Forest Management 101 - a Forester's perspective

John MacGarva, Letter to the Editor

     I just wanted to continue to add some facts and clarifications to the Castle Logging issue. Certainly logging machinery has changed over the 100 some years. Similar to farming: the binder has been replaced by the combine the swede saw has been replaced by the feller-buncher. The new equipment does cut quickly but this does not mean the “Annual Allowable Cut” of the forest is exceeded. One of the easiest ways to explain Annual Allowable Cut is the example of a hundred acre forest. The tree species in that forest takes 100 years to grow to mature size. In year 1 one acre is harvested. In year 2 you harvest the second acre and reforest acre # 1. You carry on this process of logging 1 acre each year and reforesting what you harvested the previous year. 101 years down the road you return to the first acre you logged and harvest it, therefore repeating the process. This is the reality of forest harvesting. It is renewable. And as these new cutblocks grow to maturity we can all enjoy them. They provide new growth and contribute greatly to the bio-diversity of the area.


     The C5 Management plan lays out many guidelines. One of the key regulated items is the Annual Allowable Cut for the C5 Management Area. Only the amount the forest can re grow is allowed to be harvested. .And within the C5 Management area only 1/3rd of the area is managed for forest harvesting. In the 100 acre forest example the C5 Management area would be actually 300 acres. 200 acres will not ever be harvested. Certainly not all of the 200 acres is forest but much of it is. Those forests have been left for other values and will not be harvested.

     The C5 Management Plan is very conservative and very well done.  And certainly during it’s development there were difference of opinion. That’s pretty normal.
         
     I come from the old school of Forestry. One in which we spent most of our time in the forest. Timber Cruising, road and block layout, reforestation work and surveys. I’ve walked through both the old forest prior to its harvest and then through the new vibrant cutblocks on a regeneration survey. We can be completely confident that Forest harvesting is a renewable resource. Forest Harvesting fits in well with the multiple use of an area. Harvesting is part of managing the forest.
         
     So hopefully this provides a brief explanation of some of the aspects of Forest Management. And assurance that the Castle Area is being managed.