PFLA Newsletter (Fall 2014)
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The document provides water management tips for private forest owners, emphasizing the importance of maintaining road stability and functionality to protect water quality and wildlife habitat. It highlights the significance of regular inspections, effective drainage management, and vegetation to combat erosion. Additionally, the document conveys a tribute to Maxine Haley, a founding leader in private forest management, and discusses local government elections' relevance to private forestry stewardship.
PFLA Newsletter (Fall 2014)
- 1. Private Forest Matters Water Management Tips for Forest Owners Seasonal shifts are inevitable. If you’re a forest owner with streams on your prope-rty, minimizing negative impacts to water quality and fish and wildlife habitat are crucial forest stewardship objectives. BC is blessed with abundant streams, rivers, lakes and watercourses. PFLA is committed to helping forest owners protect these valuable resources, as well as the investments you’ve made in your access structures. Road management IS water management. A well-planned and constructed roadway will minimize potential problems, but a regular maintenance program is needed to ensure the long-term stability of a road system. In most cases you will be able to carry out an effective road maintenance program with hand tools, some gravel, and a truck. Regular inspections should be carried out, with additional checks after heavy rains. New roads and roads with heavy traffic should get special attention — a little shovel work early in the season can prevent potentially larger problems later on. Potential trouble areas, such as wet spots, culverts and steep grades should be noted. After storms or heavy rainfall, branches, leaves and debris can block ditches, culverts and crossing structures. Once it’s safe, drive or walk along your roads and trails. Check to make sure: • Ditches are functional • Culverts are unobstructed • Cross ditches are intact and operational Maintenance inspections should check all drainage structures, removing debris from ditches and culverts. Watch ditches for flooding or signs of bank erosion that may signal the need for more, or larger, culverts. Check inlets and outlets of culverts for scouring. Road grading should be carried out as needed to maintain road shape and surface, depending on the size of operations and frequency of use. Ruts and potholes should be filled in before spring rains. Spur roads not needed all the time, can be put to ‘bed’ by digging short drainage ditches (water bars) across them to control winter and spring runoffs. Water bars can be constructed by excavator, grader, or hand tools, and are a very effective means of directing road run-off away from the running surface of the road and into drainage structures or filter strips. The key is to minimize opportunities for water to concentrate and gain momentum. Think about and find ways to disperse Fall 2014 In This Issue Water Management Tips 1 Tribute to Maxine Haley 2 Deer Hunting Season 2 Local Government Elections 3 Beaumont Timber – 40 Years! 3 Rebuilding Coho Populations 4 Contact Information P.O. Box 48092 Victoria, BC V8Z 7H5 Tel: 250 381 7565 Fax: 250 381 7409 www.pfla.bc.ca Rod Bealing - Executive Director rod.bealing@pfla.bc.ca Ina Shah - Office Manager info@pfla.bc.ca Lisa Weeks - Communications Manager lisa@pfla.bc.ca Continued on page 2
- 2. Pg 2 water — get it away from where it might interact with passing equipment, trucks, and vehicles, or come into contact with erodible materials. A slightly cambered road running surface is also a very effective means to ensure that water is dispersed in small, slow moving quantities rather than being allowed to form rivulets on the road surface. Grader berms can be used to manage water. A berm is a wall or mound of dirt that keeps rainwater within a defined area. Left entire they direct water and separate road run off from ditch water for long distances. With carefully positioned breaks (gaps) they can be used to collect water from certain spots and deposit water in others. With no grader berms, road run off is less likely to concentrate and gain velocity, and will leave the road wherever the slope permits. Cut banks can be vegetated to combat erosion. Fast-establishing vegetation, particularly clovers and grasses, are probably the most effective and economical tool for stabilizing fine sediment sources. There are several commercial seed mixes available for varying roadside conditions (e.g., sunny, shady, wet or dry). If possible, carry grass seed and hand tools in your machines and vehicles and seed disturbed areas when conditions are favourable for good germination. “Carry a shovel and fix small problems before they become major problems” — Words from a wise forest owner. Deer Hunting Season Reminder Your annual opportunity to influence the number of black tail deer enjoying your forest is almost over. The 2014 hunting season for mule deer ends December 10, 2014. Managing deer populations is an on-going problem for private forest landowners. Hunting is an effective method to protect your forest from the damage browsing deer (and other ungulates) can cause. If you’re looking for expert assistance managing your deer problems before hunting season ends, please contact us directly to be added to our list of private land hunting opportunities for responsible and experienced deer hunters. Tribute to Maxine Haley – Founding PFLA Chair Continued from cover On July 26, 2014 Maxine Haley unexpectedly and peacefully passed away. The PFLA owes a debt of gratitude to Maxine Haley and her family. Maxine’s energy, tenacity and commitment to managing her land were a founding force in the early days of PFLA. It’s with gratitude, appreciation, respect and a healthy dose of fear we remember Maxine for her efforts, her contributions and the remarkable difference she made to private land forest management in B.C. Rod Bealing explains, “In the dark days of the mid-1990s, everyone who had voluntarily put their land into the Managed Forest Program woke up one morning to a letter, from