The current forest management practices that are approved and implemented in all zones based on the 100 Mile House Timber Supply Area Management Strategy are briefly described below.
• Basic silviculture — British Columbia laws require that harvested areas which are expected to produce timber in the future must be reforested with ecologically acceptable species within a specified time frame. The most common silvicultural practice is to clearcut harvest, allow for natural regeneration and/or plant, then brush to remove competing vegetation if needed. It is assumed that areas that are clearcut will be restocked within four to seven years, depending on the regeneration method.
About 20 per cent of the timber harvesting land base is covered by dry-belt Douglas-fir forests. They are ecologically suited to harvesting by selection management which aids regeneration by providing shading.
• Harvest ages — Minimum harvest ages are set to define the time it takes for forests to grow to harvestable size. The minimum harvest ages used in the timber supply analysis vary by tree species: 80 years was used for lodgepole pine and 120 years for other species.
• Timber utilization — Within areas that are clearcut, all coniferous trees greater than the following dimensions that can be manufactured into lumber are considered merchantable and must be removed:
• 10 centimetre top diameter
• 15 centimetre stump diameter for lodgepole pine
• 20 centimetre stump diameter for other species
• Soil conservation — Harvesting and road construction follow regional and provincial guidelines. For the timber supply analysis, it is estimated that approximately 2.5 per cent of the timber harvesting land base is unproductive due to roads and landings. This estimate is based on studies of local conditions.
• Forest health and unsalvaged losses — Losses of timber to fire, wind damage, insects and disease are minimized as much as possible. Annual losses to fire and wind damage are estimated to be 34,000 cubic metres. This timber is currently not being salvaged.
• Stream protection — Special practices are required in buffers along streams and around lakes where timber harvesting is restricted to protect fish habitat and achieve water management goals.
• Green-up — To provide wildlife cover and promote watershed stability, the forest cover in a harvested area must be at least three metres tall (estimated to be 16 years old) before the adjacent timber can be harvested.
