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By Ken Matthews, ManagerForestry & Engineering

Arrival of spring generally indicates it is tree planting season although this year it does seem that we are still waiting on spring to arrive. Tree planting is an important part of our overall reforestation obligations as holders or managers of licences to harvest timber on Crown land but it is only one phase of the obligation. In this issue I will outline those obligations.

The Coulson Group of Companies manages licences at Toquart Bay, Cataract Lake, and Clayoquot Sound and is responsible for reforesting all of the areas they log at their cost.

Initial Planning

Ron Sorensen starts the process up to 5 years before logging by describing, in our forest stewardship plans, the sites we will log and the tree species and density we will re-establish, and the seed sources we have or will obtain for our seedlings. This becomes the legal benchmark we are audited against by government. Ron then works with the engineers and logging managers to look at specific areas and timing of logging so that he can arrange with nurseries to plant the seedlings up to 2 years ahead of when they are needed.

Planting or natural reforestation

Each fall a final list of areas that are ready for planting is produced and we issue a contract(s) to get the planting done. This year our contract was for about 210 000 trees at Kennedy Lake, Toquart and Cataract Lake. Late snow has disrupted the schedule. Ron has finished planting about 198 000 trees and has just over 10 000 to go. We mainly plant red cedar, hemlock and some Douglas- fir but occasionally will plant balsam, yellow cedar, yew or other species. Most areas would reforest through natural re-seeding but this can be a lengthy process and to meet our obligations it is most effective to plant very soon after logging. All planted trees come from cones (seed) collected in the same geographic area they are planted in.

Surveys to "Free to Grow."

We don't just plant trees and then leave them. Depending on the site we go back several times over the next 2 to 15 years to survey the sites to ensure that the trees are growing; that the species profile is roughly as prescribed; and to ensure that brush has not overtopped the trees and suppressed growth. In some cases we may need to go back and plant more trees to ensure we have the correct stocking levels. On other areas we actually go in and remove the brush so that the trees can grow to capacity. When the trees are finally about a meter over the normal brush, Ron can declare the site free growing and stewardship responsibility shifts back to government until the trees are ready to harvest again.

What Does this Cost?

Planting alone can cost $1.00 per cubic meter. When planning, nursery, surveys and brushing costs are included we average over $3.00 per cubic meter to establish free growing trees. These costs are reflected in the stumpage determination but actual costs are not recognized by government.

Areas that have been logged by the Coulson Group of Companies are well tended and we can comfortably say that these areas are fully reforested and growing a new forest.