Salvage Logging Creating Large Openings in Central B.C.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009 03:56 AM

Victoria, B.C.- A new study by the Forest Practices Board calls on government to ensure areas are set aside for biodiversity and wildlife before salvage logging of mountain pine beetle timber clears the forests close to roads and
communities in the central interior of B.C.

"At least seven very large openings have emerged on the landscape through of a series of relatively isolated, but well-intentioned, decisions about where to place individual salvage cutblocks," said board chair Bruce
Fraser. "These large openings have much less old forest reserved from logging than was recommended by B.C.'s chief forester."

"There is enough old forest remaining in the area to meet the chief forester's recommendations," added Fraser, "but government needs to act quickly to ensure it is not logged as the salvage effort proceeds, and as
other uses for the wood, like bioenergy, are developed."

In 2004, when the allowable annual cut was increased in central B.C. to help salvage the dead pine trees, B.C.'s chief forester advised professional foresters to develop landscape level plans for where to retain mature forest and where to place salvage cutblocks. He also recommended that individual salvage cutblocks should include more patches of mature trees to provide a range of forest types and ages for wildlife and biodiversity and reduce flood risks.

The board examined whether that advice was followed in an area stretching from Burns Lake through Prince George, and south to Quesnel.

The study found that, for a variety of reasons, landscape level planning for the salvage harvesting was not completed. Foresters did leave more trees standing in salvage cutblocks, as the chief forester recommended, but
when looking at the big picture across the landscape, it did not achieve the desired result.

"Without a plan for how much mature forest to leave intact, and more importantly, where to leave it to provide the most biological value, these large openings will continue to increase in both size and number," said
Fraser.

Forest Practices Board Chair Bruce Fraser will be a guest on the Meisner program this morning at 9:00 on 93.1 CFIS FM. That program can be heard on Opinion250 through live streaming audio.