WesternWesternSpiritProduced by Western Forest Products Limited Volume 2 Issue 1 Summer 2000

Western ForestProducts Limited

Western Spirit is an official newslet-ter of Western Forest Products Ltd.Content may be reproduced;however, we request that WFPand the author be credited.

Western Forest Products Limited#2300—1111 West Georgia StreetVancouver, BC V6E 4M3Tel: (604) 665–6200Fax: (604) 665–6268Website: www.westernforest.com

Editor: Dan JepsenEditorial Board: Larry Andrews, BobbyGermyn, Ross Neasloss, George WattsEditorial & Design: Dianna BodnarDesktop Publishing: CPH Desktop

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Please recycle this product.

W estern Forest Prod-ucts is very pleased to

announce their sponsor- ship of three new students to the 10-month TechnicalResource education program at theNicola Valley Institute of Technology(NVIT) in Merritt, which will begin inSeptember 2000.

The Forest Technician Training Pro-gram began in 1997 as a cooperativeeffort among the BC Ministry ofForests, NVIT, Forest Renewal BC

WesternWesternSpirit

WFP Sponsors More Students to NVIT andEnters into New Co-Sponsorship Scheme

and the Council of Forest Industries(COFI), who are continuing to worktogether to increase forestry knowl-edge and expertise among FirstNations communities. The programinvolves BC forest companies andtheir neighbouring aboriginal commu-nities jointly sponsoring a FirstNations student for one year ofForest Technician training at NVIT.Six months of classroom trainingis supplemented by a one-on-onementoring system with their spon-sor company and an additional six

months of summer work placement.Courses such as natural resourcemanagement, silviculture, technicalcommunications, resource measure-ments and soils and hyrdrology arethus combined with opportunitiesto directly apply knowledge in theworkplace.

The Program is maintaining a90% retention rate, which CraigNoordmans, Program Coordinator,

NVIT First Nations Forest Technology Training Program 1999 students, Merritt, BCphoto: Craig Noordmans

continued as NVIT, page 3

Building Espranza’s Youth Canoe—the Story in Pictures

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Charlie and councillor Tom Smith look at the finished product.Photo: Larry Andrews

Canoe under tarp to be steamed wider (expanded 9 inches)Photo: Larry Andrews

Charlie Mickey, carver, surveys the first stageof work. Made from a log from Bligh Island,the finished product is destined to be ayouth canoe, for quest rows and otherspecial functions.

Photo: Larry Andrews

Charlie making paddles the “traditional” way Photo: Larry Andrews

Kitasoo First Nation (who is cur-rently the Kitasoo Forestry Coordi-nator), Paul Neuman Jr. from theHeiltsuk First Nation, and GeorginaThomas from the Campbell River band.

Dan Jepsen, WFP’s Manager ofAboriginal Affairs, is enthusiasticabout the new candidates, “We arereally pleased with the excellentcandidates who have applied forthis important career opportunityand wish them every success.”

Seats in the program are in suchhigh demand that all 20 positions forthe September 2000 course quicklyfilled, and there are 17 companieson the waiting list to sponsor FirstNations students. WFP felt thatexploring the opportunities to co-

sponsor a student with anothercompany would alleviate some of thepressure, so they approached StanPrice at Weyerhaeuser to discussco-sponsoring the Heiltsuk studentwith WFP. Stan and senior managerswithin Weyerhaeuser supported theidea of co-sponsorship, so PaulNeuman Jr. will have two companysponsors. Says Jepsen, “We feelthat this spirit of cooperation willbe positive for Paul, the Heiltsuk, andour two companies. It will also reallybroaden his work experience options.”

Alan Hanuse from the Oweekeno FirstNation was WFP’s 1999 sponsoredstudent, and is entering the secondyear of the program in September.

He and his fellow first-year studentsare recovering from their course workand exams. “We had students fromas far away as Haida Gwaii/QueenCharlotte Islands. While being awayfrom home proved a challenge forsome students, they have all risento the challenge nicely, and we arereally proud of them,” statedNoordmans. Rhonda Ned, a stu-dent from the Upper Nicola Bandin Merritt, said that the program“gave me the opportunity to getthe education and experience tosucceed in the career I really want.”

This summer term, a mentor fromeach sponsoring forest companyis working one-on-one with eachstudent to help them apply theknowledge learned in the classroom.On-the-job training began in Mayand will run through August 2000.

On completion of their 12 months ofclassroom studies and work experi-ence, the students will be awarded acertificate in forest technology andhalf of the credits required for aForestry Technician diploma.

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NVIT, continued from page 1

attributes to the one-on-one rela-tionships provided by sponsoringforest companies and districts.“The success of this program isin large part due to the personalattention that each student re-ceives from their mentor, “ saidNoordmans. “Mentors ensure thatthe students fit in the structure ofthe company for a meaningful train-ing experience.”

Each forest company that agrees toparticipate initiates the process ofrecruiting students. After contact-ing the over 30 First Nations Bandswhose traditional territories theyoperate within, WFP has confirmed 3candidates: Ross Neasloss from the

Youth crew paddling in Espranza Inlet Photo: Larry Andrews

Youth in full sail up Espranza Inlet Photo: Larry Andrews

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Planning for your Community UsingGeographic Information Systems (GIS)by Louanne Wong, Olympic Resource Management

T he impending settlement of the land question for many First Nations in

British Columbia has focused the need to organize, control,and retain information at thecommunity level.

Modern technologies such as Geo-graphic Information Systems (GIS)are excellent integrating tools thatcan be used to support conservationof First Nations heritage, managethe community’s resources, andplan the community’s future.

Stephanie Henry of OweekenoNation’s GIS department is oneof those working to help manageher community’s lands. Acting asa liaison between her community,the government, industry, andvarious consultants, Henry is work-ing towards finding viable solutionsbest suited to the Oweekeno’sunique needs in forest management.Henry is excited about the possibili-ties that GIS brings to her commu-nity: “It helps us communicate ourrelationship with the land, as well ashelp us plan for our future,” she says.

