Operational Activities
Work being done in 2010
Several blocks are planned for harvest in 2010 consistent with the objectives of reducing the fire hazard, and removing dead pine. The work will be focused in the areas west of Hwy 16 and south of the Cranbrook Hill Greenway Trail, with the exception of a proposed block in the Blackburn area. The harvesting in these areas will be conducted by contractors selected through the City’s procurement process.
As well, a large interface fire treatment is being conducted north of the landfill area in the Hart, and parallel to neighbourhoods in the Austin Road area. The area is about 22ha in size and will significantly reduce the amount of understory ladder fuels to reduce the severity of a fire in the event of one occurring there.
For more information, contact Kim Menounos [kmenounos@city.pg.bc.ca], at the City of Prince George or take a look at this treatment area map.
Completed in 2009
Pidherny
The Pidherny block includes a large area around the Pidherny Forest Service road [link to map] off of North Nechako Road known as PID001. This area is famous for the extensive network of mountain bike trails built in the forest. Recent negotiations between the City of Prince George, the Government of BC and the Prince George Bike Club have resulted in the creation of a formal mountain bike area dedicating this area as a mountain bike park. A memorandum of understanding will ensure that the PGCF will work together with the PG Bike Club on future activities.
The harvesting that took place in PID001 reduced the risk of wildfire spreading to the forest from the roadside, and removed a great deal of dead pine from the lower slope area. This pine was found to be very dry and rotting, suggesting that the shelf life of dead pine is shorter than previously thought. In order to maximize utilization, a portion of the wood waste was chipped and transported to Pacific Bioenergy to be made into wood pellets.
Forests for the World
Did you know that Forests for the World on Cranbrook Hill is entirely located within Crown land? Throughout the 2008/09 winter and the 2009 spring and summer harvesting seasons, operational activities were dominated by the implementation of the Fire Fuel Management Prescription [link] for the Forests for the World area. The block, known as FFW001 was divided into two operational phases to facilitate the removal of dead pine and understory brush while keeping the park open to visitors as much as possible.
Over a treatment area of about 49 hectares, a total of over 5,500m3 of wood, mostly pine, were removed from the park. Despite their best efforts, the walking trails did sustain some damage from the hauling and yarding activities. Restoration and improvement activities began almost immediately with Job Creation Partnership crews, managed by Industrial Forestry Services (see RFP [link to http://www.city.pg.bc.ca/city_services/supply/2007_documents/P07-10.pdf]) dedicated to the project. These crews have worked to complete the fire fuel management prescription by cutting and thinning the understory brush, hauling away debris left by the logging operation and finally, repairing the damage to the trails. Some of the work on the trails involved new surfacing, boardwalks over wet areas, and widening of the trail to allow service vehicles to access most areas.
Education & Research
The City of Prince George is pursuing a number of opportunities to use the Community Forest for educational outreach and research. The PGCF is in the process of building relationships with the College of New Caledonia and the University of Northern BC to develop education and training opportunities. The PGCF will also pursue opportunities to become involved in an existing partnership with the Professional Foresters Network and School District 57 that provides interpretive forestry tours for local school children.
Community Involvement
All of the PGCF’s activities – and especially any time there is active logging near residential areas – will require good communication with the general public. The PGCF will strive to keep the public informed of its activities, and to involve residents whenever possible. It will do so through this web site, as well as advertising in local media, appropriate signage at the location of harvesting activities, and through active involvement of the Community Forest Advisory Committee.
Forest Trails & Recreational Areas
Click to view a map. [PDF]
Three recreation areas in Prince George are part of the community forest. To see more information about these groups, please visit their websites:
Visual Aesthetics
The forests in Prince George are also valued by residents for their scenic quality. The PGCF will try to maintain these aesthetic qualities of the urban forest by using partial cut harvesting systems and establishing mixed species timber stands.
Habitat & Diversity
The need to maintain wildlife habitat and biological diversity will also be respected in the course of harvesting. Although ideal wildlife habitat management may not be possible at all times, every effort will be made to enhance biodiversity and habitat in appropriate areas.
Air Quality
The PGCF is committed to maintaining acceptable air quality in the Prince George airshed. As such, logging debris from the PGCF will not be burned. Instead, a number of approaches will be explored to dispose of the debris, including chipping and spreading, composting, and using in a biomass program.
Community Forest Advisory Committee
As a central part of the PGCF’s commitment to involving the public in Community Forest issues, the PGCF is in the process of establishing a Community Forest Advisory Committee. It will be comprised of a diverse range of local residents and representatives of agencies with an interest in the Community Forest area. The Advisory Committee will act as a link with the community to provide guidance and input into management policies of the Community Forest. The Committee will not have authority over operations or staff of the Community Forest.
The Community Forest Advisory Committee will include representatives from the following areas:
- First Nations, in particular the Lheidli T’enneh and Nazko;
- Outdoor recreation groups;
- Educational institutions;
- Local government;
- Forest management experts; and
- General public.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive. Rather it provides an indication of the intent to involve a wide a cross-section of the community. Actual membership of the Committee will be posted here when it is established, and later accompanied by minutes and opportunities to comment. |
