Cortes Island seeks a brighter future for its forests.
by Liza Morris
Cortes Island stands on the brink of a revolution–or a higher stage of evolution–in its local forest practices.
The newly formed Cortes Ecoforestry Society (CES) and the Klahoose First Nation are preparing a community forest tenure application for the roughly 6,000 hectares of Crown land on the island. The plan is modelled on the approach of the Silva Forest Foundation, which focuses on forest sustainability and diversity–a far cry from the clear-cut, quick-cash methods of most forest companies in BC.
In April, Herb Hammond, of the Silva Forest Foundation, attended a public information meeting on Cortes to discuss the difference between current logging methods and ecoforestry practices.
It quickly became clear that forest ecosystems are much more complex and intricate than current forestry practices would have us believe. Hammond began by explaining that the biggest problem we have with understanding forests is time: we never see the full results of our actions. Also, we still know very little about the role of fungi, rocks, minerals, forest soil, and microorganisms in overall forest health. So, with a shocking lack of information, we proceed to destroy the ecosystems that give us life.
Hammond made this point succinctly when he introduced the topic of water. On Cortes Island, we are entirely dependant on ground water for our water supply. Unlike most main land areas, we cannot depend on spring melt and mountain runoff.
Water, according to Hammond, is the ultimate product of the forest: "On Cortes no wetland area is too small to protect."
In a natural forest, water is filtered and stored. For example, decayed wood on the forest floor holds 20 times more water than mineral soil of the same volume. Water is also caught on tree needles in the form of rain or dew. In a multi-layered, old growth forest canopy, the needles slow down and maintain steady water filtration.
Hammond's solution to our forest crisis is to change the way we practice forestry. First, we need a broader vision when planning for future forest health, thinking ahead 250 to 500 years and taking into account forest cycles far beyond our own lifetimes. As an immediate step toward future forest sustainability, many current forest practices need to be changed. This includes:
- reducing cut so some trees can grow old and die to feed the forest system;
- building fewer roads, which disturb water flow through ground and wildlife movement;
- leaving slash on the ground to decay rather than burning it;
- leaving old fallen trees on the ground rather than removing them for firewood, processing, etc.;
- and cutting selectively to ensure a varied forest canopy, which prevents fires and promotes forest health.
To achieve these goals, there must be a radical shift from managing ecosystems to managing human activity in ecosystems–beginning to focus on what to leave, not on what to take.
An added benefit of this new approach to forestry is the creation of an ecosystem-based economy which is built on protecting natural systems. According to Hammond, this type of timber use can recover three-to-ten times the timber employment per tree cut, as compared to clear cuts and plantations. The benefits include
- production of mature wood fibre,
- heal thy and fully functioning forests,
- accommodation for most values, and
- increased employment potential.
In an ecosystem-based economy, the community initiates diverse forest activities that protect ecosystem function at all scales through time.
Conventional forestry creates fragmented ecosystems, with isolated islands of forest amidst clear-cuts.
On Cortes, with an integrated island-wide forest, there is the opportunity to provide healthy ecosystems and increased employment, and to encourage greater community participation in forest maintenance for generations to come.
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[From WS June/July 1999]