Forest & Range Practices Act (FRPA)

Last updated on September 25, 2023

The Forest & Range Practices Act (FRPA) governs forest and range activities on public lands in B.C. during forest planning, road building, timber harvesting, reforestation and livestock grazing.

Ongoing changes to FRPA will ensure it better reflects our new vision for B.C. forests by increasing local control and prioritizing forest health. These changes will also help B.C. take full advantage of future economic opportunities through long-term planning. 


What is the Forest and Range Practices Act?

FRPA applies to all public forest and range lands and to anyone who holds an agreement under the Forest Act or Range Act. It also applies to private land associated with woodlots licences and tree farm licences.

With the introduction of the Forest and Range Amendment Act (Bill 21, 2019) and Forest Statues Amendment Act (Bill 23, 2021), the Forest Stewardship Planning (FSP) framework will be, over time, progressively replaced by the Forest Landscape Planning (FLP) framework.


Modernizing FRPA: amendments and regulatory changes

The Forest and Range Practices Act provides economic, environmental, cultural and social benefits to B.C.’s communities and Indigenous Nations.

To ensure the Act continues to provide these benefits and serve the public interest in an era of change, the ministry is engaged in a multi-year legislative and regulatory process to implement changes consistent with the province’s strategic vision for modern forest management. Recent amendments to the Act increase Indigenous Nations’ participation in forestry, improve resilience to climate change, and enable landscape planning for sustainable forest management.

Learn more about changes to FRPA and the FRPA Improvement Initiative