4 By MALCOLM BAXTER ANNUAL allowable cut (AAC) in the Saluin forest district is under the microscope again, ( The Forest Service has just launched into a timber supply review that will ultimately decide culting levels in the district’s forests. * Following the last such exercise, chief forester ‘Larry Pedetsen announced Sept. 28, 1995 that -he was reducing the AAC by 3.3 per cent to- :464,000 cubic metres, effective Jan, 1, 1996. , In doing so, he essentially adopted the ‘‘base ; case” put forward in a timber supply analysis ; produced a year earlier by the Forest Service. | The purpose of that base case was to | determine the Kalum’s long term sustainable cut — the point at which the amounts of timber ; being cut and new growth in the remainder of : the forests were identical. ; It concluded that figure was 400,000 cubic i Metres, nearly 17 per cent below the then cur- lent AAC. The base case suggested reaching | that target by reducing the cut to 464,000 cu.m. ‘for the next 10 years, dropping it a further 10 | per cent for the following decade, and finally | reaching 400,009 cu.m. after 30 years. | Although there were a number of concerns about the accuracy of some of the assumptions ‘used in arriving at that base case, this latest review is not in response to those concems. Legislation requires the chief forester re- examine AACs every five years. In doing so, however, he will have new in- formation at his finger tips, and answers to some of the questions raised last time. How much wood is out there? i In 1994 Kalum district staff were worried the ‘estimate of standing timber was overly op- i tmistic — they suggested it could be out by as nuch as 20 per cent. Pedersen decided sticking with the estimate vould not be harmful in the long term, but talled for a study to determine if those fears vere justified. ' Result: an inventory audit was carried out and he resulis showed the volume estimates were ‘statistically reliable”’. How fast are new trees growing? District staff suggested the base case un- derestimated the productivity of replanted sites, particularly in the Kitimat Valley, possibly by ‘a8 much as 50 per cent. If that were true, the analysis suggested the lcut could be maintained as was for 60 years ‘hen actually increased to 570,000 cubic metres, he projected sustainable level at those growth ates. Result; a ‘paired plot survey’? which com- yared a malure stand of hemlock against an ad- acent cutbock of second growth supported the itaff’s position. i While not quantifying the result of the survey, ihe information report produced for this analysis notes the site index used to estimate growth potential on replanted sites will have to be ad- justed upward ‘‘when the old-hemlock forest is ‘harvested and replaced with managed hemlock | stands’, It points out changing the estimates of the | volumes of timber being produced on these sites will also affect previous assumptions on mini- a mum harvestable ages for second growth and the time required for ‘green up”. fe aE Dt When can second growth forests ' be cut? The last analysis assumed it would take trees 110 years to become ‘‘merchantable’’. However, based on their contention second growth rates were underestimated, district staff suggested that minimum harvestable age could be as much as 20 years younger than assumed. The 1994 analysis said if that were true, the then current cut could have been maintained for at Jeast 20 years, maybe even 50 years. How- ever, it would be only a short term fix — the AAC would have to be reduced over the follow- ing two decades to a level just below its base case. Chief forester OFFICIALLY, it’s called ‘‘harvesting out of profile”. Effectively, it’s a subtle form of high-grading. But whatever you call it, chief forester Larry Pedersen is going to be looking for signs com- panies cutting in the Kalum district have moved away from the practice. Pedersen pointed to the problem in handing dewn his 1995 decision on the annual allowable cut. District forests are broken down into classifi- cations that reflect the abillty of trees to grow on a particular site — good, medium and poor. From that emerges the profile of the Kalum’s forests in terms of the percentage of each type of site found across the district. - Harvesting to the profile means logging dif- ferent quality sites roughly in the proportions that they exist district-wide. Is a given that the better quality trees are found on the good sites and therefore those sites | are the most economically attractive to com- ties, ’ And information included in the Timber Supply Analysis presented to Pedersen showed tle overwhelming majority of those had already tren logged. Given they represent only eight per cent of the larvesting land base, that’s not necessarily criti- al, ‘But the figures that really caught his attention tlated to sites rated medium and poor. ‘While medium growing sites made up about lalf the land base, they accounted for three quarters of the cut. ‘On poor sites the trend was reversed - 44 per How much to cut? A review of the