferral watch shows what is proposed inside those areas right now.
What can I actually do?
See what is open for comment right now and comment through the Forest Operations Map (the site gives you a ready-made comment). For blocks where the records are not public, the site drafts a records request. You can also subscribe to the alerts feed for your area.
Does commenting actually do anything?
More than most people expect. During the 30-day window the company must accept public comments. Before it can apply for a cutting or road permit, it must report to the government on the public comment process, including a final map showing any changes, and a permit application that does not match that final map must be refused. Your comment also becomes part of the public record that later records requests and Forest Practices Board complaints are built on. Sources: the province's Forest Operations Map overview and FRPA Facts: Forest Operations Map.
How current is this?
The data was last rebuilt on 2026-07-09, and it refreshes weekly. Comment windows are short and change often, so the site shows an as-of date, and any time-sensitive page will warn you visibly if its data is more than 10 days old. Always confirm a deadline on the live Forest Operations Map project before relying on it.
Will I hear back after I comment?
Maybe, not always. Your comment goes to the FOM holder, and the form says they may follow up if you chose to leave contact details. Comments are not published on the FOM site, so do not expect to see yours online. Either way the comment is in the record the holder must report to government before applying for permits, and if the handling seems inadequate you can pursue it with a records request or a Forest Practices Board complaint.
Can I use this on my own site or in my own work?
Yes, all of it. There is an embeddable widget of open comment windows for any website, RSS feeds per area, and the underlying tables and map layers are free to download. Attribute the original data to the Province of British Columbia and link back here for the processing.
Who made this?
Aaron Evans built it as an independent public-interest project, from public data, free for anyone to use or reuse.