What is a GIS?A GIS is an information manage-ment system that can collect, store,and retrieve information about theearth based on physical location.It can also assist in analyzing andplanning our natural and socialenvironment. Using the GIS as awarehouse of information, relation-ships between objects or events intime can be explored, making senseof the environment that surrounds us.

A GIS can also help us find outabout what the environment maybe like given certain conditions,an analysis technique known as“modeling.” Using these methods,a GIS can provide the “big picture”to support decision-making for theintelligent use of natural resourcesand to manage the human-madeenvironment.

What does a GIS look like?Most often, a GIS presents informa-tion in the form of maps and sym-bols. A map is useful to help readersvisualize:• where things are located• what kinds of things are

near certain places• how these objects can be

best reached by means oftransportation.

The way a GIS presents, displays,and analyzes data is flexible. It canreflect a user’s unique interests andcan be adapted to transfer informa-tion to readers.

What can a GIS do?Just as a filing cabinet stores files,a GIS stores “layers” of informationthat can be combined and cross-referenced to find answers to“what?”, “where?” and “what if?”questions. But unlike a filing cabinet,the GIS can do thousands of thesecomparisons and cross-referencesin a minute.

A GIS can view the world in differenttime frames: we can look at ourpast, present and future throughwindows which we can define andchange. Communities can archivetheir traditions and collective histo-ries by adopting and adapting thistechnology as a tool. A GIS can viewthe landscape over time and simu-late outcomes for environmentaland land use concerns, reflectingthe specific criteria a communitydevelops. By combining informationabout culture, resources and otherconcerns over time, a GIS will helpto forecast potential outcomes,support sustainable planning at thecommunity and management level,and identify potential conflicts.

continued as GIS on page 12

Oweekeno Nation’s Katit IR#1, drawn by E.M. Skinner in 1889–1890

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I ’m the proud owner of over 20 hand-made red cedar baskets made by one

of the last traditional Kitasoo basket weavers: Violet Neasloss,a Kitasoo Elder fromKlemtu, BC. Klemtu isabout 125 kilometres duewest from Bella Coola, onthe outer coast of BC. Onmy travels as WFP’sManager of AboriginalAffairs over the past fewyears, I have had thepleasure of many visitswith Violet, and of hearingher stories about the past.

Violet bubbles with enthu-siasm when she talks ofher lifelong passion oftraditional basket-weav-ing. She was born inKlemtu in 1914. At the turnof the century, the villagehad about 150 people; thepopulation is now about 500. Violetclearly recalls that when she was achild, there were no lights or runningwater, so she and her family washedclothes by hand. Her grandparentstold her of the early Hudson’s Baysteamships that visited the villageand brought in vital supplies fromthe city.

Although these early days in Klemtuwere very labour-intensive, the com-munity had a strong spirit anddetermination to work hard togetherto provide the many necessities oflife. Violet remembers in vivid detailthe regular “work parties” eachseason to gather and process the

Living Heritage—Elder Violet Neasloss,Master Weaverby Dan Jepsen, WFP Manager Aboriginal Affairs and Environment

traditional foods required for sur-vival in such an isolated community.Life was truly tied to the seasons,with villagers depending on the land,the water and each other. But thehard work required to live off the land

has been the source of Violet’s best-loved memories: “We gathered all thebest food and processed it for thecold winter months. There was theherring roe, seaweed, cod andsalmon seasons—we worked to-gether to gather and prepare thefoods. Our people worked togetherin harmony.” Families often hadspecialties; Violet takes great pridein her skill at smoking fish.

School was taught by local whitewomen, but schoolbooks were onlyprovided for the children until grade6. I asked Violet what they did forbooks after that, and she said, “Youjust used the same books over and

over again!” She had the opportunityto continue schooling at the PortAlberni residential school, but recallsit was just too far away from homeand it would take her away from herhome and family for too long. Otherthan those periods, Violet has spenther whole life in Klemtu; the longestshe was away was one month for an

eye operation. She startedwork in the Kitasoo FishCannery in 1933 and workedthere until it closed in the70s. She also married in1933, over the years adopt-ing 4 children. Violet now has14 grandchildren. Her hus-band passed away in 1990.

One of the most remarkableaspects of Violet’s life hasbeen her rich knowledgeand expertise in her lan-guage and culture. Shespeaks three languages:English, and the Kitasooand Heiltsuk dialects.There are less than 20people who can speak theKitasoo language any

longer. It appears that it will disap-pear over the next few years—trulya terrible cultural loss.

Sadly, it also seems that the tradi-tional Kitasoo art of basket-weavingmay meet the same fate. Violetstarted weaving in 1932, teachingherself by watching the village elders.Her passion for weaving has stayedstrong for almost 80 years.

Violet says the prime time for gath-ering the cedar bark is in the spring,when the sap is running. She missescollecting the bark herself, but finds

Violet Neasloss with a variety of her handmade baskets

continued as Living Heritage, page 13

“Tree of Life” Sparks New Vitalityto Kwakiutl Communityby Mike DesRochers, RPF, Assistant Forester, Port McNeill Forest Operation

W hat started out as aretirement hobby has

bloomed into a vibrant business for Gloria and Foster Roze. Looking for somethingto keep them busy, they purchasedequipment from a failed cedar oilextraction business. But true to itsname, their Tree of Life Essential Oilcompany has flourished far beyondits origins. Within two seasons ofoperating, they’ve recovered theirstart-up costs (approximately$50,000), employed local people,and diversified from producing high-quality cedar oil into productsincluding cedar mulch, soaps andcandles. All bough collection and oilproduction takes place on KwakiutlFirst Nation traditional territory onthe Fort Rupert Reserve, within WFP’sTFL 6 in the Port McNeill area of theNorth Vancouver Island Region.

