The current forest management practices that are approved and implemented in each zone are briefly described below. The Interim Timber Harvesting Guidelines for the Interior Portion of the Prince Rupert Forest Region outline current forest management practices in the Lakes Timber Supply Area.
• Basic silviculture — British Columbia laws require areas that are harvested and expected to produce timber in the future must be reforested with ecologically acceptable species within a specified time frame (two to three years was used in the analysis). The most common silvicultural practice is to clearcut harvest, site prepare, plant, and brush and weed if needed.
• Unsalvaged losses — Timber losses due to wildfire, insects, diseases and wind are minimized as much as possible, and damaged timber is salvaged when feasible. Losses of merchantable timber to mountain pine beetles, fire and wind are expected to be approximately 39,000 cubic metres per year. Losses due to other insects such as spruce bark beetle and balsam bark beetle are undetermined at this time. Losses to disease and animals are believed to be negligible.
• Wildlife/biodiversity — To ensure a reasonable chance of protecting general biodiversity and maintaining wildlife, the Interim Regional Timber Harvesting Guidelines for the Interior Portion of the Prince Rupert Forest Region require that regenerated forests on previously harvested areas be at least three metres tall before the adjacent timber can be harvested, and that at least 12 per cent of the area have forests older than 120 years distributed throughout the landscape.
The forest cover requirements described in the section on management zones, and forest land deducted from the timber harvesting land base, including environmentally sensitive areas, forests dominated by deciduous trees and forests that have been uneconomical to harvest, are designed to provide for the requirements of wildlife, biodiversity and older forests.
The forest cover requirements described in the section on management zones, and forest land removed from the timber harvesting land base, including environmentally sensitive areas, forests dominated by deciduous trees and forests that have been uneconomical to harvest, provide for the requirements of wildlife, biodiversity and older forests.
• Harvestable ages — Minimum harvestable age is defined as the time it takes for trees to reach harvestable conditions. The minimum harvestable ages used in the timber supply analysis range from 80 to 130 years for pine, 105 to 165 years for spruce and 125 years for balsam and fir. For regenerated forests, minimum harvestable ages range from 60 to 120 years for pine and 80 to 170 years for spruce.
• Timber utilization — Within cutblocks, timber that meets or exceeds the following minimum diameter at stump height and is suitable for manufacturing lumber must be utilized:
• lodgepole pine - 15 centimetres
• other species - 17.5 centimetres
• Roads and landings — Road building and harvesting layout follow provincial and regional guidelines. For the timber supply analysis, 5.4 per cent of the timber harvesting land base was deducted for roads and landings (equivalent to 4.2 per cent of the productive land base).
