Statements by MLA Bob Simpson, asserting that our lumber industry is going the same way of the cod fishery in Newfoundland. are faulty. It is a different story with our timber supply.
The statement by editor Neil Godbout that the harvest level eventually must fall, and even below what was harvested before the pine beetle epidemic is also faulty.
The annual allowable cut set by the chief forester is at an unreasonably low level of 2.63 cubic meters per hectare per year. With improved tending of the forest, I believe the annual cut should be set at about 4 cubic meters per hectare per year, allowing for several mills to open. A few years ago, when I visited a forest in Denmark, which was at about the same latitude as Prince George, their annual cut was 11 meters per year. They achieve this by intensively tending their forests.
In Canada, the provincial and federal governments take in billions of dollars in taxes from forest workers and companies and spin off businesses, as well as stumpage for timber cut, but not enough of this money comes back for improving the growth of forests. This has to change. We need to fertilize to increase growth, do some commercial thinning and restore to production, areas that are not sufficiently stocked. The foolish idea of leaving stands of overly mature trees along roads so tourists will be happy should be done away with. Our forests are given to us to use, not to look at.
When Frank Oberle was MP for this area, federal money was made available for restocking areas where this was needed and for other silviculture work. A program like this must be brought in again.
The mills should be making two by fours from dead pine instead of green spruce. We need government policy to make this happen. Fortunately, our dead pine wood has a long shelf life, possibly another fifteen years, so with the right policies, much of this can still be harvested.
It is important to remember that when dead pine is cut down, new trees are planted so the land is again productive, the same goes for overly mature spruce also. I believe with the right forest policies, there will be more jobs in the forest, not less.
Svend Serup
Prince George
