week:

So far we’ve been looking at
’ expanded markets and better utitiz-
ation of our timber as solutions to
the Fall Down Effect. But as we
said in the beginning, the problem
is very complex and so is the
solution.

There are dozens, possibly hund- |

reds, of factors that must work
together if we are to succeed in
better utilizing our forests. This

week we will begin looking at.

another aspect of the forest indust-
ty. Forest management. There is
really only one way to manage our
forests... farm them. This may
sound a little strange at the
moment but in coming weeks it’s
a concept that will begin to make
a lot of sense.

We’ve logged all the easy parts
of our forest, They’re gone, A few
decades ago, though, we recog-
nized this and decided we would
fix it. We decided we would plant
trees and in no time at all we
would have a new forest to harv-
est. But this time we would make

sure the job was done. right. -

Nature, for some reason, had
planted her trees helter-skelter.
Timber stands -were mixtures of

rt

le Green
llusion

species such as spruce, balsam,;-
cedar, pine and mountain hemlock. ..

And no two stands were the.same,
It was a bit of a mess and not very
conducive to nice, clean, system-
atic logging,

Man,’ therefore, being a little
smarter and a bit more organized
than mother nature, decided to
plant whole stands of pine on one
site and spruce on another. These
trees were more valuable to the
industry and the economic boon of
being able to log a stand of noth-
ing but straight, tall, equally-sized
Spruce, for example, was obvious.
Soon, once-barren slopes were
green with a dollar potential far
superior to nature’s original effort.

But it was an illusion... a green
illusion. What was there in reality
was the potential for economic
disaster. We tried to outsmart
nature and found out we weren’t
so smart after all. Our ecosystems
are complicated and there are good
reasons for a certain species, or
mix of species, to grow where and
when they do.

For example, in northwestern
B.C. a natural forest consists of 60
percent hemlock, 30 percent bal-
sam and 10 0 percent spruce, cedar

we hd wed eahs at Sabla ea teeth

- Terrace Review — Wednesday,’ April 4, 1990 A7

che pater eS
i
wa gt
wie we
we.
an a
ait
\..

|

by Tod Strachan

and pine. Hemlock is the most
common species in the northwest,
and in an area where there have
been no forest fires they can make
up as much as 85 percent of a
stand of timber. The reason is that
hemlock is shade tolerant and can
grow in the shadow of larger
spruce and pine. Spruce and pine,
on the other hand, like the sun and
once the hemlock begin to outgrow
them they lose their foothold in the
forest over time.

But this is only in general terms.
A specific site could be much
different. One reason should be
obvious. Each specific site has its
own soil type, mix of nutrients and
moisture content. A species of tree
that likes a dry, sunny slope ‘isn’t
going to grow in a shady bog.
Likewise, a pine isn’t necessarily
going to take to well to a site
wire we just cut down a bunch of

There is another reason’ for
eUd wgeda

eth oy nok, beatae

The view jrom
Victoria —

by John Pifer

VICTORIA — Thursday's
Speech from the Throne will
kick off what is sure to be the’
best show in town for the next
few months, the Legislature in
action,

There is plenty of evidence
which points towards a further
‘‘sreening’’ of the Social Credit
government, and that is sure to
be reflected in the speech, and
in the Budget, due two weeks
later (April 19).

The environment is still the
major issue on people’s minds, «
as all private and public polls
are showing, and any modern
Western government ignores it
at its peril,

Many of you will have. al- ..
ready received the latest slick
example of just how much em-
phasis the Socreds are placing
on matters environmental.

It’s a 24-page tabloid news-
"paper entitled Environment
’ B.C., produced by those same
former journalists (now Socred.
hacks) who brought you B.C.
News and Provincial Report.

Those publications, paid for
by taxpayers’ dollars, were -con-
sidered junk mail by some and
-“*the truth’? by others who
blamed the media for not get-
ting out the government’s:

“for that matter’— have had ~
* over 'the’past two or three ~

message.

The latest one ‘‘stars” En-
vironment Minister John
Reynolds, and, to a much
lesser degree, Premier Bill
Vander Zalm... along with
dozens of household hints on
how to be more environmental-
ly conscious and careful.

It would be easy for cynical
journalists to pass it off as
another politically-inspired bid
for votes, and we do, because
it is. But it also truly has some
worthwhile information, all
printed, of course, on recycled
paper,

Producing such a tabloid
reflects the rapid and con-
siderable change in attitude the
Socreds — and nearly everyone

years,

We can only be grateful that
amid the political posturing of
appearing to be more
environmentally-aware, there
actually.are changes taking
place for the better,

From more recycling to con-
cerns over waste disposal, from
using ‘and buying products that
are less harmful to this planet
of ours to demanding that
companies.meet strick en-
vironmental guidelines, each

and every one of us can con-

tribute to an improved world,

‘The second issue most likely

. to produce some “good news”?

in the Throne Speech i is hous-
ing.