One of the most satisfying outcomesis how many others Foster and Gloriahave been able to involve in theirventure. They have employed 10 peoplefrom the Kwakiutl First Nation overthe past two seasons, includingNapoleon Edwards, Wayne“Chamooga” Cook Jr. (student),Maggie Hunt (student), AbrahamSheena, Sidney Sheena, JoshDawson, Donovan Hunt, and EdWhite. They have also created anumber of indirect jobs for localcraftspeople.

Essential oils are concentratedaromatic oils found in plant leaves,flowers, seeds, bark, roots, and therinds of some fruits. They are usedas bonding agents and preservatives

in a wide variety of products, fromsoaps and candles to pharmaceuti-cals and insecticides.

To produce the cedar oil, Tree of Lifestaff carefully prune Western RedCedar boughs from living trees alongroadsides in 10–20 year-old stands.Trees selected are at least 4m tall,and are pruned so that no morethan the lower 1/3 of their live foliageis removed. This ensures that thebranches can be harvested againwithin four to five years. The boughsare then delivered via 1-ton staketruck to the manufacturing site,where they are chipped and loadedinto a hopper. Because the essentialoil starts to evaporate as soon asthe branches are cut, staff tries toprocess them within 24–36 hours.Steam is forced through the chippedboughs, condensed, and collected ina skimming barrel. The finished pro-cess usually yields 150 litres of fluid,from which only a few litres of oil areproduced. Used chips find their wayto village gardens as bark mulch.

In the 1999 season, Tree of Lifeproduced 6 barrels (1,200 litres)using 132 tons of cedar boughs.In two seasons of operation, theyhave sold 5 barrels of oil to brokersin New York, New Jersey, and Mon-treal at prices ranging from $10,000to $15,000 per barrel. Their website(www.treeoflife.bc.ca) has even at-tracted interested buyers fromJapan. Sales of spin-off productsinclude several truckloads of cedarmulch to the local school board, localbusinesses, the Town of Port Hardy,and private individuals. Candles andsoaps made from cedar oil are also

sold in two local craft stores. In theface of such financial success, somemight be tempted to forgo shuttingdown for the winter. But Foster andGloria have their priorities clear,

demonstrated by their philosophy ofcombining environmental responsibil-ity and cultural values with modernbusiness practices: “Tree of LifeEssential Oil is not only about eco-nomic development; it is also aboutrespect for ourselves and MotherEarth, job creation, pride and humil-ity, and value-added processing.It means sharing, and most impor-tantly, it means being environmen-tally responsible. With these valuesin mind, we are taking responsibilityto control our destiny in a mannerconsistent with the teachings ofthe Ancestors.”

And as Foster says, “This is sup-posed to be my retirement hobby.Besides . . . it’s raining!”

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Gloria and Foster Roze with “Tree of Life”(Western Red Cedar) carving on door byDavid Hunt Photo: Mike DesRochers

A blessing ceremony performed last Novem-

ber by cultural leadersfrom the Mowachaht/

Muchalaht First Nation marked the successful completion of a4-year project to complete a newspawning channel near Gold River.Located at the mouth of OktwanchRiver where it empties into Mucha-laht Lake, this innovative ground-water-fed channel is giving new life tothose Muchalaht Lake salmon popu-lations that use the Oktwanch Riverfor spawning and rearing habitat.

“This project will finally allow theMuchalaht Lake sockeye, coho, andchinook stock to rebuild,” said BillDumont, Chief Forester for WFP.“While the salmon have years ofrecovery ahead of them, we areone very important step closerto returning stable spawning andrearing habitats to the watershed.”

Then $300,000 spawning channelwas a WFP project, supported withForest Renewal BC funding, startedfour years ago when the potentialrenewal of the Oktwanch River fishhabitat was first examined. Theproject was initiated by Canfor,then reassigned to WFP.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada andForest Renewal BC had recognizedthat the river’s fish habitat wouldbenefit from a restoration project.However, further study showed thatdue to increased peak flows, reducedwoody debris, and acceleratedsediment delivery, the river wouldbe unable to support large-scalesalmon spawning for some time.

Oktwanch Spawning Channel OpenAfter Completion of 4-Year Project

Fisheries biologists from Fisheriesand Oceans Canada and the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council determinedthat a solution to saving the runsrested in enlarging a small sidechannel to the west of the main river.This newly-enlarged channel, con-verted to a groundwater-fed system,provides stable spawning and rearingareas that are protected from thechanging dynamics of the river.

Site work began during the springof 1998, and was completed inAugust 1999. In total, 28 peopleworked on the project, includingcontractors, members of theMowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation,Fisheries and Oceans Canada, theBC Ministry of Lands, Environmentand Parks, and WFP staff.

The 1.4 km-long spawning channelincorporates the newest fishhabitat management techniquesand research and mimics a naturalstream by providing calm rearingareas for fry, log and root tangleswhere fish can hide from predators,and graveled areas for spawning.Ferns, salmon berry, maple, and alderwill provide coverage on the banksand assist with restricting accessto the stream by large animals andpeople. A long, raised berm protectsthe channel from the nearby river.

Other fish habitat improvementsproposed for the Oktwanch Riverinclude gravel bar stabilization,another spawning channel projecton the opposite valley wall, forcepools, and large woody debris coverin the main river. It is expected thatthe river’s main fish spawning andrearing zones will gradually recover.

The Oktwanch channel will be usedprimarily by sockeye, coho andchinook salmon, and may alsoassist cutthroat trout and DollyVarden char. Oktwanch comes fromthe Nuu-chah-nulth word Okwasht,which means “smoking salmon.”

Forest Renewal BC chair RogerStanyer points out that since1994, Forest Renewal has investedalmost $350 million to restorewatersheds across BC. “Assess-ments have been completed in860 watersheds. Restorationefforts have been completed in 150watersheds, and some restorationhas been done in 320 watersheds.This significant restoration effortis generating employment in localcommunities, supporting waterquality, and protecting fish species.”

