B C Community

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B C Community Forest Association AGM April 23,
2005

CFAs, Forest Health and the Mountain Pine Beetle
Epidemic in B. C. By Jim Langridge, Director,
RTEB, MOF
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Mountain Pine Beetle in BC
Facts

• Endemic in BCs pine forest
• Trees die once infested
• Kills trees by destroying the cambium layer
• Introduces blue stain fungus
• No effective chemical or biological control
  available

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Annual red-attack
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Mountain Pine Beetle in BC
Factors Contributing to Expansion

• Number of hectares with mature pine in BC has
  increased by about three times since 1910.
• In BC, over the last century, the avg. min.
  winter temp. increased by 0.9ºC on the coast,
  2.2 - 2.6ºC in the interior.

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Magnitude of the Epidemic 2004
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So What Does it Mean

• Potentially gt 200 million m3 of unsalvaged beetle
  wood in 10-15 years
• Harvest levels will decline by over 50 in some
  areas once the beetle wood is either harvested or
  no longer of economic value.
• We need to act now to maximize the forests value
  and prepare for future adjustments.

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Income DependenciesAfter Tax Incomes 2001

Forestry Mining Agriculture
Tourism Williams Lake 30 2
3 6 Quesnel
43 1 2
5 Prince George 31 1
1 4 Vanderhoof 44
5 2 2 Burns
Lake 37 1 2
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Potential Impacts

• Potential Timber Supply Impacts
• 80 of Pli volume attacked by 2013
• 20-40 AAC reductions in Pli dominated mgmt units
• 700,000 ha will become uneconomic and experience
  30 reduction in future stand volume without
  treatment
• Significant reduction in carbon sequestering
• Natural regen predisposes next rotation to MPB
  epidemic
• Potential Economic Impacts
• 58,000 jobs?
• 4 of BCs GDP?
• 5 of Canadas balance of trade?

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What Weve Done

• Appointed Pine Beetle Task Force, Advisory
  Committee, Beetle Boss and increased focus on
  economic sustainability
• Established Emergency Management Zones
• Increased the AAC in beetle affected areas
• Premier hosted Beetle Symposium in Quesnel
• Signed agreements with First Nations for
  harvesting of beetle damaged wood
• Established MPB Salvage Areas
• Increased the harvest of beetle wood from 16 in
  2001 to 85 in 2004

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Actions to Date Managing Beetle Populations

• So how are we doing?
• Volume directed at the beetle
• 2000/2001 8.1 million m3
• 2003/2004 25.7 million m3
• 2004/2005 prelim est 28-29 million m3
• Percentage directed at green attack stands
• 2000/2001 65 of available harvest capacity
• 2003/2004 80 of available harvest capacity
• 2004/2005 86 of available harvest capacity

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Actions to Date Managing Beetle Populations

• So how are we doing? (contd)
• Rate of expansion
• 2000/2004 green 1.8/1.5/1.3/1.4/1.5
• 2000-2004 overall 1.5/1.8/1.5/1.6/1.6
• The upside?
• But, delaying tactic need Mother Natures help.
• Chief Foresters forecast, 2008-2013
• 60-80 timber supply will remain
• BCs main economic engine
• Secure, affordable supply of quality
• forest products.

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CFA Context

• Two types of Issues
• Risk to a small area based tenure
• Area selection
• Diversity
• Operational responsibilities
• Detection
• Control
• Salvage

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Area Selection

• Susceptibility to forest health threats
• Potential impacts on future timber supplies
• Species and age class diversity
• Impact on management intent
• Potential impact on financial viability

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Operational Responsibilities

• Detection- Overview surveys - usually MOF-
  Detailed surveys - CFA holder
• Control- MOF dictates the measures consistent
  with the Provincial Forest Health Strategy- CFA
  holder implements the measures - single tree
  treatments - FIA if available - harvesting -
  specified operations potential - Bark
  Beetle Regulation (FPC) - MOF addresses
  defoliator control
• Salvage- Harvesting to minimize non-recoverable
  losses

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Control options for the District Manager

• Single tree treatment - contract with 3rd party
• Control harvesting - issue forestry licence to
  cut - potential AAC impact
• Salvage harvesting - issue forestry licence to
  cut - potential AAC impact

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AAC Implications

• Control and/or salvage with AAC where possible
• If volumes exceed AAC limits, the DM may increase
  the AAC
• When forest health threat addressed, DM may
  review AAC to address sustainability

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Questions?

• General questions now
• Detailed questions in the workshops - Leo Rankin