In addition to the particular practices identified for each zone, a number of practices are common to all zones. The current forest management practices that are approved and implemented in all zones are briefly described below.
• Wildlife/biodiversity — Forests dominated by deciduous trees are excluded from the timber harvesting land base. Environmentally sensitive areas* and forests that are not considered feasible for timber harvesting due to low timber volumes or difficult terrain, were fully or partially deducted from the timber harvesting land base. For the timber supply analysis, the timber harvesting land base was reduced by one per cent (35,389 hectares) to account for riparian buffers where timber harvesting is restricted along waterways that protect fish habitat and provide food and shelter for many wildlife species. Riparian areas* covered by the Chedakuz riparian plan and the preservation zone identified in the Sustut Local Resource Use Plan, were either removed from the timber harvesting land base or special forest cover requirements were prescribed.
• Basic silviculture — British Columbia laws require that areas that are harvested and are expected to produce timber in the future must be reforested with ecologically acceptable species within a specified time frame. The typical silvicultural practice is: harvesting; then site prepare, if necessary; reforest by planting with ecologically suitable species or by relying on natural regeneration; and control competing vegetation. It is assumed that harvested areas will be restocked within two to four years of harvesting. The exception is forests of subalpine fir (balsam) on poor, usually high elevation sites, where restocking is assumed to occur naturally within 15 years (TSAR page 64).
• Forest health and unsalvaged losses — Losses of timber to insects, fire, diseases and windthrow damage are minimized as much as possible. Annual loss of timber that cannot be salvaged or recovered is estimated to be 254,500 cubic metres from:
• insects - 154,900 cubic metres per year (particularly in older forests in the Fort St. James forest district)
• wildfire - 73,200 cubic metres per year
• wind damage - 26,400 cubic metres per year
• Harvest ages — Minimum harvest age is defined as the time it takes forests to grow to harvestable size. Currently, pine forests must be at least 100 years old, balsam must be at least 120 years old and fir and spruce must be at least 140 years old to be considered as available for harvest.
• Timber utilization — Within cutblocks, all timber that meets or exceeds the following size limits and is suitable for the manufacture of lumber must be utilized:
• 10 centimetre top diameter
• 15 centimetre stump diameter for pine
• 20 centimetre stump diameter for spruce and other coniferous species
• Soil conservation — Harvesting and road construction follow regional and provincial guidelines. For the timber supply analysis, it is estimated that approximately six per cent of the timber harvesting land base that has been harvested is unproductive due to roads, trails and landings. It is also estimated that approximately 5.5 per cent of the area that has not yet been harvested will become unproductive due to roads, trails and landings in the future.