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Totem pole carved from log donated byWFP by Johnathan Henderson and SeanWhonnock, the first to be raised in Victoria’sThunderbird Park for over 40 years.

Photo: Heather Brown

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O n June 2, 2000, a wonderfully bright and sunny day to match the spirits of all present, the Kitasoo First

Nation hosted a major celebration to mark the historic opening of the new Kitasoo Govern-ment House in Klemtu, BC. Klemtu is the mainvillage for the Kitasoo people, located about200 kilometers southeast of Prince Rupert.

The old Kitasoo office was located in an old homebehind the church in the village, and was too smalland confined for the numerous band operationsto work effectively and efficiently. Band ManagerPercy Starr and the Kitasoo Councils over thepast few years looked at various options toconstruct a new office building in the village.However, due to the high cost of new constructionand the tight restraints on capital, they deter-mined that the construction of a new office largeenough to fill their needs was going to be virtuallyimpossible. They decided to look at options thatwould reduce the costs, yet provide the villagewith a new office building.

As part of their review process, the councilsconsidered the old Kitasoo School. It hadn’t beenused for years and was in a state of major disre-pair. Ben Robinson, Kitasoo Councilor, remembersthat “when we first looked at the building, it washard to see the potential. However, after carefulreview with the community carpenter, we deter-mined that there was potential, the foundationwas solid, there was enough inside space withonly minor construction, and the main structuralintegrity of the building was sound.” The KitasooCouncil decided to contact a number of busi-nesses that the band deals with to explorepotential partnerships to undertake the majorrenovation required. WFP was one of these. “Weare pleased that Western Forest Products hadthe foresight to see the opportunity to play a rolein the re-construction of the building,” said Starr.

The new office is over 5,000 square feet, andincludes two boardrooms, a reception area, a2-bedroom self-contained suite, and 6 offices.

Kitasoo Government House Oby Dan Jepsen, WFP Manager Aboriginal Affairs and Environment

Kitasoo Hereditary Chiefs

l to r: Band Administrator Percy Starr, WFand Area Manager Corby Lamb

Kitasoo Dummers; Raven Drum leftand Black Fish Drum on right

Kitasoo Dummers warming up

l to r: Master Carver RobKitasoo Hereditary Chie

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Opens to Sun and CelebrationsThinking of the future, the band made the addi-tional effort to renovate the basement area, whichincludes an additional 1,000 square feet of finishedspace. Currently this space is being used for im-portant treaty-mapping functions, and has alsobeen used by the auditors, since it provides anexcellent space to spread out the audit materials.

Thanks to Haisla Master Carver Robert Stewart,Kitasoo Government House is as beautiful as itis useful. Stewart carved the two totems thatgrace its entrance, which feature the four mainKitasoo family clans: the Black Fish, Raven, Eagle,and Wolf Clans.

At the June opening, over 150 community mem-bers came out to enjoy the traditional dancing,which included the Kitasoo welcome song andthe dance of the four clans. Vic Woods, WFP’s VicePresident, was very honoured to be asked by theKitasoo Elders to cut the cedar bark openingribbon along with Kitasoo Elder Violet Neasloss.During the opening speeches, Band ManagerStarr reflected on the history that led to theconstruction of the fine new office. He said,“I wish to acknowledge the efforts here todaythat were made by our previous Elders and Chiefswho are no longer with us. Hereditary Chief TommyBrown made major efforts starting 30–40 yearsago to establish better relationships with theoutside business world to enable breaking thebond with government. We have a beautiful rela-tionship with WFP—and this relationship has pro-vided the creation of this new office.” Percy wenton to say, “I wish to thank Victor and his staff forworking with us towards a common future.”

The Kitasoo people presented Woods with abeautiful framed photo of the “stew”, one of theonly remaining First Nations longhouses on thecoast that still has the roof beams in place. Thebuilding is thought to date at least back to theearly 1800s. Woods in turn presented Chief GaryHall with a carved mural by Robert Stewartdepicting the four Kitasoo clans.

FP Vice President Vic Woods,

bert Stewart andf Archie Robinson

Kitasoo Youth Dancers

Opening Dance

Cutting the handmade cedar barkribbon! Vic Woods, WFP Vice Presidentand Kitasoo Elder and Master WeaverViolet Neasloss

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J oint partnerships, shared ventures and successful capital invest-

ment strategies have been making a positive difference forCanada’s leading non-Native busi-ness fraternities, and for the manyAboriginal communities that havedecided to open negotiations anddevelop sustainable partnershipswith them.

British Columbia-based WesternForest Products Limited (WFP) isan example of one of the manyorganizations whose successfulpartnering in Aboriginal communitieshas helped to increase and enhanceeconomic opportunities, employmentand education.

In business on the BC coast since1858, WFP and its predecessor com-panies have evolved from a smalllumber mill, initially located on themouth of the Shawnigan River, tobecome one of the province’s leadingforest companies. Currently manag-ing more than 850,000 hectaresof coastal forest in British Columbia,including public and private lands,WFP’s operations are located onVancouver Island, the central coastand Queen Charlotte Islands, andcover more than 30 traditionalterritories.

The company has always had a keeninterest and a strong commitmentto working with First Nation’s com-munities, but, says WFP AboriginalAffairs and Environment ManagerDan Jepsen, “over the past few yearsthere’s been a substantial increase

Partnering with Native Communities anImportant Part of WFP’s Mandateby John Copley, adapted from Western Native News Vol 13, No. 2, June 2000

in the need to look at better waysof communicating and engaging withlocal (Native) communities.” In arecent interview with Western NativeNews, Mr. Jepsen said the quarterlypublication was developed as a“communication medium for FirstNations communities whose tradi-tional territories we operate within.”

