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VICTORIA – British Columbia’s chief forester Larry Pedersen will determine this summer whether an increase in timber harvest levels is necessary in the Lakes, Prince George and Quesnel timber supply areas that have been hardest hit by the mountain pine beetle epidemic.
A timber supply analysis, which projected the impact of the infestation after this summer’s beetle flight, found that an additional 5.5 million cubic metres of beetle-killed trees could be harvested annually for five years. The current allowable annual cut in the three timber supply areas is 18.4 million cubic metres.
“The severity of the infestation on all forest values is obvious from the astounding findings of this analysis report,” Pedersen. “Clearly there is an urgent need to take a close look at the amount of affected timber in the three timber supply areas, to examine important conservation values and stewardship principles.
“I simply cannot afford to ignore the fact that this epidemic is going to have a significant impact on timber supplies, the environment and the communities in the infested areas, whether the harvest level is increased or not.”
A public discussion paper was released today along with a report from the ministry’s Forest Science Program that recommends stewardship principles in the event of a large salvage program. The paper is posted on the ministry’s website at http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts/ and the public is invited to provide comments until July 9, 2004.
While mountain pine beetle epidemics are natural events in B.C., the recent outbreak is unprecedented in the province’s recorded history. The first phase of new ongoing research completed by the ministry and the Canadian Forest Service concludes that the current infestation may peak in 2008, and under current conditions has the potential to kill more than 80 per cent of the merchantable pine in B.C.’s Interior.
As well as being posted on the ministry website, the public discussion paper is available from ministry district offices in Prince George, Quesnel, Burns Lake, Fort St. James and Vanderhoof, and from the regional offices in Prince George and Kamloops.
Under B.C.’s comprehensive 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 34 tree farm licences at least once every five years. The chief forester can postpone a determination for up to five more years if the annual harvest is not expected to change significantly, or set a new harvest level earlier than five years to deal with abnormal situations such as the beetle outbreak.
The government committed to expedited allowable annual cut reviews in areas hardest hit by the beetle in its updated mountain pine beetle action plan. More information on the mountain pine beetle is available at http://www.for.gov.bc.ca
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