B.C.'s chief forester reduced the annual timber harvest in the Prince George and Quesnel areas on Tuesday from its peak at the height of the pine beetle epidemic.
In Prince George, the amount of timber allowed logged each year has been reduced to 12.5 million cubic metres from its peak of 14.9 million cubic metres. The new level is still higher than the 9.3 million annual level before the beetle epidemic.
In Quesnel, allowable logging was reduced to four million cubic metres from its peak of 5.3 million cubic metres. Also higher than the the 2.3 million harvest level before the beetle epidemic.
Neither area had been logging to peak levels. In the Prince George area, about 8.9 million cubic metres was harvested in 2009. In Quesnel, about 3.4 million cubic metres was harvested in 2009.
"Although the allowable annual cut is being reduced, my determination still allows plenty of opportunity to continue recovering value from beetle-attacked pine," said chief forester Jim Snetsinger.
He said the province needs to focus on harvesting dead pine to help conserve non-pine species like spruce, which in turn, will help improve the mid-term timber supply.
Snetsinger allows only 650,000 cubic metres of non-pine tree species logged in Quesnel.
In Prince George, about 3.7 million cubic metres of non-pine species can be harvested annually.
