Community Forest Harvesting Underway

By 250 News

The City’s Environment Manager Mark Fercho,  says  forest harvesting has resumed now that the stumpage rate issue has been addressed.   He says the rates were a significant issue over the past 6 months, but the rates have been dropped allowing Community Forest operations in P.G. to continue.  Prince George  is not able to burn  any debris,  so it must be  dealt with, and  if stumpage rates are high,  it makes removing the  marginal timber  cost prohibitive.

The Prince George Community Forest was awarded a license by the Province last October to help the City manage wildfire hazards and mountain pine beetle killed trees  on Crown land within the City’s limits.

Work this spring started in March with parts of the Cranbrook Hill Greenway Trail being selectively logged.  There is also activity underway at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Centre on Ottway Road.

Fercho says plans are already being developed for Winter 2007-2008 harvesting and the focus will be on fire fuel reduction.

The Prince George Community Forest is also planning on gaining SAFE Certification this year.

The Community Forest license only  covers Crown lands within City Limits,  and Fercho says the  general public may not even notice some of the logging activities as the sites are  large.  "We are  also  using this opportunity to enhance trails  or create new ones, so   there is a benefit in addition to the  reduction of fire fuels."

With 120 logging truck loads of wood  pulled off Crown land, Fercho says this is just the beginning of a long term project "In two years we will reaccess the project and perhaps apply for   an  increase in our tenure." 

Fercho  says he is very grateful to the local  forestry companies.  "I know  there is very little value in the wood but they  have given us great support in  buying our logs even though they have significant inventories of their own.  They  have been very  good community  supporters."

As for the local clean up,  he says the removal of  mountain pine beetle trees  has reached  the half way mark.  "There are still  about 50 sites to clear" says Fercho, "Some are small , but most are larger landscapes."

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