Root Disease Management Guidebook-Chapter 5

[Root Disease Management Guidebook Table of Contents]

Free growing guidelines

Table 9. Free growing damage standards for root diseases in British Columbia

Free growing criteria and assessment

With respect to stands infected with root disease and the associated treatment of infected strata, the following criteria may be used to assess if the free growing obligation has been met. For the purposes of evaluating prescriptions, all high hazard and risk biogeoclimatic subzones (see the Appendices) shall be considered as infected at a level exceeding the maximum treatment threshold unless stated otherwise in the prescription. If the disease is absent from the strata then the prescription must explicitly state so.

Assessment of strata treated to a minimum prescribed level or better.
If a stratum has an approved prescription which prescribes the minimum level of treatment or better for the stratum, and the presence of the root disease results in the non-achievement of a free growing stand, then the district manager may choose to accept stocking levels of preferred, acceptable and deciduous species below the minimum stocking standard, provided all prescribed operations intended to abate the risk of root disease have been fully implemented.
If the prescribed operations in the above case have not been conducted, or have been conducted improperly, the approved free growing obligations, and any costs associated with achieving these obligations, will remain the responsibility of the licensee.
Assessment of strata not treated to a minimum prescribed level due to other resource values or site limitations.
If a stratum has an approved prescription which prescribes a level of treatment below the minimum prescribed levels for the stratum’s treatment intensity class, and the presence of the root disease results in the non-achievement of a free growing stand, then the district manager may choose to accept stocking levels of preferred, acceptable and deciduous species below the minimum stocking standard, provided all prescribed operations intended to abate the risk of root disease have been fully implemented.
If the prescribed operations in the above case have not been conducted, or have been conducted improperly, the approved free growing obligations, and any costs associated with achieving these obligations, will remain the responsibility of the licensee.
Assessment of strata identified as not requiring treatment.
If a stratum has been identified as having a level of infection requiring only a minimum treatment intensity, and if a survey undertaken at the time of prescription supports this, and if the stratum has an approved prescription which states no treatment is required, and the presence of the root disease results in the non-achievement of a free growing stand, then the district manager may choose to accept stocking levels of preferred, acceptable and deciduous species below the minimum stocking standard.
If no survey was done at the time of prescription to verify that the level of infection was less than the threshold for requiring only minimum treatment of the disease, then the approved free growing obligations, and any costs associated with achieving these obligations, will remain the responsibility of the licensee.
Assessment of strata not identified as infected.
If a stratum has not been identified as being infected with root disease, or if the licensee explicitly states that the stratum is not infected with root disease, and the presence of the root disease results in the non-achievement of a free growing stand, then the approved free growing obligations, and any costs associated with achieving these obligations, will remain the responsibility of the licensee.

[Return to top of document]