By Melissa Steidle, Northern Woodlot Representative
Woodstock for Forestry was what one person said about the recent commercial thinning tour in Prince George on July 2 and 3. The line of parked vehicles extended over 700 metres as over 200 people flooded into the site over two days this week to view commercial thinning of a 32 year old pine plantation. Fear not, the stand was ready for thinning. The signs were all there, the cut stumps shows that the growth rings were slowing down (a sign that competition from its neighbours is starting to limit resources such as water, light and nutrients. The crowns were lifting, and crown closure had been achieved. The stand was in the zone of imminent competitive mortality (for all of you stand density management table people).
And so, it was thinned. A small piece of a piece of Schedule A lands within a woodlot was being thinned during the tour to give the group a visual of an operational commercial thinning operation. More would have been targeted, but cut control is a thing. Ponsse also had a forwarder and harvester onsite for us to crawl into, with their cabs full of buttons and very cushioned seats.
Enjoy this link to the CKPG interview, where our fearless leader executive director Gord Chipman was interviewed: https://ckpgtoday.ca/2024/07/03/demonstrations-of-tree-thinning-showcases-benefits/
The PG Citizen was also onsite, so keep an eye out for that article! Check out this link as well to the Woodlots BC Commercial Thinning Guide, available on our website.
What is the next step for all of you, our woodlot licence holders? Next time you submit a WLP include a definition of commercial thinning. With this definition, you should be exempt from Free Growing obligations as per the WLPP Regulations, if your treatment meets your definition. HINT: Don’t include basal area in your definition.
To conclude, here is a brain teaser: Site index is a measurement of dominant tree height at 50 years old (DBH age). If you have a 27 year old tree that is 18 metres tall, what’s the site index? SIBEC says 20. Oops, that’s too low.
Photo credit: Alex Pierre, Tanizul Timber
