me “be careful."

- TERRACE - _— ! Monday April

“1S saw the officiat: Opening of

the Forest Service's. dire season

and local proteetion, officer Joe

-That caution” ‘apilied ‘pare
ticularly during spring and early
summer when people can easily

‘become complacent about the -.

danger ‘of, fire... Cool

temperatures and damp weather.

lull them into a sense of secirity
but, he emphasized,. ‘tin three
or: four. days it‘can be a totally
different. situation,” ;

Nor ‘does it' take listeringly

change. A combination of sun-
shine and ‘drying winds can

quickly drive up the fire hazard,

he warned.”

That point. was underscored .

by Forest Service staff who were
out in.the field.two weeks ago.

After. only three days- of: the
mini. heatwave which saw
30-year-old record highs tum-
ble, they reported the bush had
already dried out significantly.

Having a permit can.
save an individual a lot
of money — Kasatanoff.-

‘Because people
“often don’t have a good grasp
on fire behaviour,’’ Kasatanoff
reminded them a permit was re-

quired for all burning béing car-
ried for the: duration of fire”

season which ends October 15.
He explained there are two
types of permit. Class A permits
are necessary for any “‘in-
dustrial burning’'. While broad-
cast burns obviously fall into
that category, it also applies to
any machine-piled debris —
from land clearing or building
demolition, for example.
“Class B permits apply in the
case of small-scale burning and,

~ NESy<,Sald, ewan iat

means: even | burning,
leaves i in your, hain

* Where , burning . is 10. ‘take

place. within the municipal
boundaries, the permit is issued
by the local fire department.

‘For areas ‘outside city, limits,
permits can be obtained from .

_ ean.
underestimate the danger and .

the local forest district office,
While having to get a permit
may -seem an‘ unnecessarily
bureaucratic exercise,
Kasatanoff emphasized there
were advantages to the burner. .
Before granting a permit, the
Forest Service would inspect the
burn site and set down safe con-
ditions for the fire to ensure it
did ‘not ‘get -away'’. Those

‘'eould include stipulating what
fire-fighting equipment and
. level of manpower there should

be on-site during the: fire and

.. whether: a fi ire guard was need-
hot ‘weather to bring about the ed

Having a. a. permit could also
save. an individual a lot of
money, he added. If ie did not

* Rave one and the fire escaped,

he explained, “‘he could be held

liable for all the. costs involved

in fighting the .fire.’’ That
would’ not be the case where
permit * coriditions had been
followed and the fire had got

out. ‘of. contral “through ne -

fault of his own.””
-Knowing when and where

. burning was to take place also

allowed the Forest Service to en-
sure weather conditions were

- fight for smoke dispersal, the

timing ‘of the fire was compati-
ble with the district’s recently
adopted . smoke - management
policy and, where applicable,
the local airport was advised of
the planned burn.

» While no permit is needed for
campfires, Kasatanoff remind-
ed campers they should still take
some basic precautions, They
included:

® Ensuring the fire was a safe
distance from flammable
material such as trees or logs,

* Having a shovel or con-
tainer of water handy just in
case, and :

- © Ensuring the fire was com-
pletely out before leaving the
site,

Kasatanoff said anyone re-
quiring more information on
permits or fire safety could con-

act the, aie office. a
cat a amples ere a
available w t others fe be

those Tine on rural ¢ acreages ¢ on
what
‘fireproof their ‘own
backyards’’ and thereby protéct
their homes,

’ average.

- deliberately. :

: standing. trees.

Fire facts '90

TERRACE — Last year there were 125 fires in the Kalum
_ forest district and while that was nearly a third Jess than the
previous year, the figure was more than double the 10-year °

Mother Nature was the primary fire-starter with: lightning -
accounting’ for 76 of the blazes. However, that type of fire is’ ‘
‘-unavoidable. What concerns the forest service are the number:
"of fires for.which people are to blame.
. Of the 49 man-made fires last year, 29 were related to in- ;
dustrial activities, nine. were caused by abandoned campfires -
and ‘the: remaining 14 were determined to have been set.

4, The most serious fit ire ‘occurred in the Kildala Valley, down |.
«the Douglas Channel, ‘where 90ha burned. Losses here includ- '
ed. timber. that had alreday been, felled and bucked as well as

- ” The good Tews for | 1990 was overall timber losses were |
Minimal ‘with only about 250ha being burned i most of that |
- was, in very, low quality stands. .

[Aten eee

ae
pe

cul ,

they could do’ to.