In those aforementioned
polls, housing concerns were
well ahead of economic, educa-
tion, health and social services
ones. Watch for financial in-
itiatives from the government
to help those building rental
units, and don’t be surprised if
some form of rent review is an-
nounced,

It is unlikely that the Socreds
would ever consider rent con-
trols or a rentalsman, true.

But with consistent reports
of landlords gouging tenants,
and with the number of renters
increasing astronomically be-

cause house prices are through

the roof, and tens of thousands
of people are moving to B.C.
annually, it would be politically
wise to appear to be doing
something for tenants, too.

Whether they be in the
Lower Mainland or Victoria, or
in centers such as Kelowna,
Penticton, Kamloops and
Prince George, they could use
some help.

Heritage legislation will be
coming, also, to protect
buildings and sites, and. to pro-
vide financial aid for owners of
the properties. Watch for
municipalities to be given more

nature mixing species of trees,
though, that has only recently
become apparent. A good example
are those massive areas of spruce
we planted in this area about 30
years ago. They still look green
from a distance, but take a closer
look and you will find that most of
them are stunted and deformed.
Why? The spruce leader weevil.

Nature has a good reason for not
growing more than about 15 per-
cent spruce in one stand. What we
had planted in reality was not a
gold mine of perfect trees but a
feast for the weevil. The weevil
could move from spruce top to
spruce top unihibited by foreign
species, There was nothing to slow
them down and they moved fast,
These proud stands of timber have
been devastated and we’ve lost, in
some areas, 30 years in our wait
for new stands of timber.

In the meantime, we’ve logged
and continue to log areas that

Oo a ee ee

powers for zoning heritage
sites, and for preserving in-
teriors,

Education will be addressed,
of course, especially post-sec-
ondary. Plans for the long-
awaited university for Prince
George will be firmed up,
along with more funds (about
$11 million worth!) for expand-
ing North Island College by
setting up a Courtenay campus.

There’ll be a lot more, such
as:

@ Ottawa-bashing as an excuse
to limit increases in heaith,
social services and housing.

@ A repeat of ail the commit-
ments to accelerate the building
of more ferries.

@ More incentives for foreign
entrepreneurs and wealthy in-

should never have been logged in
the first place. Some of these areas
may never grow trees again, We
can’t shut our sawmills down, but
the question has to be asked:
Should we be logging where we
are? In some cases, the answer is
no. In all cases, we need more
intensive, site-specific management
of our forests.

Next week we'll define another
term... silviculture. Perhaps you.
already know what silviculture
means. Or perhaps you only think
you do.

Forestry Insights is a weekly
feature of the Terrace Review,
written by staff reporter Tod
Strachan in consultation with Reg-
istered Professional Foresters Rod
Arnold and Doug Davies. We
encourage our readers to become
involved in the issues by sending
writen opinions and observations
fo Forestry Insights, clo the Ter-
race Review, 4535 Greig Ave.,

.. Lerrace,.B.C..V8G_1M7.

vestors to emigrate to B.C.
@ A tax rebate for home-
owners to cover the difference
between their homeowners’
grant and the taxes they pay.
@ Assessment and property tax
reform for municipalities,
which would include a flat tax
on residential property coupled
with a percentage tax on the as-
sessed value, and separate tax
rates on land and im-
provements,
@ Taxation on all pollutant
materials and non-recyclable
items.
@ Little or no change in how
GO B.C. grants are handled —
after all, Cabinet ministers
have to have some largesse to
offer!

Stay tuned.

TERRACE

items are permitted.

|

CITY OF TERRACE
NOTICE
CEMETERY MAINTENANCE. . ee

The City of Terrace hereby gives notice that wh
any fences, tokens or ornaments on, around
or near graves in the Terrace Municipal
Cemetery and found to be decrepit or in
disrepair will be removed by City crews,
beginning May 1, 1990. This notice applies to
those sections of the cemetery where such

. By. authority of By-Law #1005-1983.

Steve Scott
Cemetery Administrator
3215 Eby Street |
Terrace, B.C.

_—

Se xhgtepeaee

tes ON ap pee |
Sap. RSE,

ean

t
SST TM EST ee ee ae als ae
men a CULL Sige te tae ne