As the provincial government collects information to make a new determination for the Lakes timber supply area’s (TSA) annual allowable cut (AAC), concerns have grown among community members.
A public meeting in Burns Lake intended to review a new data package as part of the Lakes timber supply review had to change locations to accommodate its approximately 200 attendees earlier this month.
READ MORE: Large turnout to discuss annual allowable cut
But information circulating ahead of the meeting – stating that the current AAC of approximately 1.6 million cubic metres would be reduced to about 350,000 cubic metres – has not been confirmed.
“I can’t confirm this number, but if this is accurate it doesn’t seem correct,” said John Rustad, MLA for Nechako Lakes. “When we undertook the review of supply before the rebuild of Babine Forest Products, we knew the AAC would decline; however, I believe it was determined that a worse case scenario would likely be between 680,000 and 820,000 cubic metres over time.”
Rustad said he believes many rumours were fed by the lack of information in advance of the meeting in Burns Lake.
“When the Ministry [of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations] discovered the concern that was being raised in the community they should have brought in a facilitator and made sure people clearly understood what the meeting was about,” said Rustad.
“It’s my hope that the ministry will consider the concerns that have been raised, set a new public meeting date as soon as possible, bring in a professional moderator and make sure the community has accurate information and meaningful engagement,” he continued.
“I plan to engage with the district office as soon as I can to hear their side of what happened and make this suggestion to them,” he added.
The ministry told Lakes District News that no forecasts have yet been developed for the new AAC as information required to develop those forecasts is still being assembled.
READ MORE: Report is first step toward new annual allowable cut amount
The ministry is currently collecting information and seeking input from licensees, the public and First Nations on the new data package, which summarizes the technical information and management practices that will provide the basis for an upcoming timber supply analysis, to be conducted later this year.
“Residents will again have another opportunity to comment once the upcoming timber supply analysis is completed,” explained Vivian Thomas, a spokesperson for the ministry. “The results of the timber supply analysis will be presented in a public discussion paper that will be made available for review and comment.”
The chief forester will likely have an AAC rationale by summer 2019. The current AAC of approximately 1.6 million cubic metres will remain in effect until a new AAC is determined.
“Our goal is to keep the mills operating,” says Hampton Lumber CEO
Steve Zika, Chief Executive Officer of Hampton Lumber, says the Lakes timber supply area’s (TSA) annual allowable cut (AAC) has been a concern since the company purchased a majority ownership of Babine Forest Products and Decker Lake Forest Products in 2006.
“We knew that as the mountain pine beetle’s dead pine timber supply came to the end there would need to be an AAC reduction,” he told Lakes District News.
“If the AAC determination is very low, it will obviously be extremely challenging to keep both mills at current operating levels; however, our goal is always to secure enough timber to keep the mills operating at current consumption levels and all of our employees working.”
Although no forecasts have yet been developed for the new AAC, Zika says many of the assumptions in the data package appear to be more restrictive on timber supply than appeared in forecasts made in 2012, when the Babine sawmill was rebuilt.
Over the past few years Hampton Lumber has implemented several changes intended to help their mills weather eventual decreases in timber supply.
“The new Babine mill was designed to be viable at lower timber consumption levels than the old sawmill,” explained Zika. “Currently, we do not operate Babine or Decker Lake at full capacity, and while that makes it more challenging from a manufacturing cost perspective, we feel future timber supply will not support higher consumption levels, and so we operate accordingly.”
“We have purchased some small licences outside of the Lakes TSA and we have timber supply agreements in place with Burns Lake and Chinook community forests,” he continued. “We also continue to work with our First Nations partners to look for opportunities to secure timber for our mills.”
“I think all stakeholders understand that the final determination on the Lakes AAC could have a significant impact on the local economy,” he added. “But I am confident that representatives from the six First Nations, Burns Lake Native Development Corporation, local government, community forests, and private industry groups will be able to offer strategies to mitigate the drop in the AAC in a way that won’t jeopardize the future of the Lakes District timber supply, and that the chief forester and the provincial government can work with these representatives to find a sustainable path forward.”
“This is obviously an extremely important process for Hampton, our employees, contractors and the local community.”
“It’s important to recognize other values,” says regional district chair
Bill Miller, Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako Chair, said that although it’s important to maintain a high level of AAC to supply local mills, it’s also important to recognize other values.
“There is a number of factors that play into the AAC volume being lowered… the pine beetle kill of course, but also the reduction of timber harvesting land base due to increased area base tenures is another,” he said. “My point is one needs all the information to have any kind of understanding.”
When determining the AAC, forest officials examine the total forest base, deducting areas and locations to safeguard wildlife populations, to account for old growth forests or to protect areas for their visual attributes. Officials also examine natural and encouraged regeneration to estimate new growth, which could then be factored into future logging amounts.
Miller said the regional district has not yet discussed a reply to the data package for the Lakes timber supply review.
“The first part of the process that we are asked to comment on is the data package; that comment period will end in September,” he explained. “The next opportunity is when the chief forester considers the economic and social impacts.”
“We, as stakeholders in that plan, need to be fully engaged in both comment opportunities.”
Miller added that he has been involved in conversations, as Area B director, with licensees and other stakeholders.
“I have also had some conversations with ministry staff on the data submission for the chief forester and plan to follow up.”
Annual allowable cuts are set approximately every 10 years, but can be varied depending upon local conditions and circumstances.
As was the case elsewhere in Interior B.C., cuts were increased in the late 1990s because of the mountain pine beetle epidemic which, in the Lakes TSA, killed an estimated 90 per cent of the pine trees available for logging.
The last AAC was set in 2011 at two million cubic metres a year, but adjusted downward in 2016 to approximately 1.6 million cubic metres when Lake Babine Nation was granted tenure and the Chinook Community Forest was created.
The Village of Burns Lake formed an Economic Diversification Committee in 2017 for the purpose of finding solutions to reduce the impact of an anticipated reduction in the AAC. According to Mayor Chris Beach, this committee continues to meet on a regular basis and the meetings are open to the public.
– With files from Rod Link
