Integrated resource management
A major concern raised by the timber industry is that integrated resource management guidelines have the biggest impact on harvest levels in the Strathcona timber supply area. They further suggested that these guidelines tended to be too restrictive with regard to such factors as green-up requirements and visual quality objectives.
Others suggest that not enough information is currently available and insufficient consideration is given to the issue of "non-timber" resources. Suggestions were made that to protect these "non-timber" resources in the area, more land has to be set aside for recreation, wildlife, fisheries and tourism opportunities.
Wildlife
A number of submissions note the Strathcona timber supply area is home to a number of wildlife species that are currently red- or blue-listed and the Forest Service analysis does not adequately account for forest cover protection of these wildlife species.
Insects and disease
Concern was expressed that there was no deduction in the Forest Service analysis for insects and disease. The submission states that Sitka spruce cannot be successfully regenerated over much of the Strathcona timber supply area because of spruce weevil. Also due to the amount of harvesting which has taken place over a short period of time, there are large areas of young forests with little species diversification that are very susceptible to insect attack.
