A look at forest practices in the
Williams Lake timber supply area

© Tree planter loads up with seedlings in Moffat Lake area for Weldwood.

ILE forest practices on the
BC. Coast have been scruti-
relicah by the media in an un-
fair, biased manner, there has been
little exposure of intensive forestry
practices elsewhere in the province.
Eyen though during normal market
conditions more than 70% of the prov-
ince’s lumber production comes from
the province's interior regions, there
has been little media exposure about
timber harvesting, tree planting, and
silviculture in some of the province's
most important forestry regions.
Fortunately, the Lumberworker
was able to get a first hand look at
some of these forestry practices within
the Williams Lake Timber Supply
Area (TSA) in the past few months
when professional foresters from
Weldwood of Canada and Lignum
Ltd. offered a tour of their bushland
operations.
The Williams Lake TSA in the
northern interior of the province sup-

plies 5 forest companies with timber
from its total area of 4,881,570 hect-
ares. In that area there are about
1,614,000 hectares of lands in the
working forest.

IWA-CANADA Local 1-425 repre-
sents workers in four mills in Wil-
liams Lake (Lignum Ltd., Weldwood -
sawmill and plywood, West Fraser
and Fletcher Challenge) whom depend

on the TSA.

In the western part of the TSA
where Lignum operates in the Chilco-
tin Plateau, lodgepole pine is the main
wood supply.

In the TSA’s transition zone and
eastern extremity, or “wet belt,” there
is an assortment of old-growth spruce,
pine and fir.

For Lignum Ltd., which operates
also in the 100 Mile House TSA south
of the Williams Lake TSA, sustaina-
ble forestry practices are a must to
ensure its ultra-modern sawmill a

—

Photo shows areas selectivly logged by Caterpillars in 1950's and spaced in 1979.

During normal market
conditions over 70% of
the province’s lumber
production comes
from the interior
regions

long-term wood supply. Like all other
licensees, Lignum operates in the area
on a volume based forest license,
which is replaceable every 5 years for
a new 15-year term.

The company’s obligations are basi-
cally similar to that of tree farm
license holders, which have the same
reforestation and silvicultural regula-
tions. All logged off areas have to be

are much more extensive, with a
greater need for brush control.

Competing willow, alder, and herbal
layers (ie. fireweed) must be controlled
to allow the growth of planted seed-
lings and natural regeneration.
According to Mr. Wilson, the use of
chemical herbicides is conservative in
the Cariboo.

Lignum works together in partner-
ship with the Alkali Native Indian
Band in the post logging phase.
Native workers are employed in for-
estry work, which includes waste sur-
veying, mistletoe eradication, and
juvenile spacing.

Mr. Wilson says Lignum is manag-
ing the forest for a sawlog economy
and that the stocking standards in
the entire TSA are geared for future
sawlogs.

He says that rotation ages for most
species are 120 years, which is longer
than the B.C. Coast since growth rates
are lower. Mr. Wilson says lodgepole
pine areas can be re-harvested in
about 80 years.

e Lignum’s Williams Lake sawmill partially depends on a supply of narrow diameter
pine and spruce from the Chilcotin.

returned to the Crown after they have
been certified as free growing from
competing brush.

In the harvesting phase in its
lodgepole pine areas, Lignum uses
feller buncher machines. In Douglas-
fir areas, feller bunchers can be used
to take out smaller trees and develop
skid trail patterns.

In a selective manner fallers are
often sent in to do some directional
hand falling. This selection process,
which takes out as little as 20% of the
wood volume in certain areas, is
designed to protect as much advanced
regeneration as possible.

“Reforestation is a priority for
Lignum, and the establishment of a
plantation forest is not difficult on
most terrain,” says Lignum’s Forestry
Superintendent Lawrie Wilson.

In the dry belt (lodgepole pine),
less than 50% planting is required;
spacing and mistletoe eradication are

iso important to manage the new
forest.

Since November, 1987 all forest
companies in the province have had
sole pearonability for restocking for-
est lands this used to be a responsibil-
ity.of the Ministry of Forests.

In the transition and eastern areas
Mr. Wilson says Lignum’s programs

Currently, the company is harvest-
ing vast stands of dead lodgepole pine
in the Chilcotin Plateau.

Lignum’s bug kill harvesting
license expires in July of 1992; to
date, about 30% of the dead lodgepole
pine areas have been logged by vari-
ous contractors.

Both Lignum and
Weldwood are
managing the

forest for a
sawlog economy

In addition, the company is on the
lookout for the Fir beetle, which is
currently at a high level of activity.

Lignum employs a roving crew of
fallers and mobile skidding and load-
ing crews which harvest Fir in the
little pockets where Fir beetles attack.

Continued on page twelve

LUMBERWORKER/AUGUST, 1991/9 3