Cluculz Lake Hardwood Conversion Silviculture Treatments

Funding Source: Forests for Tomorrow (MOFR)

                            Fuels Management Program (MOFR- Protection)

Coordination: Vanderhoof Forest District- Derek Lefler, FIT

                        VanJam Fire Zone (Protection)- Wayne Salewski

                        Northern Interior Forest Region- Gord Dow, RPF

Overview:

With the Mountain pine Beetle epidemic now subsiding in the Vanderhoof Forest District, it has become clear that the dead Lodgepole pine left behind are a serious threat in terms of wildfire near our communities. It has also become clear that many of the immature stands once thought of as future fibre supply, have been killed and will not reach rotation age. In an attempt to find solutions to deal with these pressing realities, a partnership between the Vanderhoof Forest District, VanJam Fire Zone, and the Northern Interior Forest Region was formed to trial a treatment that would reduce interface fuel loading, while at the same time produce a new crop of trees on a short rotation. An area just South of Cluculz Lake, between Lloyd Drive and the Bobtail Forest Service Road, was chosen as an ideal candidate due to the proximity to cabins and homes, and also the wildfire risk posed by a large area of un-merchantable, dead, immature pine.

 Objectives:

• Reduce the wildfire risk in the forest/urban interface area

• Produce a merchantable fibre crop on a short rotation (approximately 50 years)

• Return the forest to a productive state

•   Attempt to grow a crop species other than Lodgepole pine

Scope:

The areas chosen are 30-40 year old plantations that have primarily dead, immature Lodgepole pine in the overstory, and very little viable understory. The trees in these stands were quite small when killed, and due to extensive checking (ie. cracking), they currently have very little economic value.

As these areas have already been harvested once before, the boundaries for the project follow these stand types very closely. The total area to be treated is 85 hectares that is spread over five openings between Lloyd Drive and the Bobtail FSR, on the South shore of Cluculz Lake. Due to accessibility, these openings are ideal for such a trial, as long term monitoring of stand growth and fuel loading will be ongoing.

Treatment Plan:

In early 2008, soil conditions permitting, a crawler tractor will be used to shear and tramp the dead pine and the poorly developed understory. The downed fibre will then be windrowed and allowed to season for one year. In the fall of 2008, the windrows and piles will be burned by Protection staff, ensuring that the fuel is disposed of completely and safely. Planting of the sites will occur in spring of 2009, and will consist of approximately 180 000 Trembling aspen. The resulting density of seedlings will be approximately 2200 stems per hectare.

It should be noted that both the shearing treatment and the treeplanting will be competitively tendered, giving any interested party the opportunity to bid on the contracts.

 Referral Comments:

 This project was tabled at the weekly Vanderhoof Forest District Referral meeting on Dec. 17, 2007. Reactions were generally positive with questions regarding size of the timber to be removed. These questions were answered citing the data collected in the pre-treatment survey, and the concerns were satisfied.  

 Location Details:  

All treatment areas are located in Mapsheet 093G083, and referred to as Opening #400, 402, 403, and 404. These openings are represented in a 1:10,000 scale Harvest Plan maps. Some openings were grouped during Site Plan preparation and as such Opening #404 and 402 are on one map, #400 and 403 are on another, and #405 is on a third. Please refer to these attached maps.

093g083-400&403SP Map

093g083-404&402SP Map

Communication 

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