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VICTORIA – Effective immediately, the allowable annual cut for the Williams Lake timber supply area will increase to 5.77 million cubic metres in response to the mountain pine beetle epidemic, chief forester Jim Snetsinger announced today.
The new allowable annual cut represents an increase of two million cubic metres per year from the previous allowable annual cut of 3,768,400 cubic metres.
“To reduce the impacts of the beetle and speed the recovery of new forests, the allowable annual cut should be increased,” said Snetsinger. “However, the majority of the increased and current harvesting must be directed towards the most heavily infested areas west of the Fraser River to preserve as much of the non-pine for future harvest as possible.”
In his determination, the chief forester emphasizes that harvesting must be focused in areas west of the Fraser River and in stands containing more than 70 per cent pine trees. The new harvest level also provides flexibility to address other forest health issues such as the spruce bark beetle.
The determination incorporates the requirements of existing land-use plans and forest practices legislation. Ministry of Forests and Range staff will continue to monitor the infestation and advise the chief forester if it subsides or expands beyond projected levels, in which case further examination of the timber supply may be required.
Under the timber supply review, the
chief forester must determine how much wood can be harvested in each of the
province’s 37 timber supply areas and 33 tree farm licences at least once every
five years. The chief forester can determine new allowable annual cuts in
response to abnormal situations, such as the mountain pine beetle epidemic, or
postpone a decision for another five years if a harvest level is not expected
to change significantly.
Copies of the chief forester’s
allowable annual cut determination are available on the Ministry of Forests and
Range website at www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts/tsa/tsa29/ or from the Central Cariboo Forest
District in Williams Lake, the Chilcotin Forest District in Alexis Creek, or
the Southern Interior Forest Region office in Kamloops.
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contact: |
District Manager Chilcotin Forest District 250 394-4736
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Acting Operations Manager Central Cariboo Forest District 250 398-4399
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Chief Forester Victoria 250 387-1296
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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