ALTERNATIVES to broadcast burning slash left behind after logging are being considered in what the
Forest Service has identified as “smoke-sensitive areas”. Above, fire protection:officer. Joe Katasanoff
inspects a site where slash was broken up by machine rather than being burned. Gathering debris into
piles {inset) to be burned individually or in small groups is another method being looked at.

of the Terrace-Kitimat airport.

That undertaking is included in a new smoke
management policy being adopted by the Forest =:
Service (the same ban applies within five miles of

the Kitimat airpark).

Fire protection officer Joe Kasatanoff also
~ noted: the Forest Service will be looking at the
feasibility of alternatives to burning of any kind

in those areas.

One such method would be allowing the local :
Correction Centre to remove all firewood quality’
slash’ from a cutblock and then using a “‘slash
buster” to break up what remains. Although the
broken down slash would decompose more quick-
ly, he said the Forest Service would have to decide ;
"if we can live with the hazard” posed by what _
could become fuel for a wildfire.

; Pointing out slash busting had been carried out -
_ on asite near the airport last summer, Kasatanoff ©.
said he would be revisiting the site‘this year to *

assess the results.

However, he added, there would be some

cut blocks -—- on steep slopes and in swampy areas,
for example — where this method might not be
possible. In such cases, forestry would likely turn
to piling of debris prior. to burning.
Emphasizing the results #rom pile buming were

very different from broadcast blazes, he said the

size of those piles and the number set alight at any
one time could be controlled. That, in turn,
would control the amount of smoke produced.
-The néw policy also establishes smoke sensitive
‘areas, defined as ‘any area in which smoke ac-
~cumulations may cause a safety or public health
‘hazard, or may unreasonably deny recreational or
aesthetic enjoyment to the public.” :
‘In Jine with that last, the Forest Service had. .
‘produced a list of significant community events
-- including the May long weekend, Riverboat
Days and Skeena Valley Fall Fair.
No burning can take place three days prior to
‘ these events without the district’s approval and

“even then, he said, approval will only be given if

_ there is a good venting index.

- “Kasatanoff. explained the venting index. in-
dicated whether the smoke would be carried
Straight up and how quickly and effectively it -
would be dispersed by upper level winds,

_ Protecting habitat is the key |

_ ‘Waidacepe v wiews."~

ha

me ee ett

MANAGEMENT ZONES Tave now been’ established or he
- Thunderbird area, Fishiwildtife habitat and recreation, particularty.
{ angling, are the priorities In Zone 1, Maintaining Wildlife habitat Is:
"the primary focus in Zone 2, although fish habitat [s stlit: important
; fete Zone 3s the “working forest” but stands of old growth forest:
lide retained [n these areas. Essentially reskdénilalin cha
~ Zohe'4 concerns wil be ‘maintaining. water ¢

TERRACE —— The Thunderbird
area is not a major priority for
the environment ministry when
it comes to its management pro-
gram of coastal grizzly bears,

Says a local conservation of-
‘ficer.

Speaking ‘ati a’ recent public
meeting. to consider a-manage-

aD - ment plan; for: the ‘Thunderbird ;
‘|. it’s to the. south of Terrace :
and. takes in ‘Lakelse Lake (see ©

map: at right) - — ‘Kathy Stuart

J said the’ prime concern is “to -
“').. protect: grizzly populations
where they are thost at risk.”

“Stuart’: ‘Was responding (0

ah local ‘resident ‘Kjolborn Eide’s
| - suggestion a hunting ban should.
. be inaposed in the area and stay:
inp ace | Ng enough to allow
pomulation of large game to.”

Pointing: ut grizzly numbers.

. aroiind Lakelse had plummeted

‘over-the past 25 years, he said

“thé branch‘should ensure such a - .: Wher
ban formed part of the manage- Sal =i

fer plati now being drawn up
ills roe given Lakelse te

: 7

(cea Seip ‘um tata tt dnt arly eek oa potecettlee AS Ntn ‘ail ak “lta eal a a it oe a on mien
ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee

precluded any attempt to active-
ly promote increased numbers
of bears there, “We da not
want ‘to increase ‘the conflict
. between people and. grizzlies,””
‘she explained. :

Since: protecting existing
populations . was the branch’s
main aim, she: ‘said the emphasis

was, Now ‘on -habitat: manage- -
ment. “If ‘you. don’t-have the

habitat, you won't have the

numbers,’”® she painted out.
To: -concentrate: efforts on.

counting: the. number. af. bears

° while ‘allowing: more of. their

habitat -: to ‘disappear in the
meanwhile’ was ‘not the most ef-
Fective way of dealing with the:

