Summer Tree Plant

Lisa the Forester, WFP

This week has been dedicated to the fall tree planting.  The units or ‘blocks’ as their called in Canada are typically located in areas inaccessible in the spring.  That being said the slopes are steep the roads getting there are long.  Lisa is the professional forester from Western leading the project.  The contractor hired to plant is Timberlands Reforestation.  They brought about 20 people to get the job done.  As foresters from the hiring company we verify the quality and quantity of seedlings put in the ground at each block. 

The clouds finally rolling in at the top on one block

Why plant in the summer? The blocks being planted are typically still covered in snow come spring time.  As long as the ground is moist they should set on great.  Usually the goal is to achieve between 1000 and 1200 trees per hectare.  Depending on site conditions the following trees may be planted: yellow cedar, western redcedar, western hemlock, or Sitka spruce.  The seedlings are delivered every 5 days from the nurseries.  The less time the seedlings are in the field the better luck they have to survive.  Western plants 9 million trees annually. This contract will put 200,000 trees in the ground.  Each seedling will be planted with a fertilizer pack to boost the nutrients available to the plant.  About half of the trees come from a tree nursery owned by Western in the southern part of the island.  

Western redcedar 1 year seedlings come in packs of six.
Measured 4 x 10 cm caps

On Monday, Western Foresters conducted a safety presentation for the planters. They come from all walks of life and experience.  Many of them would be considered professional planters because they may be planting 9 months of the year and have been for a long time.  The planters are a very friendly bunch of people coming from all across Canada.  They were all eager to begin work and put the trees in the ground. 

The first week the planters were split into three groups throughout three blocks the furthest distance from camp.  It is our job to visit each site and verify that the planters are meeting the site prescription.  

Me at plot center

As foresters checking seedling densities we conduct plot surveys throughout each block to get an understanding of planting quality.  The plot circles are 3.99m in diameter and are measured with a shovel at the center with a string to swing the plot.  We count each of the planted seedlings within the circle.  We identify any issues seen such as planted too close, wrong soil type, J-roots, plantable spot, etc.  The trees must be at least 2m apart.  We record all data on an I-pad using an App called PlantWizard, specifically made for seedling surveys.  All data is then shared with the planters in an exchange of data to confirm that the contract is being properly fulfilled. 

Western redcedar seedling in the ground

Last week we went out 3 times to the blocks they were working.  The drive is long, making the actual workday short.  The blocks were near Mahatta a place that once was a small logging town on the Neurosis Bay on the West side of the Island.  It took a mere 3.5 hours of driving to get to the blocks on logging roads.  Four-wheel drive is a must to make it anywhere out there.  Out there in the boonies, Lamare mostly runs Mahatta as the primary contractor.  Lamare World as we called it was a bit of a rodeo navigating the roads.  The roads are unfamiliar and confusing to newcomers.  Directions switch from In or Out to Up or Down.  The roads have nicknames or referenced differently in local lingo.  Luckily the log truck drivers were kind enough to help us out when we did not understand their calls on the radio. 

The blocks themselves are incredibly steep and rough terrain.  The slopes easily achieve 90% in some places.  The ground varies from soft to flat rock to covered in dense slash. Slash is the left woody debris from the harvest.  This particular contract is no easy task.  The elevation is high and slopes steep with little relief for the 10 days they are working.  Immense respect must be given to the planters for the hard work they take on.  Their packs are up to 40 lbs carrying trees and fertilizers to cover the whole block with trees.  It is hard work in the backwoods of North Vancouver Island.