BC Forestry Minister Pronounces Pine Beetle Epidemic Over - Beetles Have Run Out Of Trees To Eat

[hatrack]

The mountain pine beetle epidemic is over, B.C.’s forests minister declared Monday. But it’s not because the beetles have been defeated. Rather, they have run out of trees, and that heralds a whole new set of problems, Pat Bell told the Vancouver Board of Trade.

The beetles have turned the province’s timber supply expectations upside down. Forest companies that are running out of wood are eyeing healthy stands — including old-growth forest — in protected areas, while Bell is warning that eight to 12 sawmills could close permanently if other sources of timber are not found.

“The mountain pine beetle epidemic is largely over,” Bell told the board of trade. “The bad news is that it’s because they don’t have any food left to eat. The vast majority of our pine stands have been killed at this point, and we are really in a salvage mode.”

Except for a few isolated areas in the Kootenays and in the northeast of the province, he said the beetle population is now on the decline, having killed an estimated 24 per cent of the province’s current timber harvest.

EDIT

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Pine%20beetle%20runs%20food%20mills%20wood/2017702/story.html

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. So, let me see if I understand this...

The trees that the beetles didn't eat...

Are going to be chopped down (or eaten, if you prefer) by the timber industry?

They're not getting the message, are they?

:eyes:

[stuball111]

3. Nope... they never do..and don't want to

see my other post...

[The2ndWheel]

4. That's what separates us from the pine beetle

Backup plans.

[stuball111]

2. And what they really mean is...

"Forest companies that are running out of wood are eyeing healthy stands — including old-growth forest — in protected areas,"

I come from BC originally, and this is basically a heads up on what the next step is.... an assault on old growth again. They can use the beetle infested wood, but it would not bring the profits that an old growth stand would because it would be sub-standard to live stands. Let's face it, one log from old growth, healthy stands measuring 8ft across would yield much more wood at less cost than 50 "pecker poles" (smaller diameter trees).

I went to Haida Gwaii (formerly Queen Charlotte Islands) and saw with my own eyes, huge logs that broke free of jams destined for coastal sawmills washed up on the beaches, their stamps intact from the owners of the logs (the logging companies) that no one can touch save log salvagers, who have to BUY the log from the logging company in order to salvage them! Otherwise, they just sit there and rot! ( It was painful to walk through a clear-cut of 1000 year old Sitka Spruce, and into an original stand of the same, and see the difference, these forests are NOT renewable, like they claim)

This is an on-going issue in BC politics and the logging industry. Most of the wood from BC goes to export, the US, Japan and Europe. Now, if people were assigned wood lots, and the average Joe could have his or her own business, the amount of wood available would INCREASE according to facts. Selective logging is the best way to assure a healthy, sustainable forest, yet they allow logging to be of the old 18th century mindset that going in and clear-cutting everything is the cheapest and easiest, and most profitable to large operations than a common sense approach like selective wood lots. A wood lot would keep a family operation in business for generations, and keep more money in the country than 100 logging companies!

[intheflow]

5. The beetle-infested wood is actually a very pretty blue.

It would be nice if they developed a marketing plan to interest consumers in this "new" wood look. Like some folks have been doing here in Colorado: http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/beetles/

[stuball111]

6. They're not that far sighted... it's nice though

[pscot]

7. Another job well done

And one less thing to worry about. Our problems become less complicated every day.