Building on the experience WFP hasgained in working with First Nationsin developing successful joint busi-ness ventures, the company iscurrently working with a number ofFirst Nation community leaders andthe Ministry of Forests on additionalforestry-related business develop-ment and employment ventures.“These business development oppor-tunities,” explained Jepsen, “includea diverse range of partnership oppor-tunities such as additional employ-ment in surveying, assessing fishhabitats, taking wildlife inventories,road construction and maintenance,harvesting, and the full range ofsilviculture activities.”

Western Forest Product’s tenuresare within the traditional territoriesof over 30 First Nations communi-ties throughout coastal BC. Theseareas overlap one another through-out the region, but WFP-initiatedprograms to involve the Nativecommunities and their citizens haveproven to be of benefit to everyone.

“The company and the communitieshave all benefited from First Nationsparticipation,” assured Jepsen. “Webelieve that meaningful involvementand inclusion of First Nations isintegral to the economic stability

of the communities in which weoperate.” First Nations communitieswho have participated in archeologi-cal surveys, silviculture projects,forestry and numerous other ven-tures with WFP are too numerousto mention here, but do include theQuatsino, Ehatteshaht, Haida,Heiltsuk, Kitasoo, Kwakiutl,Mowachaht, Oweekeno, Nuxalt,Squamish, Campbell River, andTlatlasikwala Nations. One of themost successful economic develop-ment, employment and skills-learn-ing ventures has been the WFP andHeiltsuk First Nation logging crewthat began training back in 1995.“It is truly a success story,” empha-sized Jepsen. “That crew is produc-ing over 30,000 cubic metres ofwood per year. At a recent meetingbetween the Heiltsuk ForestryCommittee, senior WFP staff andthe logging crew, it was decided tolook for additional opportunitiesto access wood for the crew this year.”

Heiltsuk loggers, Yeo IslandPhoto: Patrick Armstrong

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The combination of a positive work-ing relationship and some quickthinking on the part of WFP forestrystaff at the Zeballos Forst Opera-tions was responsible for thecreation of “a very interestingand successful project with theEhatteshaht Band to plant 25,000trees and hand-fertilize a 33-hec-tare plantation,” explained Jepsen.“We heard about an opportunityto purchase fertilizer that had beensalvaged after a truck flipped over.A small amount of dirt was mixed inwith the fertilizer, making it unsuit-able for resale. Operations ForesterDoug Folkins recognized an opportu-nity to enhance growth in a criticalarea and provide an opportunity forthe Ehatteshaht community to gainemployment in a very unique trial.”

Folkins said that “the Ehatteshahtcrew worked very hard on this oftenphysical and challenging job. Weexpect very positive boosts in thegrowth of these trees.”

Numerous other First Nationsplanters have also been working hardwith WFP and its contractors duringthis year’s spring planting season.Crews have planted more than350,000 trees. “WFP First Nationssilviculture crews commenced workin early February and are currentlyinvolved in numerous projectsthroughout WFP’s operations,”added Jepsen.

One example of WFP’s newer projectsis the continuing work with theKitasoo Nation near Princess Royal

Island. The Kitasoo, whose maincommunity comprises the villageof Klemtu, are currently consultingwith WFP on current and planneddevelopment within their traditionalterritory. Joint forest resourcesinitiatives and training and employ-ment opportunities are among thetopics being discussed. Trainingand employment initiatives includestream classification, assessmentand cleaning, archaeologicalassessments, technical trainingin resource management, silviculture,reforestation, harvesting, androad construction.

Another example on the long list ofsuccessful WFP/First Nations part-nerships involves the 1600-plusmembership of the Heiltsuk Nationof Bella Bella. WFP is working withthe Heiltsuk on a number of projects,including one which has alreadytrained more than 20 band membersin forest harvesting practices on YeoIsland. Other WFP/Heiltsuk projectsinclude training in road construction,silviculture, stream classification,and harvesting. Silviculture employ-ment has been established on bothCampbell and Yeo Islands. Otherinitiatives include employment inarcheological inventory, biodiversity,and wildlife studies.

“It’s an exciting time for WFP andthe Aboriginal communities weserve,” closed Jepsen. “It is also abusy time; there are many positiveinitiatives currently being discussedand carried out with First Nationscommunities and there is boundto be many more on the horizon.”

Peter Johnson, Lead Auditor of Quality Management Institute, and WFP VP Vic Woodspresent ISO 14001 certificate to Band Manager Helen Wallace, Quatsino Band

Photo: Sandy Lavigne

ISO 14001 CertificatesAwarded—Well Done All!

❖ ❖ ❖

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GIS, continued from page 4

Who is using GIS?Many First Nations have takenadvantage of GIS as a technologyto archive their past and to preparefor their future. GIS systems todayare being used to assist in resolvingland questions, and to manage aNation’s territory and forestedlands. They provide a way to monitorinformation such as resource inven-tories and culturally-modified treesand also to quantify this data forvalue, quality, and area.

Historical information can be ar-chived in a GIS, such as the sketchon page 4 of Oweekeno Nation’sKatit IR#1 drawn and surveyedby E.M. Skinner in 1889–1890

Find out more!GIS is a wonderful educational toolthat can be used at primary toadvanced levels to learn more aboutthe world around us. There is awealth of information about thesoftware, data, and the technologyavailable free on the World Wide Web.

If you would like to find out moreabout the GIS for your community,contact Louanne Wong, OlympicResource Management (Tel: 604-806-3700, Fax: 604-806-3701,Email: lwong@ormcanada.com).The Oweekeno Nation GIS depart-ment can be contacted throughStephanie Henry (Tel: 250-949-8625,Fax: 250-949-7105,Email: shenry@island.net).

G host bear. Mythical spirit. Ursus americanus kermodei. The kermode

bear is all these things and more. White in colour, similar totheir counterparts in Arctic regions,BC’s kermodes are found on theNorth Coast, concentrated in a fewareas such as Princess Royal Islandin the traditional territory of theKitasoo and Hartley Bay Bands.

