What is the definition of an 'Approved Open Territory' for a Bigfoot Forestry franchisee?

According to Bigfoot Forestry's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, an 'Approved Open Territory' is defined as a geographic area outside of a franchisee's designated territory that Bigfoot Forestry has approved for the franchisee to operate and provide services in. This approval is granted according to the conditions outlined in Section 3.2 of the agreement.

To operate in an 'Approved Open Territory', a Bigfoot Forestry franchisee must first obtain prior approval from Bigfoot Forestry, which the company may withhold at its discretion. The area must be outside the franchisee's territory but adjacent to and contiguous with it. Bigfoot Forestry will not approve any area already assigned to another Bigfoot Forestry business.

If approval is granted, the franchisee must comply with Bigfoot Forestry's extra-territorial operations policy, if one exists, as described in the manual, and any other conditions or requirements specified by Bigfoot Forestry. Bigfoot Forestry retains the right to revoke this approval at any time, requiring the franchisee to immediately cease operations in the 'Approved Open Territory' and transfer any ongoing projects in that area to Bigfoot Forestry or its designee. Revocation is not anticipated except when the area is awarded to another franchisee or if the franchisee fails to meet Bigfoot Forestry's operational standards in the 'Approved Open Territory'.