=o
okiiig at‘how much.
iMlable:to the bears’
sand: what ¢ can‘be ‘done to main-
“tain thelr numbers by. preserving
some: OF that pbitat.

be recreate area, sey poche

ald, the branch :

That might also mean chang:
ing the forest service's restock-
ing standards — the number of

-.

ot 1oke:policy: ‘seeks new...
answers to old problem

TERRACE — It may not have gone as far as the
Kitimat-Stikine regional district would have liked
— it called for a moratorium on all broadcast
burning — but the Kalum forest district has
agreed to ban all such slash fires within five miles

1

new trees to’ be planted: in, a

given area — such as reducing

‘the figure adjacent. ‘to some
‘small streams. :

ee ss cs
>The “latest draft: of -the
Thunderbird | integrated,

resource. management plan
_ prepared: by the forest service

_Includes..a goal of. preserving

.1,800ha of-old growth forest —

that: area ‘is 10.3 per cent of
crown land in the Thunderbird.

Although the figure falls
short of the 12 per cent target-

> ledjin eerlier. dratts, project co- -

chairman’, Norm: Pary says -”
there is’ ‘sti “éome work to do =

Old: growth’ retention. will be

‘one.of.the many issues tackled

by the newly: formed: ‘Thunder-

bird advisory. commiitee: which
Will’. meet: for. the® first-time

y ‘shorter letters likely to ‘be:
2 Published: soonest

8 AME wt hE xi A EB

break you advertised: bus

} better. out for next season,

‘Tnumber. Addresses or phone |

‘| Thanks’

Conflict?

Dear Sir:

has a conflict of interest.

government to interfere with

not determine amounts of

and = unnecessary . piece . of |.
perts,

the other cabinet ministers

conflicts of interest? Before
he lets his imagination run
wild, he might. consider how
a forester is not in a conflict

charge ‘of B.C.’s-’ Parks,

volving Bill 82.

In Dave Parker’s world,
women politicians should not
speak out on women’s issues,
doctors in politics should not

and foresters in politics
should not speak out on
forestry issues...oops! I

forest minister, hey Davel
Yours truly,
Walter McConnell,
_ Terrace, B.C,

Make it.
clearer

An open letter to:
Shames Mountain Ski Corp,,

syhh

‘Dhiring: the recent: spring.

fares to Shames as being $5
each way. This was not the
agreement you had made
with Farwest and it caused a
lot of confusion and anger:
with some of the parents.

return fare to me, I suggest

specific in your ads.
There are lots of

gone to the mountain to ski,

had there been transporta-

sional days,
It would be a good idea if
you could work. something

because you are. losing a
good partion of revenue by
not getting skiers up there.
In closing I would like to
say that the kids enjoyed the

the best for their future

endeavors.

Yours truly,

- . Helga Janke, -
Terrace, B.C.

About
letters |

The Terrace Standard
welcomes ietters to the editor

be. signed and carry an ad-.
dress and local telephone:

numbers won't be printed:
with the letter, but they are”
mecessary for confirmation :
of ‘the letter's authenticity”
The. writer's name will be_
published. Requests for.
names to be withheld may be.
‘granted in extraordinary cir.
cumstances, <3. ehh
Thank. you - “letters: should
be submitted to the “Card of
section of the.

classifieds,
Letiers containing libelous
or objectionable matter will.

th, |

So Dave Parker thinks that |
NDP candidate Helmut ::
Giesbrecht shold not. speak]. .
out against Bill 82. Dave §*
thinks the NDP candidate

The Socreds pass Bill 82|:
which allows the provincial [-

collective bargaining between |
public sector. workers and]:
their employers. Bill:82 does 4°
money it only determines al
process for interference in]
free and fair collective].
bargaining. It is an unfair].
legislation according to’ ex: :
Dave Parker, who like all.

facing an election, has. sud-[:
denly become an expert in}:

of: interest if he is ‘put in|

N.S.R. parkland is more real |
than a conflict of interest in-].

guess you forgot about being |

ee |

Even though Dave Storey |
of Farwest returned the $5 §
to you that you are more j:

youngsters that would have

tion on weekends and profes- |

season, and I wish Shames {

on all.copics, All letters must. |

| be edited or returned to’ ‘the,
|p writer, All letters are run.on-[

“LETTERS:

|). 10 tHe Tennace stanpany

Soe Tet TH LALO

1 eninase

speak out on: health: issues]

ve

ach ital et,

cece en eerame get nt

- do ek 2d ce ned ch ct ts ek tect