Forest Sustanability

Sustainability in British Columbia’s Forests

It is a well known fact that British Columbia is a province that is mainly covered by trees. Almost 65,000 hectare of the province is currently under tree cover, much of which is the lodge pole pine tree that has been ravaged by the infamous mountain pine beetle, and various other invasive species (British Forests “Forests” 26). For years, the future of the forest industry in BC has been a topic of major controversy over many kitchen tables and barrooms in the province.

Over the past thirty years, the mountain pine beetle has damaged the forests of British Columbia to the point that entire communities are being destroyed. The livelihood of businesses, small and large, and society as a whole in this province, is fundamentally dependant on the forest industry in one form or another (British Forest “Forests” 29). Though the beetles’ rampage of destruction through what was once a magnificent and majestic scene is finished, the nasty creatures have left behind an irreparable mess that remains to be dealt with. British Columbia’s beetle killed pine must be utilized and the forests regenerated in order to create sustainability for future generations and to create economic stability in the province’s forest industry.

Equally important to the idea of the destruction wreaked on the trees is the initiative of wood as a renewable resource. Although fire has destroyed several of the non-merchantable bug killed pine in the province, much remains that is salvageable and the land can be used to stimulate harvestable timber (British Forests “State” 51). Studies have indicated that the process of harvesting and rejuvenation of the total amount of beetle killed and “non merchantable timber

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that is currently standing” in British Columbia will take between 30 and 60 years, depending on the state of damage (British Forests “Management” 27; Case & Coupe 55). An obvious result of this lengthy...