Canadian Forest Service Publications
Mountain pine beetle management in British Columbia parks and protected areas. 2004. Gawalko, L. Pages 79-86 in T.L. Shore, J.E. Brooks, and J.E. Stone, editors. Mountain Pine Beetle Symposium: Challenges and Solutions, October 30-31, 2003, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, Information Report BC-X-399. 298 p.
Year: 2004
Issued by: Pacific Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 25038
Language: English
Availability: PDF (download)
Abstract
British Columbia is currently experiencing a mountain pine beetle epidemic due to natural beetle population cycles, successive mild winters, and an abundance of mature pine forests as a result of fire suppression. Of the 4.2 million ha currently infested provincially, approximately 623,000 ha of forests in over 60 parks and protected areas are being affected. The priorities for management of bark beetle infestations in parks are to prevent spread of beetles across boundaries while maintaining park ecological values. There are two distinct phases of park management associated with the epidemic: short-term infestation management and long-term post-infestation management. Short-term infestation management is focussed on prevention of infestation spread. Long-term post-infestation management is focussed on issues such as hazard tree management, post-epidemic pine deadfall, fuel hazard reduction and wildfire management, maintenance of recreation and habitat values, and management of access caused by forest harvesting adjacent to parks.