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This week:

_ Looking after
- the lowlands

"All forested areas need. careful

consideration’ before, during and

after logging, but no forests are

_ quite as important or sensitive

those found on valley bottoms.

Generally, lower clevations have
8 plentiful supply of water and are
the recipients of all types of
nutrients from surrounding
mountains. These areas are ideal
for the growth of almost any type
of. vegetation, which in tum
provides an excellent wildlife
habitat. When we interfere in these
areas, therefore, we have to be
very aware of nature’s ways and
heeds.

Cottonwood trees are of prime
importance, for example, and when
we log an area near a river some
of these trees have to be left to
maintain the valance of nature. But
what about after we log? When
can we expect to be able to log
again? What happens to the
thousands of species of insects,
fish, mammals and birds? _

If we are careful wildlife won't
be seriously disturbed, and if we’re
patient and wait for natural
succession, we can expect to cut a
fresh crop of trees in about 300
years. In today’s economy, though,
300 years is not an acceptable
tumover of a commercial crop.
Therefore, man must obviously
intervene if the wheels of

commerce are to continue to turn.

But how?

s we know, lowland areas

are very active and when we

log one of these sites we
leave behind what is probably the
tichest soil in the area, dotted with
a variety of seeds, young trees and
dozens of species of shrubs. Also,
when we cut the coniferous trees,
we open the area to sunlight and
set the scene for the rapid prowth
of anything we’ve left behind. This
means that brush and deciduous
trees will take over the area within
only a few months, blocking
sunlight and retarding the growth
of young conifers.

Games

The first thing we have to do,
then, is to replant the area with
trees that are at least two year
old, These trees would probably be

a mix of hemlock, spruce and _

cedar, and they would be planted
immediately following harvest in
order to give the new crop of
conifers a head start on other
naturally-occuring species.

Prior to this planting, some soil
preparation would normally take
place; that would usually include
broadcast burning, which removes
excess slash and retards brush
encroachment. Mechanical
methods are discouraged because
they expose and destroy natural
minerals and elements and
encourage brush growth.

After two growing seasons, the
area requires a "Stocking Survival
Survey" in order to determine crop
success -—- or failure — and to
determine if any form of brush
control measures are required.

If it is determined that there is a
brush problem, there are two
options: mechanical removal, or
the use of herbicides. The choice
of method depends on a variety of
factors such as the species of brush
and the height of the brush
compared to the conifer crop. The
important thing, though, is that the
appropriate method be carried out
as quickly as possible to reduce
competing vegetation.

This process of surveying and
brushing is done every three to
four years until the trees are
considered to be "free growing".
Free growing means that the
conifer crop has outgrown the
underbrush to the point where
brush competition is no longer
considered to be a concern; a
period of about 25 to 30 years.

Under today’s practices, the job
of the logging company (in the
case of large forest licenses and
Tree Farm Licenses) at this point
has been completed, The company
has planted, monitored and
maintained a new forest and now
only need to wait for their crop to

EVERYONE: WELCOME!

Tetras A if every. ‘thonth)

Tertacé Minor: Baseball (Remaining

Mondays of.every: month)

TUESDAY: Kermode: ‘Friendship Saciety
WEDNESDAY! Tertacé- Bluchack, Swim Club
TH URSDAY:: T4T. Air ‘Cadets :”.

Ladies of the Royul Purple
ry ‘Canadian Paraplegic Association -

DAY: B.C. Paraplegic Foundation

te ‘Night’: 7 Terrace Peaks Gymnasti¢ Club

i 7 Kinsmen Chib _ (Altefnate)

“y Nisga’a Tribal Council (Terrice 1. ocaly, . ye ie

=

by Tod Strachan

Mature. But there is still more
work that needs to be done, and
the government becomes, or at
least used to become, responsible
under the joint Forest Resource
Development Program (FRDA).

Once free growing, trees need to
be pruned te optimize the ultimate
product (lumber) fertilized to
insure vigorous growth, and a
practice called “pre-commetcial
thinning” needs to be carried out to
insure straight, tall, healthy trees.
Pre-commercial thinning is often
referred to as thinning.

After 40 years of growth,
“commercial thinning" is required.
Commercial and pre-commercial
thinning both serve the same
purpose, but in commercial
thinning the trees are closer to
maturity and can be used in the
mill. By carrying out all of these
management procedures, we can
expect a harvestable crop in about
80 to 100 years as opposed to 300
years under natural succession.
Aid it'S -fair'to~ say‘we'-would
deserve a big bat on the back.. . if
we did all this work.

But we’ve forgotten something.
What about the wildlife habitat?
When we mowed down all those
trees and planted our next
generation we forgot about the
insects, squirrels and ravens. In
order to include their welfare in
our plan, we should have
considered something called
“integrated management".

Integrated management considers
all factors in the forest, including
timber and wildlife. When we first
logged the forest we might have
considered leaving a few areas that
were perhaps a little wet or

Games

otherwise difficult to log, It

‘wouldn't bave cost very many.

trees. And when we did our
brushing, we could have worked
around areas that included species
like red ozier dogwood. They’re
difficult to treat anyway and they
provide ideal shelter for a number
of wildlife species. We would lose
a few trees but the habitat gain
would have more than offset the
loss. , .

And from the point of view of
planting a new forest, there’s one
other thing we might have
considered. If the area is an active
floodplain, and we went ahead and

- logged it anyway, we shouldn’t

have planted hemlock, spruce and
cedar. We should have planted
cottonwood instead.

Once the cottonwoods are old
enough, in about 15 year, they
will be well ahead of the
competing brush and we can go
ahead and underplant our conifer

t

species. We may have to do a little

brushing in that first 15 years but
by the time we plant our hemlock,
spruce and cedar, very litile work
should be required. The

cottonwood have reduced the water:

table and helped control the brush,
and they’ve done it free.

Next week, we'll move up the
side of the mountain a ways and
take a look at mid-slope ecology.
Following that, we'll -have a look
at mid-slope management before
moving one level higher.

. Forestry Insights is regular

weekly feature of the Terrace

Review, written by staff reporter
Tod Strachan in consultation with

Registered Professional Foresters’

Rod Arnold and Doug Davies. We
encourage our readers to become
involved in forestry issues by
submitting questions, comments
and contributions of their own.
Write to Forestry Insights, c/o the
Terrace Review, 4535 Greig Ave.,
Terrace, B.C. V8G IM7.

,

in October,
tilizer will be

and Thornhill

{_ month.

jg? School District #88 |
rn (Terrace) |

| NOTICE

Beginning in May and ending
1990, grass fer-

playing fields in the Terrace

during the first week of each

applied to all

area schools

rr

thelr country.

- Support your:local Scouts...

TREES FOR
CANADA

Trees for Canada is a Canada-wide Initiative design-
ed to give all members of Scouts Canada the oppor-
tunity to demonstrate, through action, thelr concern for

In future years the millions of trees (38 million trees
since 1972 and increasing by 2 million a year) will help
beautify Canada and provide a renewable resource.
The members involved receive practical training in con-
servation and reforestation and they will see the
results of their work for years to come.

Trees for Canada is also a fund ralsing project. The
funds raised have been used to help further Scouting tn
our community and to develop campsites. Some of the
money Is used to support international Scout programs
designed to help Scouts in Third World countries learn
about “village technology” so they can help their
families and communities. Learning about fish farm-
ing, planting trees on the edge of the Sahara, learning
trades — these are examples of projects Scouts have" “
undertaken In the past few years.

This year, it is expected that Canadian Scouts will:
plant close to two million trees, 2,500 in V Terrace ? alone.

CNT st

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