the then forest minister, saying (paraphrasing of course): “Welcome to the forest land reserve, we’ve effectively devalued your land over night by taking away any potential for higher-value, better-use opportunities your land might have had. Watch this space for more information as we develop regulations under the already heavily feared, complex and onerously prescriptive Forest Practices Code.” Not surprisingly, this missive sent a shock wave through the entire forest owning community. Forest owners — large and small, coastal and interior, companies, families and individuals — were united in their common concern over the impact government could have on their land and their operations. The regulatory proposals at the time were more ideologically driven than science based. The group quickly recognized the need to organize and send messages back to government about the willingness to protect environmental values, but at the same time seek balance and secure recognition for private property rights and the freedom to manage our land. Early on, Maxine Haley distinguished herself as a strong-minded individual with a striking capacity to speak her mind and a seemingly insatiable appetite for combat. Maxine proudly stepped up to become the spokesperson for the PFLA and served as the chair of the association from 1995 through 2008. Maxine’s commitment to private property rights and her belief in equity for landowners was an inspiring reminder that regardless of how good a job you’re doing on the ground, sometimes you just have to fight for what’s right. While some of us had the pleasure to watch experienced politicians tremble in her presence, all of us have the benefits of her die-hard belief in the importance of sustainable forestry passed from generation to generation. Maxine was a force to be reckoned with and will be greatly missed. Our deepest condolences go out to David and family. PFLA hopes to continue to build on our history with the Haley family.
- 3. Pg 3 The next local government elections in British Columbia are set for November 15, 2014. Local government elections now happen in British Columbia every four years. This includes elections for mayors, councillors, regional district electoral area directors, school trustees, trustees for the Islands Trust, local community commisioners and park board comissioners. Phew. That’s potentially a lot of candidates, new and returning, vying for voter attent-ion, soliciting information and hoping to persuade constituents they have the ideals and ideas best suited for the job. At times like these, private forest land often becomes part of the agenda. PFLA is dedicated to spreading the word about responsible forest stewardship and municipal elections are an excellent opportunity to educate and inform local candidates about private forest land and the Managed Forest Program. Local governments have control over zoning, non-forest land use and property taxation mill rates. Because these powers can have a significant impact on land management decisions, it’s important, and beneficial to everyone, if local government representatives have a solid understanding of the present-day stewardship practices and regulatory frameworks in place to guide private forest management in the province. If you know of any candidates who might benefit from support in helping to understand private forestry, please let us know. If you’re looking for more information to share with your local candidate about the Managed Forest Program, or private forest stewardship in general, we’d be happy to help. Contact us at info@pfla.bc.ca or visit pfla.bc.ca Coming Soon: Local Government Elections Beaumont Timber Celebrates 40 Years! Beaumont Timber celebrated their 40th anniversary this summer. PFLA was delighted to attend the celebration and hear, firsthand, some of the stories and anecdotes about the people and families who make up Beaumont Timber. Today, Furst zu Wied (Carl) is the head of Beaumont Timber. As the son of Friedrich Wilhelm Prince zu Wied, the founder of Beaumont Timber, Carl explained the family’s impetus for buying land in Canada: “In the early 1970s nobody knew where the Cold War was leading and my father thought we’d better find somewhere safe and far away from Russia. He decided it was wise to look for a place where you like to be, and can conduct a business you know something about it, and since we knew forestry at home, it was the easy decision.” It wasn’t uncommon, in those days, for Germans recouping from the war to look for land elsewhere. Henry Roethel was of German descent and brokered many deals between Canadian landowners and German investors, including the sale of the Revelstoke tree farm to Prince zu Wied. Around the time Prince zu Wied purchased the land, Mel Beaumont was an entrepreneur working in the Revelstoke area. With a knack for problem solving, and a mechanical aptitude, Mel Beaumont was known as a “Number 1 Logger”. This is the attitude and ingenuity Mel brought to his role as president of Beaumont Timber. Dick Coleman was contracted to provide forestry, engineering and management expertise. Because Dick worked on the Revelstoke lands in the past, his contin-ued employment with Beaumont Timber ensured continuity in operations. Dick Coleman also worked with the provincial government, and was involved in creating the legislation that governed tree farms; the “guts” of which still exists today. The story goes that Prince zu Wied and Dick Coleman flew to a rustic camp, only accessible by boat or helicopter, at Tie. Once they reached the camp, Prince zu Wied was introduced and greeted with: “Hi Fred, how’re you doing?” Quite a different reception than the prince was accustomed to in Germany. This is just a short snippet of the rich history that knits this tight group of people toge-ther to form Beaumont Timber Company Ltd. Today, the company operates 8,998 hectares of forest land in a number of communities throughout the interior and southern British Columbia. A big PFLA round of applause to Beaumont Timber Company Ltd. on their 40th anniversary, and all the best for another 40 years. Thanks for a great celebration!
