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FPInnovations releases operational manual for commercial thinning in B.C.

FPInnovations recently published The Operational Manual for Commercial Thinning in British Columbia. In a statement released by the organization, FPInnovations explained that the large-scale application of Commercial Thinning (CT) in B.C. has become increasingly important over the last few years. CT is not just beneficial as a stand-tending operation. It is a way to provide fibre to the interior of the province to manage the shortage caused by large-scale disturbances such as bark beetle epidemics and fire.

Included in manual are FPInnovations’ experience on the application of CT and methods for selection of CT candidate stands. The manual defines prescriptions and assesses the economic operability of harvest blocks and supervise operations. It also helps determine the productivity and cost of machines used. The manual can be used by forest planners, field supervisors and machine operators in different phases of CT implementation.

The manual also introduces the Partial Cutting Simulator (PCSim), a model for defining prescriptions and assessing the economics of CT operations using traditional or enhanced (LiDAR-based) forest inventory data.

Joint committees involving specialists from government, industry, academia, and research organizations are working together to find the best methods for the application of CT in the province, noted FPInnovations.

Ongoing and future efforts are directed towards further informing the applicability of CT practices in BC and the improvement of Provincial CT Guidance. This is being done through a transparent and scientific approach to trial design, data collection and analysis. Clear research objectives are set to guide questions and fill knowledge gaps in this process. FPInnovations’ industrial members are also carrying out significant work in this area in Alberta.