The current forest management practices that are approved and implemented in each zone are briefly described below.
• Basic silviculture — British Columbia laws require areas that are harvested and expected to produce timber in the future to be reforested with ecologically acceptable species within a specified time frame (three years was used in the analysis). The most common silvicultural practice is to clearcut harvest, allow for natural regeneration and/or plant, then brush and weed if needed.
• Incremental silviculture — Juvenile spacing, pruning and commercial thinning are practised on some of the most productive sites in the Sunshine Coast Timber Supply Area.
• Protection — Forest losses due to wildfire, insects, diseases and blowdown are minimized as much as possible and damaged timber is salvaged when feasible. Unsalvaged losses of merchantable timber are estimated to be 24,200 cubic metres per year.
• Fish and wildlife and biodiversity - British Columbia Coastal Fisheries/Forestry Guidelines guide current forest management practices and also suggest the minimum width of stream buffers required to protect fish habitat, based on the size of the stream and the types of fish using the stream. A total of 3,620 hectares were removed from the timber harvesting land base to protect streamside areas throughout the Sunshine Coast Timber Supply Area.
Forested areas that provide valuable wildlife habitat and contribute to biodiversity objectives were excluded from the timber harvesting land base, including forests dominated by deciduous trees and forests in environmentally sensitive areas. Forests deducted from the timber harvesting land base because they were not considered feasible for timber harvesting due to low timber volumes or difficult terrain also provide wildlife habitat.
• Harvestable ages — Minimum harvestable age is defined as the time it takes for forests to grow to harvestable size. The minimum harvestable ages used in the timber supply analysis range from 60 years on the best growing sites to 160 years on the poorest growing sites.
• Timber utilization — Within cutblocks, all timber that meets or exceeds the following size limits and is suitable for manufacturing lumber or pulp chips must be utilized:
• all species older than 120 years (mature): 20-centimetre diameter at stump height, 15-centimetre top diameter;
• all species younger than 120 years (immature): 15-centimetre diameter at stump height, 10-centimetre top diameter.
• Soil conservation — Harvesting layout follows provincial and regional guidelines. For the timber supply analysis, 5.8 per cent of the previously harvested area (with forests up to 80 years old) was deducted for existing roads, landings and major debris piles. Future roads and landings are expected to reduce the remaining area (with forests over 80 years old) by approximately 6.1 per cent.
