Forest Fertilization Strategy

At the forest level, fertilization is one of the most beneficial treatments in terms of both volume production and financial return. This is primarily due to an increase in the amount of volume available for harvest at a time when available harvest is limited, approximately 10 to 50 years in the future.

Fertilization provides direct and indirect jobs at harvest by increasing timber volume or providing the volume at time when none would otherwise be available. This enhances individual, corporate and government revenue.

Forest fertilization will focus on those BC Interior areas facing major timber supply impacts from Mountain pine beetle, communities such as Burns Lake, Prince George, Quesnel and Williams Lake.

A large program is required in order to have a significant impact on timber supply. A two million cubic metre response will require treatment of about 130 000 hectares with an estimated cost of $50 million over five years.

Initially the focus will be on healthy spruce and Douglas-fir stands. Any fertilization of lodgepole pine will be limited until the MPB epidemic has run its course.

Access for both treatment and subsequent harvest is an important criteria.

Non timber resources will be protected by use of appropriate buffer zones. Note that browse nutrient value may be enhanced for wildlife as herbs and shrubs pick up the added nitrogen from the fertilizer.

Fertilization is consistently positive in Type I & II analyses of issues and opportunities of silviculture investments for management unit specific harvest level, timber quality and habitat objectives.