Re: 鈥淔orestry supply changing as climate, fires and bugs bite,鈥� Dec. 29.
The story on the changing nature of sa国际传媒 forests cited bugs, fires and climate change as the primary causes of timber-supply shortages and mill closures. This story left out humans.
The condition of forests always reflects our management of them. The province of sa国际传媒 has:
鈥� Intentionally logged the old-growth 鈥渟urplus鈥� first, with a planned decline in annual timber supply.
鈥� Not planned long-term. In 2012, sa国际传媒鈥檚 auditor general confirmed legislation requires licensees to be responsible only until cutovers are planted and free to grow (about 20 years), and not the longer term.
鈥� Not reinvested in growing high-quality wood. Instead, coast plantations are being logged before the most valuable wood has grown.
鈥� High-graded forests, by logging the good wood first, leaving lower-quality, higher-defect, higher-logging-cost stands to the future.
鈥� Increased vulnerability of stressed forests to insects, disease and fire by successfully suppressing wildfire and increasing forest fuel loadings (twigs, etc.) well in excess of historical levels.
Clearly, it鈥檚 time to try something new, such as biodiversity being equal to production in a restoration economy. Dwight Eisenhower said: 鈥淚f a problem cannot be solved, enlarge it.鈥� Forestry鈥檚 measure of success will be the forest鈥檚 condition (productivity, quality, vigour, diversity, balance of age classes, etc.), not only an approved timber supply.
Learning will mean both higher standards of care, more good jobs and increased human benefits. The status quo with diminishing returns is unacceptable.
Oliver R. Travers RFP (Ret.)
Victoria
