Our wake-up call has finally sounded
| Local Politics |
Last week, the timber supply analysis for the Quesnel Forest District was released with no fanfare. Little wonder, the numbers are devastating.
In 2005, when I started to raise questions about the impacts of the Mountain Pine Beetle on the annual allowable cut in the heaviest impacted areas like ours, I was labeled “Chicken Little” by the government MLAs. Unfortunately, the chickens have come home to roost.
Despite the Forest Minister’s pre-election promise he would “hold up the sky,” the Quesnel timber supply review clearly shows our region is about to permanently lose more mills and potentially as many as 1500 jobs in addition to the ones we’ve already lost. Same story in Prince George and it won’t be any better in the Chilcotin and 100 Mile House.
When will the fall down occur? “Soon.”
“Soon” being defined as: “when the beetle killed pine is not useable.”
When might that be, realistically?
As early as next year, or the year after; although the report suggests it might not happen for another decade or so, but that flies in the face of what all the insiders know to be true: we’ve logged all the easy, close wood, and the MPB logs are not producing lumber easily or the grades that the market will pay a premium for.
But, there are very significant shortcomings with this report that call into question the worst case scenario it presents.
First, the timber supply modeling is based only on mature pine being impacted by the beetle, it does not factor in the substantial impact the MPB has had on younger stands which will reduce the mid-term and long term timber supply.
Second, it does not factor in other pests and diseases and the growing potential for a catastrophic fire event, which will further reduce available timber.
Third, it does not factor in the ongoing stresses climate change will place on the forest, on plantations, and on the specific tree species we’re planting now.
Despite lots of rhetoric, the Liberal government hasn’t demonstrated the leadership to build an alternative industry that could use logging waste or the dead pine when it’s not suitable for saw logs. They haven’t invested in research and development and forest health.
We’ve wasted the past decade with boosterism and sloganeering.
Don’t be fooled this time: read the report, engage in the dialogue, and take a role in shaping your community’s future. (The report can be obtained at: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts/tsa)
Bob Simpson
MLA Cariboo North
Quesnel, BC
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