Forest covers more than
17 million hectares (75%) of the Fraser Basin, providing many social, economic
and environmental benefits, such as clean water, fish and wildlife habitat,
employment and recreational opportunities, as well as aesthetic and cultural
value. Forest sustainability issues include the long-term ecological health
of forests, ensuring the biological diversity of forest stands, the diversification
of forest product development and community involvement in forest management.
Forest sustainability is very important as the economy of many regions in
the Basin is heavily dependent on the forestry sector and, in some communities,
the forestry sector provides more than 44% of the income. Fraser Basin forests
include a mix of age classes and leading (dominant) tree species.
| Extent
of Mountain Pine Beetleoutbreak in BC |
|
GETTING
WORSE - The area affected by MPB is
8.7 million ha, more than double the area in 2003. |
| Community
Vulnerability to the Forest Sector in the Fraser Basin |
|
MIXED
RESULTS/POOR
- Vulnerability
is worst in the Upper Fraser and Cariboo-Chilcotin regions and is further
compounded by Mountain Pine Beetle. |
| Forest
Restocking in BC |
|
FAIR/MIXED
RESULTS-
The area surveyed as restocked was less than the area disturbed in the
1980s, more than the area disturbed in the 1990s, and similar to the
area disturbed since 2000. |
Mountain Pine Beetle in BC (1981-2005)
2, 3
The area of BC forest affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) has more
than doubled, from 4 million hectares in 2003 to 8.7 million hectares in
2006, with much of this in the Fraser Basin. The MPB reduces trees' nutrient
and water uptake, resulting in defoliation and tree mortality. The large
areas of dead trees can increase the intensity of forest fires, change water
runoff patterns and water temperature, affect soil and stream bank erosion
and degrade fish habitat. The commercial value of wood is significantly
reduced if affected trees are not harvested within two to five+ years of
infestation. In an attempt to reduce the spread of the MPB and salvage commercially
valuable wood, the Chief Forester has increased the allowable annual cut
(AAC) in a number of Fraser Basin Timber Supply Areas.
In the absence of extreme cold periods that historically
have controlled MPB populations, it has been projected that, by 2013, 80%
of BC's central and southern interior mature pine forest could be killed
by MPB. This will have significant repercussions for forestry-dependent
communities, forest ecosystem health and the provincial economy (See
Economy).
Community Vulnerability to the
Forest Economy (2001)
4
The economy of many communities in the Fraser Basin is heavily dependent
on the forest sector. This is particularly true in the Upper Fraser and
Cariboo-Chilcotin regions, where Vanderhoof and Quesnel have very high Forest
Vulnerability Index values (81 and 78 respectively), while the GVSS and
Fraser Valley regions have relatively low levels of direct income dependence
on forestry, although economic multipliers benefit all regions of the Basin.
As the current MPB epidemic spreads, the economic and social impact will
be greatest on communities with a high level of dependence on the forestry
sector.
Forest Restocking (1980-2005)
2, i
During the 1980s, the amount of forest disturbed by harvesting, or losses
due to pests or fire was greater than the area restocked. During the 1990s,
the area restocked exceeded the area disturbed/harvested as there was significant
government support for replanting programs. This helped to address the shortfall
in the 1980s. Since 1997 the areas surveyed as satisfactorily restocked
have declined. This may be related to the increased allowable annual cut
in an attempt to control the spread of MPB and salvage commercially valuable
wood or perhaps reduced resources to survey restocked areas.
What is being done?
Sustainable forest management
(SFM) certification5
is a voluntary approach to promote and implement sustainability practices
in the forest sector that is intended to assure buyers that the products
are from sustainably managed forests. The three certification systems applied
in BC are the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Z809); Sustainable Forestry
Initiative (SFI); and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): www.certificationcanada.org.
Considerable increases have occurred between 2003 and 2006, with CSA certified
areas more than doubling from 2.2 to 5.2 million ha, and increases in SFI
certified areas from 4.4 to 7.6 million ha.
The
Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan for 2006-2011 outlines seven key objectives
for adapting to, and coping with, the impacts of the MPB outbreak in BC.
The plan recognizes the significant and ongoing impacts of the outbreak
on forestry-dependent communities, and identifies medium and long-term economic
sustainability for communities as the number one objective:
www.gov.bc.ca/pinebeetle.
The Forests for Tomorrow
program was set up by the provincial government in 2005 in response to the
wildfires of 2003 and the MPB epidemic. The program aims to improve future
timber supply and address risks to other forest values through the re-establishment
of young forests on land that would otherwise remain under-productive: www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/fft.
BC Hydro's
Bridge-Coastal Restoration Program (BCRP) has funded over 100 projects addressing
footprint impacts to fish and wildlife and their habitat. In accordance
with BCRP watershed restoration objectives, these projects reduce impacts
by maintaining or restoring natural habitat-forming processes. BCRP also
supports research to fill information gaps in strategic planning, identify
limiting factors and define restoration objectives and conservation measures.
What else can be done?
Consumers can support
local and regional forest economies by buying local, as well as SFM-certified
wood products.
Forest companies can
involve community advisory committees to incorporate local interests and
issues into their forest planning and management.
Governments, research
institutions, forest companies and community groups can continue to commit
to long-term planning and research for the proactive management of MPB and
its impacts on the environment and communities.
Forest
companies and certification bodies can implement rigorous monitoring, evaluation
and reporting procedures for planning and management practices.
|
Mountain Pine
Beetle
Few stories rival BC's near-epic battle with mountain pine beetle.
Under BC's 2006-2011 Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan, efforts are
now underway to harvest and use the wood of trees affected by MPB,
and economic strategies are in development to stabilize communities
in the longer term. The BC First Nations Leadership Council and the
Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition (CCBAC) are two coalitions
tackling economic, social, and conservation issues. FORREX (www.forrex.org)
has worked with the forest industry on management practices and operations,
hydrological issues, ecosystem restoration and harvesting strategies.
|
|
|
|
PHOTO: MPB-affected
forest (red-brown area) near 100 Mile House, Cariboo-Chilcotin.
|
REFERENCES
1. Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management Forest Inventory
Database (2002).
2.Ministry of Forests, Forest Practices Branch. 2006: www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/index.htm.
3. BC Ministry of Forests and Range, Forest Practices Branch.
2005 Summary of Forest Health Conditions in British Columbia.
4. BC Stats, British Columbia Heartland at the Dawn of the
21st Century (2003).
5. Canadian Sustainable Forestry Certification Coalition.
Certification Status Report British Columbia. June 2006. (and communication
with various forestry companies to verify regional data).
FOOTNOTES:
i. Not Satisfactorily Restocked (NSR) refers to forest lands
that are not growing to their full potential due to an insufficient stocking
of acceptable commercial tree species following disturbance (MOF Forest
Practices Branch website).
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