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VICTORIA – Following an expedited timber supply review in response to
the Morice timber supply area’s growing mountain pine beetle infestation, the
new allowable annual cut for the Morice area will be 2.16 million cubic
metres, effective Feb. 1, 2008.
“In the face of an unprecedented pine beetle epidemic, this determination carefully balances a wide range of complex interests and objectives,” said chief forester Jim Snetsinger. “In making my determination, I also considered current market conditions and the potential impacts to neighbouring timber supply areas and communities, and concluded that a large increase in the allowable cut is not necessary at this time.”
The new allowable cut includes a partition that provides an annual harvest limit of 550,000 cubic metres for non-pine tree species. This will help to maintain harvesting in attacked pine stands, while conserving other tree species, like spruce and balsam, for the mid-term timber supply.
The Morice timber supply area includes the communities of Houston, Granisle and Topley and covers about 1.5 million hectares. The new allowable cut represents an increase of about 204,000 cubic metres to account for provincial log grade changes introduced in 2006.
To date, the mountain pine beetle has affected about 12.7 million cubic metres of timber in the Morice area. Over the next decade, that is expected to rise to more than 41 million cubic metres – approximately 78 per cent of the total mature pine in the timber supply area.
The chief forester’s determination is an
independent professional judgment based on information ranging from technical
forestry reports and public input to the government’s social and economic
goals. The timber supply review accounts for environmental factors such as
biodiversity (which includes old-growth forests), water quality, and scenic
values, in addition to social and economic issues.
In a separate decision, Bill
Warner, regional manager for the Northern Interior Forest Region, announced
that the allowable harvest for the five members of the Morice and Lakes
Innovative Forestry Practices Agreement (IFPA) will be increased by 200,000
cubic metres per year.
The increase for the IFPA members
takes effect on Feb. 1, 2008 and continues to August 2011, when it will be
reviewed. Under the agreement, licensees can be awarded a higher harvest level
on their licences for innovative forestry practices. The increase is based on
the productivity gains expected from using select seed that grows faster and
more spruce for regenerating harvested areas.
A copy of the chief forester’s allowable annual cut
determination is available on the Ministry of Forests and Range website at www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts/, or from the Nadina Forest District office in Burns Lake
or the Northern Interior Forest Region office in Prince George. A copy of the regional
manager’s IFPA determination is available at www.for.gov.bc.ca/rni or from the Northern Interior Forest Region
office.
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 earlier in response
to abnormal situations such as the mountain pine beetle, or postpone a decision
for another five years if a harvest level is not expected to change
significantly.
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Public Affairs Officer 250 387-4592 |
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