The Mountain Pine Beetle

The current infestation is thought to

be the worst insect epidemic in North

| America’s history. It has consumed
twenty times more forest than the fires

this past summer, covering an area

three times the size of Vancouver Island.

‘It stretches from th@U.S. bordér’to Fort

. “St. James and is still growing at a rate

-of 40 per cent every year. Abundant
stands of mature lodgepole pine; warm,
. dry summers; and mild winters have
all helped the beetle population explode.
All that will stop the beetie’s advance

- is sustained cold winter weather of -40 C
- or below, but we are taking steps to slow

~ the infestation.

Area Infested
(in Hectares).

°2.000,000 : ~ 1968,641
/yson000 }

~1000,000

pe 284,041

“2000 2001-2002

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 26, 2003 - A15

What's S at F Risk Co | fon Ra
Already, $20 billion in timber value is at risk of being lost. AS a result, the.
supply of available timber in B.C. s interior will be affected for up. to 80°

‘years, impacting more than 30 forest-dependent communities. The edn
dead trees also increase the risk of forest fires,

Battling the Pine Beetle

A task force was appointed in 2001 to lead the development of 2 an naction

pian now being implemented. This action plan includes: )
* Committing more than $100 million to contro! measures over the last
three years; |

* Increasing the annual allowable cut and diverting forest harvesting to
the leading edge of the infestation; and

° Restoring damaged areas through rehabilitation and replanting.

Preventing Fires and Protecting Jobs

‘We’ re acting to protect forest industry jobs and to ensure the long- term Lhe

economic health of forest-dependent communities. Because for every tree.
harvested, as many as 16 can be saved. By removing dry, dead trees today,
we can reduce the risk of forest fires.

There is still more work to be done. To that end,
Premier Gordon Campbell just convened a special
pine beetle symposium in Quesnel to seek solutions,
bringing together community leaders, industry
experts, First Nations members, environmental
representatives and others,

Protecting Your Land

The pine beetle doesn’t just: infest trees on
public land. To learn about steps you can
take to prevent and combat the infestation,
visit our Web site for more information.

"For more i information about the mountain pine beetle, the provincial action plan
| and how you. can help, visit our Web site at www.gov.bc. ca Sten

ws ERT,

cS