P.G. Timber Supply Review Launched

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C.- The Ministry of Forests and Range is inviting public review and comment on a discussion paper released today as part of a comprehensive timber supply review of the Prince George timber supply area.

The Prince George timber supply area's current allowable annual cut of 14,944,000 cubic metres was set in September 2004, to facilitate accelerated harvesting of mountain pine beetle-killed timber. One of the key issues in this review is how to manage the remaining mature, non-pine forests that remain following the mountain pine beetle infestation until currently immature stands are suitable for harvesting.

The discussion paper outlines   four scenarios for consideration: 

• In scenario 1, the salvage of dead pine continues at the level of the current AAC until all of the salvageable pine in the Prince George TSA has been harvested. The harvest of non-pine leading stands – predominately spruce –does not exceed the sustainable long-term level throughout the entire forecast period.
• 2A:  In scenarios 2A and 2B, the initial harvest level is set at about the average level harvested during the past five years, about 12.5 million cubic metres per year. In both scenarios 2A and 2B, the salvage of dead pine continues at average rate observed over the last five years. However, in order to minimize the projected decrease in mid-term harvest levels, the harvest of non-pine stands is temporarily increased above the level that is sustainable in the long term. The difference between scenarios 2A and 2B, is that in scenario A harvesting operations in the Prince George and Vanderhoof Forest Districts are assumed to shift to the Fort St. James district, once all of the salvageable pine in the Prince George and Vanderhoof Forest Districts has been harvested. The increased harvesting capacity in the Fort St. James Forest District is used to increase the rate of pine salvage, which will continue until all of the available dead pine in this forest district has been harvested.
• 2B: In contrast, in scenario 2B the harvesting capacity that was being used in the Prince George and Vanderhoof Forest Districts to salvage pine is not shifted to the Fort St. James district in order to increase the rate of pine harvest in this district. Instead the additional harvesting capacity is used to increase the rate of non-pine harvest. As a consequence, the increase in the non-pine harvest happens earlier in scenario 2B than it does in scenario 2A.
• 3. In scenario 3, the salvage of dead pine stops immediately and the harvest of non-pine leading stands increases to the 2008 harvest level.

The discussion paper can be accessed by clicking here. 

The provincial chief forester will consider each scenario when he determines a new allowable annual cut later this year.

Public comment on the discussion paper will be accepted until March 4^th of this year.

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us