With land and resource planningunderway in the area, more informa-tion about the mysterious “ghostbear” is crucial to its effective man-agement. A study funded through amulti-year agreement between ForestRenewal BC and Western ForestProducts is focusing on determiningthe exact range of the bear, andidentifying the genetic mechanismaccounting for their distinctive colour.

Biologist Helen Davis explains theprocess: “Our crews first had tolocate the best sampling areas,string hair snares across bear trails

leading to salmon spawning streams,and then return every two to threedays to collect hair samples.” The“hair snares” are lengths of barbedwire baited with spawned-out salmonor salmon roe. Each clump of bearhair snagged on a barb is consideredto be an individual sample.

With the help of Kitasoo workers,crews have collected more than2,000 hair samples. These are placedin a paper envelope and given DNAidentification numbers, then sent tothe UBC Faculty of Forests geneticslab. The DNA analysis then done atthe lab could identify factors like theinterchange between breeding pairs,or the frequency of white kermodebear births.

“Western Forest Products is support-ing this project because we make alot of decisions around forest-planning on the North Coast,” saidWFP’s Chief Forester Bill Dumont.“We have to learn a lot more aboutthe bears’ genetics to ensure our plansinclude the needs of the kermode.”

According to Tony Hamilton, researchbiologist with the Ministry of Environ-ment, Lands and Parks’ wildlife branchin Victoria, little is known about thegenetics of the white coat colour-ations. “While several explanationshave been put forward, we still lack adefinitive understanding of why someblack bears are white, and why someareas seem to have a higher frequencyof white individuals,” said Hamilton.

At WFP’s Roderick Island operation,a black mother was observed in 1998with three cubs, one white and two

Baring the Facts aboutBC’s Mysterious Kermodes

black. Pooley Island also has a whitemother, with two black bear cubs.

Until biologists and foresters gain abetter understanding of this myste-rious mammal, appropriate conserva-tion measures are largely speculative.

Kermode bear

❖ ❖ ❖

13

D evil’s Club (Oplopanax horridum) is a plantunique to the west coast of

North America, being found in the dense coastal forests fromNorthern California to Alaska. Oftenreaching ten feet in height, with itsoversized leaves gathering thedappled sunlight, a mature colonyof Devil’s Club is almost tropical inappearance. The whole plant, includ-ing the maple-like leaves, is armedwith a multitude of large yellowspines. Gracefully swaying in theforest breezes, it is indeed formida-ble as well as beautiful.

For the past several years, a researchteam at the University of BritishColumbia has been analyzing thechemical constituents of the rootand stem bark of Devil’s Club. They areattempting to determine the sourceof the medicinal qualities associatedwith its traditional use by nativecoastal groups. It is evident that thedata supports its use as a treat-ment for various respiratory com-plaints as well as other conditions.

For centuries, northwest coastnative groups have prepared a teafrom the root and stem bark totreat a variety of lung problems,including tuberculosis. The teawas also used to treat adult-onsetdiabetes. Like other members ofthe ginseng family, the root ofDevil’s Club was made into a tonicto increase stamina and to helpstrengthen the body after a longillness. It was also used effectivelyon the skin to treat burns, soresand swollen glands.

Due to the anti-viral and anti-bacterial compounds found in thebark of its roots and stems, Devil’sClub is becoming of interest toEuropean, Asian and North Ameri-can manufacturers of herbal formu-las. As a result, commercial harvest-ers are increasing the pressure onthe plant colonies of the coast;so much so, that it has all but beeneradicated in parts of the north-western US.

Nancy Turner, an ethnobotanistat the University of Victoria, toldme recently, “most people ‘prune’the Devil’s Club branches from themother stalk, then leave the plantto recover and regenerate for a fewyears before harvesting again. Thisis done in a lot of traditional medi-cine harvesting.”

It is my belief that it is up to thosepeople who understand the ways ofthe plants to point out these pre-cautionary measures to commercialharvesters and loggers. In this way,we will be assured of a sustainableharvest and future medicine fromthis sacred traditional plant.

The Devil’s Club—Strong Medicineby Kahlee Keane, Save Our Species

Living Heritage, continued from page 5

that with her failing eyesight, it justisn’t practical to go out into thewoods anymore. Friends and familynow collect bark for her. The bestcomes from young cedar trees withsmall diameter and relatively thinbark. The traditional Kitasoo gather-ing method requires that the barkonly be removed from one side of thetree, to ensure the tree will not bepermanently damaged. If you areskilled in bark collecting, you canget bark strips of over 30 feet long.

Depending on the size anddesign of the basket,weaving can takeanywhere from oneto three days.Violet showedme a uniquebasket she made inthe 1940s that shestill uses for clam andseaweed gathering. Al-though it was in need ofsome repair, it was amazing tosee a basket almost 60 yearsold that was still being used ina traditional way.

Violet’s only disappointment is thatsince young children are not inter-ested to learn traditional skills likebasket weaving, the cultural art isdestined to be lost: “The childrenof today are too preoccupied withtelevision to take an interest in thetraditional ways.”

But positive as always, Violet smilesand says, “Life has been very goodfor me in Klemtu.” As I left her cozyhome, I saw her going back to herkitchen to finish baking bread.

“The best bark

comes from young cedar

trees with small diameter and

relatively thin bark”

❖ ❖ ❖

14

D uring the 1940s and50s, commercial logging

practices often included the removal of timber adjacent to streams. Portions of the KeoghRiver on North Vancouver Island weretreated in this manner when theywere logged 50 years ago. Many ofthe riparian areas along the Keoghare now restocked with relativelydense (3,000–4,000 sph), uniformconifer regen, or have reverted toearly seral alder-dominated stands.This project was implemented torestore and accelerate old-growthproperties along sections of theKeogh River. All riparian silviculture

Restoring Old GrowthProperties along the Keoghby Mike DesRochers, RPF, Assistant Forester, Port McNeill Forest Operation

work took place along the Keogh inthe vicinity of West 100, on KwakiutlFirst Nation traditional territorywithin WFP’s TFL 6 in the Port McNeillarea of North Vancouver Island.

