Prince George, B.C.- A warning of sorts from the Forest Practices Board. 

 A new report indicates that when it comes to reforestation, the areas in need could well out strip the areas planned for replanting and that could have a major impact on future timber supply. 

The report indicates that almost two million hectares of Crown forested land could potentially be "not satisfactorily restocked" (NSR).  Of that, nearly half a million hectares will be restocked by industry and government has current plans to restock about a quarter of a million hectares. 

"Decisions about whether to replant areas where mountain pine beetle and fire have killed most of the trees will have an impact on the future timber supply in the B.C. Interior," said Al Gorley, board chair. "At a minimum, if nature is left to take its course, the eventual crop of timber in those areas will be delayed." 

Government has a reforestation program for these areas, but to date it has only directed limited effort at re-stocking mature, beetle-affected forests because those areas might still be harvested – and eventually restocked – by the forest industry. 

"There is a lot of debate about exactly how much forest has been damaged by fire and beetles," said Gorley. "But the important question is, should we invest money now to ensure a healthy timber supply into the future, and, if so, how will we raise and invest it? But if action is to be taken, it must be taken quickly." 

The board has made three recommendations that call on the government to: 

1. confirm its assumptions about how much additional area will be salvage harvested by the forest industry and develop a monitoring system to track whether those assumptions are being borne out;

2. use the best information and projections currently available to conduct a broadly framed cost-benefit analysis of options to restock or not restock areas that may be NSR in the beetle affected region; and

3. carry out the survey and inventory work necessary to inform the future decisions that must be made; particularly those related to determination of the allowable annual cut in the beetle affected region.

The Board also requests the government deliver a response by October 1 of this year, on how it plans to address the recommendations.