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Forest Health (a component of the Stewardship Program) is responsible for the detection and quantification of forest health problems and, where necessary, the prescription and implementation of protective or suppressive treatments to anticipate and prevent insect, disease and mammal damage to reforested areas and old growth stands. It also evaluates the effect of forest practices on forest health as these occasionally increase the risk of damage from insects, diseases and mammals.
Photo Credit: Kurtis Isfeld ~ Stewardship Technician, RFT
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Currently, the most significant pressures in the Chilcotin Forest District related to Forest Health are the Mountain Pine & Douglas fir Beetles and the Western Spruce Budworm. Beetle populations are high and there is an abundance of susceptible stands of timber across our wide geographic. The Western Spruce Budworm is a defoliator and targets the Douglas fir as well. Within certain areas of our District we have Douglas fir that are ‘biologically stressed’ with varying levels of defoliation due to a Budworm attack. This distress makes them a prime target for a subsequent Douglas fir beetle attack. Aggressive campaigns to combat against these insects are underway and making forward progress. Some of the management techniques we employ include sanitation harvest, trap tree baiting / burning /removal, anti aggregate baiting and aerial pesticide spraying. |