Treatments performed included largealder release, conifer release fromalder competition, the thinning ofdense conifer stands, the immediateand gradual introduction of largewoody debris into the river systemto complement existing instreamstructures, and the creation ofwildlife habitat.

Work crews on this project weremade up of people from the Kwakiutl,the Quatsino (J&T Silviculture Ltd.)and the Sechelt (SIBFOR ForestryInc.) First Nations. These crewsperformed a wide range of ripariansilviculture: alder girdling, conifergirdling, conifer spacing, tree toppingand a variety of habitat “starts”for bats, birds, small mammalsand amphibians.

This type of silviculture was a depar-ture from normal enhanced forestryin that uniform spacing and densi-ties were abandoned in favour ofirregular treatments that wouldmore resemble old-growth character-istics. The crews questioned thetreatment techniques, but soonunderstood the purpose of this“bad” spacing and girdling, andhow these treatments would haveimmediate impacts on the riparianecosystem along the Keogh.

Wally Bernard doing alder girdling in confierrelease area Photo: Mike DesRochers

KitasooCrew Bravesthe Elementsfor a ThirdSilvicultureSeasonby Jeff Brown and Han Van Vugt,WFP contract supervisors

F or the third consecu-tive season, the Kitasoo

Silviculture Crew from Klemtu has been busy planting trees at WFP’s Roderick Island Operations.Every spring brings excitement andanticipation for many in this remotecommunity of BC’s coastal north.Silviculture work brings the Kitasoo

Arthur Timothy tree-planting onRoderick Island Photo: Jeff Brown

continued as Kitasoo Crew, page 16continued as Restoring, page 16

15

PruningProject atPort McNeillby Amy Beetham, Assistant Forester,WFP Port McNeill Forest Operation

T his March in the PortMcNeill Forest Operation

of TFL 6, we had J&T Silvi-culture Ltd. complete an 11.1-

hectare second-lift pruningproject. J&T primarily employsKwakiutl First Nations band mem-bers from Fort Rupert and QuatsinoFirst Nations band members fromCoal Harbour.

by Doug Folkins, RPF, OperationsForester, Zeballos Forest Operation

S entry Forestry havebeen working in the

Zeballos Forest Operation for over five years, and have a good deal of experience withspacing, pruning, creek cleaning andpile burning. In efforts to find sus-tained employment opportunities,WFP and Sentry are working to findnew activities to fill the slow periodsof the year.

One of these is a manual fertiliza-tion silviculture project in TFL 19,in Ehattesaht Band territory. Thisproject provided Sentry with newexperience and employment whilespacing areas are snowed-out.Objectives were to enhance crop tree

growth in order to achieve greenupat an earlier date, and to realize thebenefits of increased growth andsite productivity. (The harvest of twolow-elevation conventional blocks aredelayed until the treated stand isthree metres high.)

Altogether, the crew treated about35 hectares. Crew members LloydBilly, Marleen Billy, Steve Frenchie,Alfred Frenchie, Jeremy John, andLyle Billy Jr., from the EhattesahtBand, finished up in May. As AlfredFrenchie said, “It’s a good job. Itgets a bit boring, but it’s a good job.”Added Lloyd Billy, Sentry’s owner,“Things are going well. It’s the firsttime we’ve done fertilization, but thecrew is learning quickly.” WFP person-nel other than myself was Dave Friars.

Second-lift pruning at Port McNeill operationPhoto: Jim Johnson

Sentry Branches out intoSilviculture

Marleen Billy, Ehattesaht manual fertilization project Photo: Lloyd Billycontinued as Pruning, page 16

WesternWesternSpiritWestern Spirit is a publication producedby Western Forest Products for FirstNations Communities, WFP staff,employees and contractors If you have any comments or questions on the information contained

in this publication, please contact Dan Jepsen, Manager, Aboriginal Affairs andEnvironment, Western Forest Products Limited, 2300 – 1111 West Georgia Street,Vancouver, BC, V6E 4M3, Telephone (604) 665–6274 websitewww.westernforest.com e-mail: djepsen@westernforest.com

16

Kitasoo Crew, continued from page 14

crew an opportunity to work outsidethe village, get into good physicalshape, and accumulate some well-deserved cash. As last year, con-tract supervisor Han Van Vugt ledthe crew: Aubrey Brown, Greg Brown,Mitch Duncan, Jack Robinson,Darryl Robinson, Tammy Robinsonand Arthur Timothy.

The crew began each day witha thirty-minute navigation ofFinlayson Channel in their boat,the Sx ay a lakv (Griffin Pass). Theweather threw many obstacles theirway: high winds, high seas, snow, rainand hail. Yet together they plantedmore than 20 thousand trees,including Western Red Cedar, Cy-press, Balsam and Sitka Sprucespecies. In addition, the crew com-pleted minor maintenance to thetree cones covering the WesternRed Cedar, which protect the seed-lings from deer browsing.

The Kitasoo crew were scheduledto complete additional planting onRoderick Island with WFP, ensuringthat future forest growth is main-tained and can be enjoyed by genera-tions yet to come.

Pruning, continued from page 15

The Douglas-fir dominated standwas originally pruned to 2.0 metres;second-lift pruning took the liftheight to 5.5 metres. This projectwas challenging due to areas ofsteep and brushy ground in theblock, but quality was high.

The project employed a crew of eightover a three-week period. At start-up, they were Jonathon Jacobson,David Louis, Jim Johnson, ShaunJohnson, Richard Williams, MarkHunt, Keith Hunt and Dale Scow.As FRBC year-end loomed, someadditional pruners came onto theproject, including Wallace Bernard,Walter Johnson Jr., Leonard Nelson,Robert Paul, Glen Robertson, andMark Wallas.