- 4. Pg 4 One Fish, Two Fish Rebuilding Coho Populations in the Englishman River One of the highlights from the PFLA 2014 field tour was a visit to the Englishman River watershed. Resource specialists were on hand to describe the programs and processes in place to successfully rebuild salmon populations in the Englishman River, as well as some fascinating new technology used to assess and measure fish stock levels. Dave Davies, a community advisor with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), works with over 30 different stewardship groups from Campbell River to Parksville. He describes his job as “helping people to help salmon”. Dave provided information about fish populations in the river and some context for the construction and evolution of the side channel we visited. According to Dave, the Englishman River watershed is a moderate size for Vancouver Island and fairly small by BC standards. The river is home to all five species of salmon — chinook, chum, coho, pink and sockeye — as well as, cutthroat and rainbow trout. In the mid 1990s, measures were taken to mitigate declining salmon populations. The construction of the side channel, originally called the TimberWest side channel, was a major factor in rebuilding coho salmon populations in the river. In the early 2000s, land donated by TimberWest and Island Timberlands created a network of protected parkland along the river that enables the river to rebuild itself. The side channel was extended in 2006 to reach 4.6 km in length, one of the longest side channels on Vancouver Island, and is now called the Clay Young side channel. Dave describes the side channel as “incredibly productive” and explains that a 2009 through 2011 study determined 42 percent, almost half, of the coho smolt population for the Englishman River comes out of this side channel. Unlike other salmon species, coho salmon spend an entire year in fresh water before heading out to sea as 6-inch smolts. Part of the problem with the main stem of the Englishman River is low-flows during the summer and high-flows during the winter make for unstable fish habitat. Because not many pools are left in the main stem of the river, the side channel provides protected habitat for coho salmon year round. James Craig, from the British Columbia Conservation Foundation, described an interesting PIT tag trial project they offered the DFO in the fall of 2013 to help determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the annual DFO snorkel surveys (people with snorkels swim in the river and count the number of coho salmon they see). What are PIT tags? PIT (passive integrated transponder) tags are small, glass-encased coils of copper, of various sizes, injected into the abdomen of fish to later track and record information about the fish. How does the PIT tag program work? In the fall, in the lower end of the river, angling and seining techniques were used to capture adult coho salmon. Once captured, PIT tags were injected into the abdominal cavity of the fish and they were tagged, on the dorsal surface, with a piece of plastic designed to show up easily. Then the tagged fish were released back into the population to mix with the untagged fish. Essentially, it’s an easy mark recapture study — you get a ratio of how many tags you put out, how many tags you see after, and you do the math to come up with a population estimate. It’s a simple technique, but the PIT tags are an added component. Once the adult fish are tagged, they swim up the river and distribute naturally to wherever they might be going. The PIT tags allow you to detect the fish by simple antennas. Using antennas to detect the PIT tags A plastic frame, with extension cord wire going through it, is put in a small creek, horizontally. The wire is hooked up to a tuning box — essentially, some capacitors, and resistors and diodes and chips powered by a deep cell cycle 12- volt battery with a data logger. When the antenna detects the adult fish going by, the data is downloaded into a laptop and logged. To summarize: fish are tagged in the lower river. Several antennas are set up in the upper river and in the side channel. Adults coming back in the fall pass the antennas, the PIT tags are detected and the information is stored. The passive part (the P in PIT tags) is that it’s not battery operated. James explains, “The tags are inert, there’s no power. The antenna is what charges the tag. You’re charging the tag to identify itself, in a split second, when the fish swims through the antenna and releases a number that’s logged into the computer.” What’s great about the technology? Using PIT tag technology to analyze and help guide habitat restoration efforts is an exciting application. James explains, “The tags are inexpensive, 2 dollars, and they last forever. You can put them in a juvenile Chinook as small as 58 millimeters long, and they will stay in the fish and grow with the fish and come back in a 35- pound Chinook salmon, 5 years later, swim through an antenna and be detected.” “When you get the fish back, as adults, you can do an analysis of how well each group of tags survived and identify which habitats were the most productive and generated the highest returns and help determine what restoration techniques are going to be the most effective at growing fish.” Thanks to Morgan Kennah and Ken Epps from Island Timberlands for organizing this section of the field tour and thanks to Dave Davies and James Craig for interesting and engaging presentations.