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Where, what and how are the forests described in the Fort Nelson Forest District? Simply stated,
our forests are described as the Boreal Forests found in the Liard and Hay River drainage systems
of north-eastern BC.
More fully described by a number of other Forest District characterizations:
Administrative Boundaries
The
Fort Nelson Forest District is in the most North-easterly portion of the province of British
Columbia. It is one of nine Forest Districts within the Northern Interior Forest Region, which is
one of three Forest Regions that make up Field Services for the Ministry of Forests & Range.
In essence, the
Fort Nelson Forest District is the Fort Nelson Boreal Forest.
Geography
The district encompasses an area that is roughly 11 percent of British Columbia. This is approximately
9.8 million hectares (ha) or 98,000 km2
which makes it the second largest Forest District in the province behind the Skeena Stikine District.
The Eastern boundary is the shared provincial border between Alberta and BC at
120o
West longitude. The Northern boundary is the territorial border shared with both the Northwest
Territories and the Yukon Territory at
60o North latitude. The Southern boundary is shared with the
Peace Forest District.
Finally, the South-Western and the Western boundaries are shared between two other MOF Forest
Districts, the
Mackenzie Forest District
and the
Skeena Stikine Forest District.
The rivers of the Fort Nelson Forest District eventually flow into the Arctic Ocean with most of
the rivers draining into the Liard River. The remaining few rivers in the East portion of the
district drain into the Hay River system. Both of these rivers flow into the Mackenzie River. The
Mackenzie is the second longest river in North America and the 13th longest in the world.
Geology
The geology of the Fort Nelson Forest District covers vast reserves of proven and unproven oil and
natural gas potential, especially in the Eastern half of the district. The Western half of the
district encompasses vast areas of geologic relief with mainly unproven reserves of oil, natural gas
and mineral (hard rock) resources. These vast areas of relief include what is probably the most
Northerly extent of the Rocky Mountains. Also probably the most Southerly extent of another
mountain range called the Mackenzie Mountains.
Certain sources consider the geology of the Mackenzie Mountains to be quite different than that of the
Rocky Mountains. Also, the range of mountains just to the south of the Liard River Bridge on the Alaska
Highway, seems to suggest some logic in it being named the Terminal Range, i.e. the Northern terminus of
the Rocky Mountains. The Liard River roughly at the point where the Alaska Highway crosses it, appears
to be the dividing line between the two mountain ranges. [As a matter of interest, these same sources
indicate that the most Southerly extent of the Rocky Mountains lies somewhere near Santa Fe, New Mexico.]
There is considerable Oil and Gas exploration and development within the boundaries of the Fort Nelson
Forest District. The BC
Oil & Gas Commission
is the provincial agency that regulates crude oil, natural gas and pipeline activities in the province
of British Columbia.
There are mineralogical deposits of copper and barite within the western bounds of the district.
Some mining has occurred in the past. But it is difficult to say if these deposits will ever be
developed into operating mines in the future.
Transportation
Transportation has had a very major impact on this area since the start of air travel in 1933 and the
building of the Alaska Highway in 1942. Plus the fact that the community of Fort Nelson is located
at the northern terminus of the old BC Rail system [now part of the CN Rail system]. This has allowed
the economy of the Fort Nelson area and the
Northern Rockies Regional Munipality
to develop to what it is today.
The majority of roads used for forestry activities are winter roads. Meaning that they are only useable
in the winter when freezing conditions are continuous for weeks or months at a time - including the road
in this photo.
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