rate of logging here aims to balance growth and cutting rates LOGGI RSS UNE IGGING in the Kalum district is once again being reviewed as the chief forester prepares to adjust the rate at which forests here are being cut. PHOTO -~ GABRIELA ROSAS What's green up? Its the term used to describe the height scc-" ond growth trees must attain before adjacent cutblocks can be logged. If it is occuring faster than assumed, then those adjacent blocks can be logged earlier than expected. However, the benefit is again only short term and would only delay the AAC being cut to the long term sustainable level by 10 years, What about the Forest Practices Code? Last time around Pedersen did not take the FPC into account because at that stage il was too early lo tell what effect it would have. This time, the information report ack- nowledges, ‘‘these new practices may influence both the short and long term timber supply.”’ Just what they are projected to be will not be clear until the timber supply analysis is released later this year. How will native land claims be factored in? They won’t be. As Pederson explained in 1995, ‘‘it is inappropriate to exclude traditional territories or land under claim by First Nations involved in treaty negotiations from the Timber Supply Review until formal decisions ate in place. *T have no mandate to do so,” he added. What happens next? Commenis on ihe information report have al- ready been submitted. The timber supply analysis will be available by this summer and its release will be followed by a second public review period. Then, based on that analysis and all the com- ments received, Pedersen will make his deci- slon. ' HOW MANY TREES? m@ The Kalum Timber Suppiy Area (TSA) covers 550,000 hactares (ha). gi More than half of that Is either not forested or covered with sparse alpine forest. @ That leaves only 200,000 ha w But after deducting economically or physically Inoperable areas, environmen- tally sensitive areas, streamside buffers, existing roads and landings, future roads and landings and deciduous forests, the total long term timber har- vesting base is 100,000 ha, mw However, that could be further reduced by future decislons on pro- tected areas, recreational reserves and other land use issues, plus the outcome of land claims In the forest district, worried about high-grading cent and 22.4 per cent, respectively, “Harvesting out of profile over an extended period will shift the supply profile in future decades towards the economically less attractive sites, to the detriment of companics, coim- munities and workers at that time,’’ Pedersen pointed out. “Harvesting out of profile over an extended period will shift the supply profile in future decades towards the economically less at- tractive sites, to the detriment of companies, communities and workers at that time.” In other words, keep up what you’re doing and poor sites ate golng to be about all there’s left available for logging because the second growth forests on good and medium sites will still be too young to cut. : Therefore, ‘‘licencees will be expected in fu- ture to focus more harvesting activity in the poor quality sites...than they have done histori- cally.”’ Pedersen backed that up with a warning to companies about what he’d be forced to do if things didn’t change. One option would be to partition the AAC, That would mean that instead of an overall cut figure for the entire harvesting land base, he would set separate AACs ticd to the quality of Cutting off balance 100 IB of operable forest % of cut Good Medium Poor sites sites sites Chief forester Larry Pedersen is worried that logging companies are cutting the best growing sites too quickly. ‘ sites, thus forcing the companies ont to the poor ones if they wanted to get their full cut. Alternatively, he could conclude that since companies don’t want to cut in poor areas, their designation should be changed to inoperable and they should be removed from the harvesting land base altogether. Do that, and the AAC calculation would change significantly — and downward. The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 11,1998 - AS oR ee CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD The Mail Bag Bingo grab a worry Dear Sir: This is to clarify the article on bingo and gaming in the March 4 The Terrace Standard. The Terrace Bingo — Association did not say in our media release of March 2 that Linked bingo should leave our facility immediate- ly. We stated that the government’s current practices are detrimental to our licensees and that we are concerned they are considering replacing our bingo licences with a granting system. That would mean a loss of control of bingo funds, grants diminishing over time and many of the volunteer services currently offered in this com- munity disappearing, : The current linked bingo is competition with ours and may be reducing our revenue. It was established ia our place of business without our consent. ‘We appealed to the government to discontinue these practices. Pat Smith, Presidenf, Terrace