Biodiversity at risk in PG Timber Supply Area

PRINCE GEORGE — The Forest Practices Board is concerned over biodiversity relating to old growth forests in the area may be at risk.

An investigation began following a complaint about the management of biodiversity in the Prince George Timber Supply Area. While all the legal requirements are being met, the investigation outlined several issues with how government and licencees are managing old forest. The legal order for biodiversity was developed nearly 20 years ago and while much has changed in regards to forestry, this order was not. The PG TSA is the largest in the province totalling roughly 8-million hectares.

“One of the key issues is that the legal requirements have not been reviewed or updated to reflect the impacts of the mountain pine beetle, updated science or society’s changing values,” said Kevin Kriese, chair of the Forest Practices Board, in a statement. “The PG TSA is also one of the few areas in the province where the amount of old forest legally required to be conserved is not specifically identified on maps, but is measured as a percentage of the overall forest inventory. This creates risks to other forest values.

“The legal order for biodiversity protection in the PG TSA was developed nearly 20 years ago and much has changed on the land since it was written because of the mountain pine beetle infestation, wildfires and subsequent salvage logging. We are recommending that the remaining old forest be mapped and that government revisit its approach to protection of biodiversity in the PG TSA.