 BC Timber Sales is a self-financing program within the Ministry of Forests. Our program sustainably manages the harvesting and reforestation of about 20% of the timber available from British Columbia's timber harvesting land base. We have 12 timber sales offices and a presence in 33 communities throughout the province. Our seedling services section manages BC Timber Sales' seed inventory and the production, distribution and storage of seedlings for the entire ministry. These seedlings are used to reforest public land where environmentally sound timber harvesting has occurred as well as to restock forest areas lost to fire, pest damage and other natural disasters. BC Timber Sales is recognized globally as a world leader in sustainable forest management. One way the provincial government achieves sustainability in the forest sector is by having a thorough regulated reforestation program in place to restore healthy resilient forests as soon as possible following harvesting activities. Since its inception in 2003, BC Timber Sales has grown over 1.1 billion seedlings and has planted over 800 million trees. British Columbia's forests and tree species are diverse. Provincial regulations require every harvested area be reforested using ecologically appropriate tree species. This encourages greater resiliency to the forest health challenges of wildfire, climate change and pest infestations such as the pine beetle. All areas harvested by BC Timber Sales licensees are reforested with seedlings native to the area, a critical factor in maintaining the long-term health, sustainability and productivity of BC's forests. Whenever possible BC Timber Sales uses improved seed, also known as select seed to produce seedlings. Select seed is not genetically modified. It is produced by breeding trees and selecting for desired characteristics. The select seed BC Timber Sales uses is collected from intensely managed private and government owned tree seed orchards. These orchards, together with the Provincial Tree Breeding Program, have been in operation since 1963. They are key elements of tree improvement in BC and ensure the genetic diversity of the seedlings we use. Each year we purchase about 400 kilograms of select seed from seed orchards. Trees grown from select seed enhance forest resiliency and productivity, which can help to minimize potential reductions in allowable annual cuts and to alleviate short-term timber supply shortages. In addition, the improved growth rate of trees grown from select seed and their resistance to pests increases carbon sequestration in young forests. BC Timber Sales continues to acquire select seed with high genetic worth that meets the chief forester's standards for seed use and the forest genetic council's reforesting objectives. BC Timber Sales awards numerous contracts to nurseries that produce over 50 million seedlings each year for our reforestation activities and an additional 45 million seedlings for other government restoration programs within the Ministry of Forests. These programs reforest public land affected by wildfires, pests and other natural disturbances or disasters. It typically takes one year of growth in a nursery before seedlings are ready for planting. Each fall, at the end of their growing season, the seedlings are tested to ensure they will survive the winter in cold storage. When they meet the required specifications, they are shipped to cold storage facilities until the spring planting season begins. Prior to the spring season kickoff, the seedlings are tested again in a controlled environment to ensure they are healthy and ready for planting. BC Timber Sales issues about 40 tree planting contracts to local and small business operators across the province each year. Typically, BC Timber Sales operating areas are reforested within 1.8 years of harvest, far sooner than the typical three or four-year legal requirement. Our partnerships with other ministry branches, industry and the planting contract community contribute to the successful planting of over 275 million seedlings a year. In 2020 and again in 2021, 300 million seedlings were planted, the largest reforestation program delivered in BC's history, and a significant accomplishment considering the operational challenges created for the entire industry by the pandemic during those two years. Climate change impacts all forest operations. Scientists in BC continue to develop and refine guidance for selecting tree seed and tree species best suited for the expected future climate. We apply the latest science-based reforestation guidance to our operations to improve overall forest health and better manage changes in environmental conditions. Our climate change action plan includes actions applicable to all our operations including harvesting and reforestation. We remain focused on adapting our reforestation strategies to choose species and planting densities that account for changes in temperature and precipitation levels. Reforestation doesn't end with planting. Our field staff revisit reforested areas for up to 20 years to ensure the trees are healthy. Our reforestation obligations end only after a stand has been surveyed by a qualified forestry professional and declared healthy and free of competition from surrounding plants, shrubs, or trees, ensuring healthy sustainable forests for the future. We spend more than 60 million dollars on silviculture activities a year. This includes site surveys, site preparation, seedling production, tree planting, and brushing, often required to remove shrubs and other vegetation that can compete with young trees. BC timber sales reforestation activities play an important role in the forest sector, contribute to the health and resiliency of rural communities, and help to sustainably manage the forests for the benefit and prosperity of all British Columbians.