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Is the mountain pine beetle
new to British Columbia?
No. Lodgepole pine and the
mountain pine beetle have always co-existed as a natural part of the
ecosystem in British Columbia’s interior forests.
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Why is British Columbia in
the midst of a mountain pine beetle epidemic?
Forests of mature lodgepole pine
are prime habitat for the mountain pine beetle. The beetle also thrives
under warm weather conditions. The interior of British Columbia has an
abundance of mature lodgepole pine, and has experienced several
consecutive mild winters and drought-like summers. Beetle populations in
many parts of interior B.C. have increased to epidemic levels as a
result.
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How exactly does the mountain
pine beetle kill trees?
Beetles attack pine trees by
laying eggs under the bark. When the eggs hatch, the larvae mine the
phloem area beneath the bark and eventually cut off the tree’s supply of
nutrients.
The beetles also carry a fungus
that causes dehydration and inhibits a tree’s natural defences against
beetle attacks. The fungi stains the wood blue or grey. Despite the
discoloration, the wood remains as structurally sound as unattacked pine
and can still be used for high-quality products.
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Does the mountain pine beetle
have natural predators?
Birds - particularly woodpeckers
- enjoy feasting on mountain pine beetles. Beetle larvae can also be
susceptible to some parasites and insect predators. However, the current
epidemic is far beyond the level at which the beetle’s natural enemies
can be much help in B.C.’s battle against the beetle.
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How is B.C.’s beetle epidemic
being addressed?
The beetle battle is being fought on many fronts. The Province of
British Columbia has a multi-faceted action plan to deal with the
short-term consequences of the epidemic, while also working to
sustain the well-being of the economy, environment and communities
over the long term.
British
Columbia's Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan for 2006-2011 provides a framework to guide all provincial ministries and
agencies, and to assist communities, First Nations and other
stakeholders in understanding and carrying out measures for mitigating
impacts of the epidemic.
The action plan also guides the
Mountain Pine Beetle Emergency Response:
Canada-B.C. Implementation Strategy – the spending plan for
the $100 million contributed by the Government of Canada to the Province
to help manage adverse effects of the infestation. This funding was
incorporated into the Ministry of Forests and Range September 2005
Budget Update for 2005/06 to 2007/08.
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What is the current size of
British Columbia’s mountain pine beetle infestation?
The Ministry of Forests and Range relies on aerial overview
surveys to monitor and track the spread of the mountain pine beetle.
Ministry surveys detected 9.2 million hectares of red-attack in
2006.
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Does beetle-attack increase
the possibility of wildfire?
Large areas of dead pine stands
represent a potential fire hazard. The Province is directing fuel
management activities in beetle areas as recommended in Filmon’s
Firestorm Provincial Review report. Harvesting affected stands aids fire
management by removing the hazard and breaking the continuity of the
fuels.
Nearly $25 million is expected
to be spent over three years on treatments specifically designed to
reduce interface fire threats to communities and First Nations located
in the infestation zone. The interface is the area where urban
development and wilderness meet.
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What will be done with all
this beetle-attacked timber?
Not all of the beetle timber has
to be logged today. The timber is expected to retain its commercial
value anywhere from five to 18 years after attack (depending on local
site conditions). Research and "shelf-life" modelling continues to be
conducted to help determine priority areas where more immediate
harvesting is required to recover economic value.
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What new and existing markets
are there for beetle-attacked timber?
Beetle-attacked timber can be
used for anything from standard framing lumber, to value-added wood
products, to energy generation. The beetle-transmitted blue stain has no
practical effect on strength properties, gluing characteristics or
adhesion of furniture finishes.
The Province has been actively
encouraging alternate timber processing and value-added industries to
use as much beetle timber as possible. In October 2005 the Ministry of
Forests and Range awarded four major forest licences to a renewable
energy company interested in salvaging attacked stands for the
production of industrial wood pellets for power generation.
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What does the current beetle
epidemic mean to future timber supplies?
Several allowable annual cuts
have been increased as an emergency measure for salvaging or recovering
the greatest value possible from beetle-attacked timber. The temporary
increases have resulted in a surge in harvesting activity in some areas
of the central Interior. However, significant reductions to these
allowable annual cuts are inevitable as timber supplies decline and the
epidemic finishes running its course.
