BCCF Newsletter – Issue 2

Issue #2 January 2012

2011 Quiet but busy

Although there were not that many logging trucks going up and down the highway in 2011, it was still a busy year for the Community Forest. At the start of the year, markets were still very uncertain and it took a few months to finalize the year’s logging plan. The block in the east Nusatsum that was started in 2010 was completed in early August, 2011. All the wood, 40 truck loads in total, were sold to the local sawmills and primarily to the new owners of the old Little Valley Sawmill.

Wayne Bittner preparing to fall a Douglas-fir giant at Green Bay.

2011 marked the first year that lumber shipments from British Columbia to the United States was surpassed by shipments to China. This increasing demand from Asia is very encouraging as it significantly diversifies the market and reduces the industry’s dependence on the US market. The Chinese effect buoyed log prices in the summer, but in the fall, demand from China dropped off and prices fell, particularly for the lower quality logs. As a consequence, the logging options available to us in the Valley were not viable and so we were not able to do any logging in the valley during the fall. However, we did have a series of economic Douglas-fir blocks out in North Bentinck Arm at Green Bay (Nooseseck River). These blocks could not be accessed by conventional road logging systems so helilogging was the only option. Over 20,000 m3 were logged using the heavy lift Canadian Aircrane and Helifor’s medium lift Vertol. The high quality timber was targeted for the specialty Japanese market which was still holding firm compared to China.

Other Highlights in 2011

• Logging : 23,113 m3 were logged, equivalent to
  ~575 logging trucks
• Employment : over 1,400 person days of
  employment, 35% local
• Planting : 17,625 trees planted. All blocks logged in the Valley have now been planted.
• Firewood salvage : dozens of truck loads of firewood was salvaged by the public in east Nusatsum.
• Road deactivation : 4.3 km of spur roads seasonally deactivated in Nusatsum.
• Roadside slash : debris piles burned to create
  space for planting of trees.
• Goshawk habitat : conservation plan for protection of important goshawk nesting habitat was drafted in cooperation with government.
• Juvenile Tree Spacing : 13.4 ha were spaced using Nuxalk contract crew in Salloompt.

2012 Outlook

Market conditions are still depressed but there is increasing optimism among industry analysts that things are gradually improving and 2012 will be better than 2011. With that in mind, focus will be to develop a couple of timber blocks in the east
Nusatsum. We are investigating the possibility of salvaging the timber damaged in the 2009 fire in the Salloompt and there are a couple blocks south of the burned area that may also be developed.

Helicopter water drop near Green Bay

Tentative plans are to start building road in early spring followed by falling and possibly hauling logs by late summer. One of the main challenges that we face is lack of a local contractor to conduct the yarding and loading and this will be a key issue to resolve in the coming year.

Another main issue of concern is to restore access on the flood damaged Forest Service Roads in the Nusatsum, Noomst and Talchacko. We are anticipating that the Forest Service may have the funding in place to commence this work later this spring.

The 2012 AGM is being scheduled for mid-March.

The Community Forest

The Bella Coola Community Forest encompasses 128,660 ha; but due to the extremely mountainous topography, only 7.2% or 9,270 ha comprise the timber harvesting landbase. The licence lands are primarily located in the Bella Coola valley and includes the Saloompt, Nusatsum, Noosgulch, Noomst and part of the Talchacko tributaries. West of Bella Coola, along North Bentinck Arm and Burke Channel are three additional parcels at Clayton Falls, Nooseseck River and Kwatna.

Benson Andy thinning an over stocked young stand.

The community forest tenure is held by the Bella Coola Resource Society (BCRS), a non-profit entity made up of residents and property owners in the Bella Coola Valley. All aspects of management, administration and execution of operations on the tenure are exclusively contracted to Bella Coola Community Forest Ltd (BCCFL), which is made up of 65 investors that are local residents and/or property owners. Profits from the enterprise are distributed to the local shareholders which includes the BCRS. The BCRS will then allocate its earnings to community projects, charities or improvements. An advisory board also provides input to the management of forest resources.

“LOCALLY OWNED, LOCALLY MANAGED FOR LOCAL BENEFIT”