Comments on other ongoing government processes in the Robson Valley Timber Supply Area are summarized here to indicate perspectives on issues that may influence timber supply in the future.
One submission cautions that the impacts of the Forest Practices Code and Protected Areas Strategy have not been considered. The respondent is hopeful that the Robson Valley Timber Supply Area has sufficient parks and will not need to protect any more land.
Another submission expresses concern that management for old-growth values has been nearly omitted from the Timber Supply Review. Another respondent remarks that protected areas are not even mentioned in the Timber Supply Review, yet the Robson Valley has 20 per cent currently set aside for them.
The Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks submission states that the Local Resource Use Plans completed in the district were not comprehensive land-use plans. The respondent suggests that they focused primarily on visual quality objectives for forest management. Agencies other than the Forest Service had little input and most other resource values received only cursory attention, if any at all.
One submission calls for protection of the West Twin area to preserve the water, wildlife, and the potential for future generations to enjoy this unique ecosystem. Logging done to date in the area has affected water quality and caribou and other wildlife.
An industry submission contends that growth yields need to be based on a series of commercial thinnings before final harvesting. This incremental wood could be very significant, especially on the low-elevation areas in various valleys as well as in the entire Interior Cedar-Hemlock zone.
Two industry submissions note the current allowable annual cut of 596,377 cubic metres includes two temporary licences that expire in four years, at which time the allowable annual cut will be reduced to 496,377 cubic metres. One respondent suggests this would allow the harvest level to remain higher for a longer period of time than projected in the base case. The other one questions how this might affect the analysis, and whether the government intends to extend the licences for another six years.
