Road Building
We are currently extending the Branch 7 road 3km up towards Blue Ridge. The work is being completed by Sunshine Logging and will provide access further up Mt Buchanan to complete our FESBC funded landscape level fuel break next year.
Briggs Creek Fire
Timber development on the Briggs Creek fire in both Keen Creek and the Nashton Face behind the dump have shown the ground fire was quite intense with no duff remaining and heavy damage to most tree roots. In some areas the crowns have gone red to indicate the trees are dead but in a lot of areas the crowns are still green but due to the intensity of the ground fire and the damage to the roots most of the trees will perish over the next year or two. There are some pockets on the Nashton Face that are heavier to FdLw which hopefully will survive to provide retention areas in an otherwise burnt landscape. Efforts will be made to layout as much timber as possible with estimates of around 50-60k m3 being accessible with the remainder having very limited to no access options expect for heli harvesting, or too rocky of ground to be able to harvest or replant. To put in context 50k m3 at even $100m3 is $5 million worth of timber.
On the silviculture side we haven’t surveyed the whole burnt area but estimate 60ha of non-free growing stand is burnt with a further 50ha of free growing stands burnt. The non-free growing stands are still under KDCFS silviculture obligation and are eligible for FPPR Section 108 funds to reforest. The free growing stands will be covered by government funds through the Forests for Tomorrow (FFT) program.
Next Board meeting: Nov 17, 2022 at 7pm