Bingo Association, Terrace, B.C. The way it should be Dear Sir: Afier secing the way the media has attempted to dis- credit pro-lifers on the news recently, it would scem that there is little credibility Icft in this once highly valued majority position for countless generations. How has this happened? It appears to me that the tide of public opinion in- formed by the media is the new standard to which the majority subscribes. Note the careful selection of terms — pro choice and women’s rights. Also see the images of pro-lifers roughing up Dr. Morgentaler and being held responsible for injuring abortionists. Then the ap- . parent conclusions — pro-lifers need to face the reality that Canadians oppose their posilion and all medical doctors need to be trained in abortion procedures. Docs not this appear to be the shaping of a new kind of morality? Do you remember in the 70s that the abortion issue centered on the health of the mother? Some darted to suggest that eventually the mother would be empowered to choose life or death for their unbom child. Tacy were mocked. It would never be sol Today the unborn child has no protection. If the mother chooses to abort, no one in society may deny them. Tomorrow the mother may bear a ‘defective’ child. Will she have the right to destroy it? Some still believe, with the overwhelming majority of previous generations, that life is precious from con- ceplion and must be valued and protected. Today we have a wide choice of means to prevent conception from occurring — and being pro-choice in this regard has always been regarded as wise and prudent. Yet to promote and demand that abortion be a publicly ap- proved and funded means of birth control, removing all restrictions — have we now come to this? Rod Freeman, Terrace, B.C. Condoms are wrong Dear Sir: -I commend Claudette Sandecki on her column on un- masking violence, The Terrace Standard, Feb, 18, 1998. TL could tell that it came from her heart, likely, be- cause of her involvement with a neighbour in a violent situation. Claudette also asks some very pertinent ques- tions. In regard to another topic: Condoms in schools aré a band-aid solution to problems that are deeper than what we see on the surface. For some teenage boys, having sex with a girl is a “matter of conquest and bas nothing to do with rela- tionship {according to the boasting that they do). Why should we accommodate this in schools with condoms in the washrooms? On the other hand, many girls, and some boys, equate sex with love and are looking to fill a need, This need for love is often there because it is not being met by their family, peers, or socicty, and they know nothing about ihe love God has for them. Why encourage them to get involved in a relationship that won’! meet that need? What young teenage boy or girl has the maturity to - make a relationship work, when they hardly know each other, other than on a physical level? Shouldn't our goal be to build stable family units rather than just ac- commodating desire? Just like kids need time and teaching to Ieam math, science, English, and other skills to equip them for work and careers in later life, so they also need time and teaching to develop friendships and good rela- ‘tionships with the opposite sex. Condoms won't do this for them. It's the wrong equipment for the problems ‘that our teens face. Nancy Penner, Terrace B.C. Do it yourself Dear Sir: I know that this is the second complaint on this topic but obviously the first one wasn’t enough. A few weeks ago there was a letter written by Ida Mobier about a time when ber son broke his back and the doc- tors didn’t even look into it until later. On Jan, 21, 1998 one of my friends, Laurie Sager, broke her back with a crushed L1 vertebrae. We went to the hospital and after about two hours of waiting in an almost empty hospital the doctor came. After examinations and some X-rays ihey gave her some pain killers and sent us on our way telling us that she probably just pulled some muscles, It wasn’t until a week later that a radiologist even looked at the X-rays, So being the dic hard that she is, Lawrie hit the slopes right away. After a frustrating day hiking and not skiing to the best of her ability, Laurie was certain that there was something wrong with her back. Then a week later Laurie gets home to have her parents tell her that the doctor phoned and she has a crushed vertebrae in her lower back. Which has to say something about the hospital. Although her back is stable, if she had wiped while skiing after her accident, she could have been paralyzed because It took them a week to look at her X- rays, So next time you go in for a back injury look at your own X-rays; it would probably be more useful, Mary Bartlett, Terrace B.C. The Terrace Standard welcomes letters to the editor. Our deadline is noon Friday for the following Wed- nesday’s issue. Our mailing address is 3216 Clinton St, Terrace, B.C. V8G SR2. Our fax number is 250- 638-8432. We particularly welcome letters via e-mail. Our e-mail address is standard@kermode.net