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VICTORIA
– Effective immediately, the
allowable annual cut for tree farm licence 14 will increase from 160,000 cubic
metres to 180,000 cubic metres, deputy chief forester Craig Sutherland
announced today.
The tree farm licence (TFL) has significant
amounts of mature lodgepole pine, which is vulnerable to the mountain pine
beetle. An epidemic to the northwest of the TFL also contributes to the risk of
increased infestation in TFL 14.
“Tembec
Industries, the licensee for TFL 14, has properly focused its harvesting on
pine that’s either already been affected or is at risk of being attacked by the
mountain pine beetle,” said Sutherland. “However, analysis showed that
increasing the cut level could help address growing concern over the mountain
pine beetle issue in the Columbia Valley, and therefore help reduce potential
impacts to mid and long-term timber supply.”
The
TFL covers about 150,000 hectares and is located 32 km southwest of Golden, in
the East Kootenays. Forestry activity in the TFL provides employment for
residents in Golden as well as Canal Flats, Skookumchuk, Cranbrook, Kimberley,
Parson and several other communities in the Columbia Valley.
The
deputy chief forester’s determination is an independent professional judgment
based on information ranging from technical forestry reports, First Nations
input and public input to the government’s social and economic goals. The
timber supply review accounts for environmental concerns like biodiversity
(which includes old-growth forests), water quality, and scenic values, in
addition to social and economic issues.
Under
the timber supply review, the chief forester or deputy chief forester
determines 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. A new
allowable annual cut can be determined earlier in response to abnormal
situations, or postponed for another five years if the AAC is not expected to
change significantly.
Copies of the deputy chief forester’s
rationale for the allowable annual cut determination are available on the
Ministry of Forests and Range website at www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts/
or from the Rocky Mountain Forest
District office in Cranbrook or the Southern Interior Forest Region office in
Kamloops.
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contact: |
Deputy Chief Forester 250 387-1296 |
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