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How are communities being prepared to deal with the
falldown in timber supply?
The $185-million Northern
Development Initiative Trust (with $30 million set aside specifically
for mountain pine beetle recovery projects) and the $50-million Southern
Interior Development Initiative Trust have been set up to give
communities the ability to pursue new opportunities for stimulating
economic growth and job creation.
Many forest-dependent
communities, through regional groups such as the Cariboo-Chilcotin and
Omineca beetle action coalitions, have already begun planning around a
transition stage for diversifying and building long-term economic
sustainability.
Community support for
diversification and stability is a key part of the Canada-B.C. Mountain
Pine Beetle Emergency Response. More than $13 million is expected to go
over three years to helping communities and First Nations develop
strategies around the predicted declines in the allowable annual cut.
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Is the mountain pine beetle a
threat to other provinces?
Scientists believe the mountain
pine beetle is a tangible threat to other provinces as jackpine, found
across the prairies and eastern Canada, is a potential host species for
the beetle if predicted climate change expands the range of the beetle.
We’re proposing to spend
$21.7 million over three years to spread control treatments that will
limit the potential for B.C.’s beetle infestation to advance into
Alberta and beyond.
In March 2005, the British
Columbia and Alberta governments also signed a memorandum of
understanding for $1.65 million for beetle suppression activities along
the B.C.-Alberta border.
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How is reforestation and
rehabilitation being handled?
Licensees – including BC Timber
Sales – are legally responsible to reforest any area that they harvest.
The most productive growing sites are identified to ensure a return to
fully stocked, free-growing timberlands as quickly as possible.
British Columbia has also committed $161 million to
Forests for Tomorrow – the reforestation plan designed to speed the recovery of forest values
in areas affected by the mountain pine beetle. Site surveys and
mapping, creating better growing conditions, and research into
preventing future infestations are just some of the work being done
through the Forests for Tomorrow program.
Not all infested areas will be
harvested, but they may need to be rehabilitated to restore forest
ecosystem productivity. Discussions with various stakeholders and other
government agencies are ongoing to ensure that any rehabilitation
efforts are part of overall, long-term planning.
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What about conservation of
land use plans?
Some land use plans may need to
be revisited, since the current extent of the mountain pine beetle
infestation was not envisioned when those land use plans were approved.
Some harvesting of beetle-infested trees may need to occur in order to
reduce wildfire risks and ensure the values identified in the land use
plans are protected as much as possible.
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What management techniques
are used to control beetles?
In addition to harvesting at the
leading edges of what is known as “green attack,” a variety of other
techniques are also used on the ground. Techniques include:
- Pheromone baiting - luring beetles into
trees that have been ‘baited’ with a synthetic hormone that mimics the
scent of a female beetle. Beetles can then be contained in a single
area, where they can more easily be destroyed.
- Sanitation harvesting - removing single
infested trees to control the spread of beetle populations to other
areas.
- Snip and skid - removing groups of
infested trees that are scattered over a large area.
- Controlled, or mosaic, burns - burning
an area where infested trees are concentrated, to reduce high beetle
infestations in the area or to help reduce the fire hazard in an area.
- Fall and burn - cutting (felling) and
burning beetle-infested trees to prevent the spread of beetle
populations to other areas. This is usually done in winter, to reduce
the risk of starting forest fires.
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How is the mountain pine
beetle managed in provincial protected areas?
The Mountain Pine Beetle Emergency Response: Canada-B.C. Implementation
Strategy proposes $2.7 million over three years to control the spread of
beetle in parks and protected areas. This funding will treat at-risk
sites through treatments such as controlled burns.
BC Parks' conservation web site addresses some of the more common
enquiries about the management of mountain pine beetle in provincial
protected areas.
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What can I do to try and
protect my private property against the mountain pine beetle?
It's important for private
landowners with mature pine stands to be vigilant against the mountain
pine beetle, and aware of what an infested tree looks like. If the
beetle is present in their timber, property owners have several options
available for attempting to limit the spread of the beetle across their
land. For a list of mountain pine beetle signs and indicators, and what
private landowners can do to fight back, see the
Mountain Pine Beetle in B.C. brochure on the Ministry of Forests web
site.
last updated: March 2007
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