Williams Lake
TSA

Continued from page nine

Weldwood harvests about 600,000
cubic metres of wood out of the Wil-
liams Lake TSA annually. Therefore,
its reforestation efforts are quite large.

Most of the Crown land in the TSA
is used for range land and recreation,
which are high priority uses. So any
logging and silvicultural activity that
Weldwood does must be executed with
this in mind.

Weldwood uses feller bunchers and
skidders on most of its logging stands
in the Fraser Plateau and transition
areas, and also utilizes conventional
high lead systems in its steeper
Quesnel Highlands area.

Like Lignum, Weldwood is plan-
ning for a sawlog economy in its plant-
ing and silviculture.

“The belief is that there will always
be a market for a good quality saw-
log,” says Forestry Superintendent
Art Lacourciere. “If we aim for a
sawlog economy and, in the future, it
changes to a fibre economy, then we
will have an economic advantage with
larger log sizes.”

‘urrently, according to company
forester Ernie Schmid, over 90% of
Weldwood’s plantations are over mini-
mum stocking levels.

Normally the company plants
about 1,400 stems/hectare in spruce-
pine-fir as a buffer against natural
mortality where up to 200-300 stems
per hectare can be lost.

This year Weldwood co-ordinated a
spring planting from early May until
the end of June, and a summer plant-
ing from mid-July to September. The
company plants 2-3 million seedlings
annually.

To prepare the sites for planting

Weldwood uses mechanical site prep-
aration. A disc trencher is used on

© Weldwood uses a backhoe to make a series of “mounds” where seedlings are planted. This is done in areas where water tables are

high and/or where soils are extremely cold.

Reforestation efforts
in the B.C. interior
are largely ignored
by the mainstream

media

© Planter puts down seedling on sides of mound where water table is high.

some sites, much like a farmer ploughs
a field. The disc trencher removes
pine grass, which is a competitor with
seedlings, and creates a furrow with
better water retention capabilities. It
is also used in transition wet belt
areas.

Because the furrows flood in spring,
seedlings are placed almost 1/2 way
up the trench.

Weldwood also uses a “winged rip-
per” which digs 2-3 feet into the soil
profile. The ripper is mounted behind
a D8-Cat. However, this system is
utilized only in a few areas where
needed. Cattle don’t like to graze in
the areas with deep furrows.

On some wet sites a backhoe with a
60-inch bucket is used to make a
series of “mounds” where the seed-
lings are planted. This mounding is
done in areas where soils are cold and
for when the water table is high.

By planting seedlings on the side of
mounds, roots grow faster as soil
temperatures are higher. The grass
mat and organic duff which insulates
the ground is mixed with mineral soil
and results in a good medium for trees
roots to grow in.

Weldwood carefully surveys each
logged off area and checks cone pro-
duction and natural seedling regener-
ation. Each harvested area is broken
down into “ecosystem associations”
to determine what site preparation
and planting treatments are needed.

The company monitors the seed
crops and picks cones in the areas of
operation. This seed is used to grow
seedlings which are returned to their
native areas and planted.

In its site preparation phase
Weldwood carries out the prescribed
burning of about 1,000 hectares of
recent logging slash in the eastern
wet belt areas prior to planting. Burn-
ing is used to prepare the ground for
planting and control competing
brush, which will impact the survival
of the plantation.

Another way of controlling compet-
ing vegetation is the limited use of
chemical herbicides by aerial or
ground applications.

For the last five or six years the
Ministry of Forests, in co-operation
with the government’s Fish and Wild-
life Branch, has been allowing sheep
grazing in the area for vegetation
management. Although no final
assessment has been made, early
experiments with the sheep have indi-
cated that the animals eat only the
deciduous vegetation and leave the
free growing seedlings behind.

Mr. Lacourciere, who has been in
the Williams Lake TSA since the
early 70’s, says he’s seen a lot of
changes over the year and an increased
commitment to successful silvicul-
tural treatments.

“In the early 70’s, foresters looked
for natural regeneration which, to a
great extent, was dependent on how
successful seed crops were. As there
was no guarantee of success, foresters
then turned to planting programs.”

According to Mr. Lacourciere, dur-
ing the early years the planting pro-
grams were smaller because of low
government budgets and low tree nur-
sery capacity in the province.

© Lignum employs local Native Band for
juvenile spacing and mistletoe eradica-
tion.

“Most of the public is largel:
unaware of how much we've put pace
into the forest and won't see the divi-
dends for years to come. Reforesta-
tion dollars are long-term invest-
ments,” says Mr. Lacourciere.

For politicians, who often look at
things in the short-term, reforesta-
tion dollars are not an attractive place
to put public money to get voters’

support.
‘However, ple whose livelihoods
depend on the forest industry realize

the long-term necessity of an increased
commitment to our forests.

In the Cariboo Chilcotin country,
that commitment is taking place and
must continue for the long-term
sustainability of forest jobs and the
protection of the environment.

12/LUMBERWORKER/AUGUST, 1991