Taking care of the forest
Plans have to adapt to the unexpected. In recent years, warmer-than-normal winters and forests with lots of old pine trees have helped the mountain pine beetle spread through thousands of hectares of northern BC forests. There are a number of tools that can be used to try to control the infestation, such as
- Selective harvesting of trees with the beetles in them
- Small fires to get rid of infestation centres
- Moving logging operations to affected areas
- Baiting infested areas to prevent the spread of beetles to healthy areas
Fighting problems caused by mountain pine beetle infestation does not necessarily mean the end of sustainable forest management or an increase in the amount of wood harvested.
“Sustainable forest management means making informed choices that balance environmental, economic and social values over the long term,” says Rein Kahlke of the McGregor Model Forest Association.
”It doesn’t mean an even flow of everything from everywhere all the time.“
