Alberta Timber Damage Assessments
If certain approved public land dispositions in Alberta take land out of forest use, compensation for the value of the trees and the area affected, commonly called the timber damage assessment or TDA, is payable to the Government of Alberta. It is calculated from provincial tables that give a value per hectare by forest cover type, and inside a Forest Management Agreement area the FMA holder bills separately for its own compensation.
What’s included
- Lines by widthProgram lines measured by width and checked against the low-impact seismic limits.
- FMA overlapAny Forest Management Agreement the project crosses, found and mapped.
- Salvage and decksTimber decisions recorded; on BC projects, decked volumes are tracked to the scale tickets.
- FMA holder requestThe request to the FMA holder prepared, with the footprint map and shapefile attached.
Questions
Who pays a Timber Damage Assessment, and to whom?
The disposition holder pays the Government of Alberta. Inside a Forest Management Agreement area, the province bills only its own share of the coniferous and deciduous TDA values and the matching salvage timber dues. The FMA holder bills separately for the compensation its agreement entitles it to.
How is a TDA calculated?
From Alberta's TDA tables, which give provincial average values per hectare by forest cover type, for each FMA and for land outside FMAs. The values recognize the timber itself, the annual allowable cut that goes with it and the cost of future reforestation. The rates are published in yearly tables; the current Crown billing rate table took effect on July 1, 2026.
Do low-impact seismic programs pay a TDA?
Not where the program qualifies: TDA values are set to zero when the average line width is 2 metres or less and no category of line width is greater than 2.75 metres. Programs must also follow best practices, such as avoiding merchantable timber where possible and keeping line of sight to 200 metres at most; a line that fails them is billed at the full rate.
When is a seismic program's TDA due?
When the final plan is submitted, and the final plan must be submitted within 90 days of completing program recording. The TDA rates in effect when the program was approved apply. A separate calculation form is completed for each FMA the program crosses.
What happens to timber cleared on a disposition?
In the Green Area, trees that meet the utilization standard must be cut, delimbed, topped and decked separately from other trees and debris. Within 6 months of clearing, the operator must remove the decked timber and put it to use, or dispose of it by sale or gift.