Restoring, continued from page 14

Personnel involved in the project were

• Kwakiutl First Nation (J&T Silvicul-ture): Walter Johnson, WallyBernard, Keith Hunt, James Nel-son, Richard Williams, Mark Hunt

• Quatsino First Nation (J&T Silvi-culture): Mark Wallace

• Sechelt First Nation (SIBORForestry), Steve Macleod,Dennis Fenton, Bob Toth

• WFP: Eric Gagne, Mike DesRochers,Amy Beetham, and Dan Hayward(co-op student)

• Other: Vince Poulin (Poulin andAssociates), Bart Simmons(Quillicum Forestry Services),Tim Brown (Frontier Tree Services).

Dear Dan, Thank you for putting me on yourmailing list for Western Spirit. I wasvery pleased to receive the two extraissues. I am very impressed to seethat Bill Dumont and Western ForestProducts Ltd. have established a goodrelationship with the First Nationspeople, as this paves the way to ahealthy future. The decisions we maketoday determine the course of ourfuture. Western Spirit has taken animportant step in the right direction.

Sincerely,Mike Leclerc, M.Sc.P., M. Sc. F.Silviculture ForesterSmall Business Forest EnterpriseProgram (SBFEP)Ministry of Forests,Queen Charlotte District

Letters to the EditorDear Dan, After reading the last couple ofissues of the Western Spirit newsletter,I wanted to let you know how much Ienjoyed them. The format is great (veryreadable) and I was pleased to see theextent of WFP’s involvement with FirstNations. I knew things were happening,but was not aware of the range andscope of the projects. The newsletter is very informative—please add me to your regular mailinglist. All the best to you and your col-leagues!

Dr. Terance Lewis, Ph.D., P.Ag., P.Geo.

Note: The views epxressed in WesternSpirit are not necessarily the views ofWestern Forest Products Limited, itsstaff, employees and contractors.

Environment

EnvironmentWestern ForestProducts Limited

Environment Matters is an officialnewsletter of Western Forest ProductsLtd., published quarterly. Content maybe reproduced only with the editor’spermission.

Western Forest Products#2300–1111 West Georgia StreetVancouver, BC V6E 4M3Tel: (604) 665–6200Fax: (604) 665–6268Website: www.westernforest.com

Editor: Dan JepsenAssociate Editor: Dean McGeoughEditorial Board: Bob Craven, KerryMcGourlick, Ken Hallberg, Bernie ClarkeCartoon: Heather BrownEditorial & Design: Dianna BodnarDesktop Publishing: CPH Desktop

Printed on recycled stock.Please recycle this product.

Volume 3 • Issue 2 2000

continued on page 2

Decommissioning Kimsquit—The Long and Costly Struggleby Corby Lamb, WFP Area Manager

Logging in the Kimsquit RiverWatershed first occurred in 1917when Pacific Mills Limited con-structed a logging trestle and dumpfor a railway operation. Operationswere limited, with the tracks on theeast side of Kimsquit River onlyextending about 2 miles from theriver mouth. The main focus ofthis early logging was to accessthe valuable Douglas-fir standsin the lower valley.

In those early days steam wasthe main source of power. Woodwas used to fire the boilers in thelocomotives, eliminating the prob-lem of soil contamination fromfossil fuels. The challenge withsteam, however, was the manyassociated large forest firescaused by sparks from thewood-fired boilers.

The 1917 operation lasted forabout 2 years, during the time theKimsquit Area was planned to be

the western terminus of a cross-Canada railway. Once it was obvi-ous the terminus would be else-where, operations moved to otherareas of the central coast. Exceptfor the Nuxalk Reserve on the river,there was no activity at Kimsquituntil Mayo Lumber returned in thelate 1970s.

In 1980 Doman Industriesassumed control of FL 16845 andconstructed a modern 60-crewcamp two miles from the beach on

Aerial view of Kimsquit Camp prior to demobilization photo: Corby Lamb

EnvironmentPage 2 • Volume 3, Issue 2

the west side of the river. The AACwas set at 120,000 m3 per year forthe following 18 years. And signifi-cantly, Kimsquit was the first opera-tion to be managed under anIntegrated Resource ManagementPlan as a Grizzly Bear Conserva-tion Area.

In 1997, the Central Coast landissues were beginning to heat up.Under the laws of the day, no moretimber could be harvested in thewatershed. When future operatingsites started to be constrained byland use issues elsewhere on theCentral Coast, every option wasexamined in the Kimsquit Watershed.

Unfortunately, due to the Inte-grated Resource ManagementPlan, no more economically-viable“first pass” wood could be found.This meant the camp facilitieswould have to be removed andany soil contamination from fuelstaining and so on would have tobe remediated.

In the past 10 years, rulesregarding the treatment of contami-nated soil have been ratcheted upconsiderably. MOELP now requiresany contaminated soils to bebrought back to their naturalcondition. This can be achievedthrough a number of ways, includ-ing excavation and transportationto a registered paving companyand excavation and treatment ina “biocell”, which uses microorganisms to virtually eat theoil byproducts.

Once the decision was madeto pull the camp out, WFP con-tacted an environmental consultantto conduct a Phase I report: ReidCrowther and Partners Ltd. fromVictoria, BC.

Phase IPhase I of the project consisted

of a visit to the operation to see

how the camp was laid out and todetermine where possible contami-nation had occurred, such as fueltransfer areas, the generator room,shops, staging areas, and equip-ment bone yards. Consultants heldinterviews with long-time manage-ment and contract personnel aspart of this initial review. Crewsmapped all oil staining and dug30 test holes with an excavatorwherever consultants determinedthere was potential contamination.The test holes dug in Phase Iwere located all over the operation:20 in the camp/shop area, 7 in thetank farm/dryland sort area, and3 on the airstrip where fuel barrelswere stored.

All test pits had to be sampledto determine the level of contami-nation in parts per million (PPM).This was done in two different ways:• Using a Micro Tip HL 2000 Photo

Ionization Detector (PID), eachpit was sniffed for petroleumcontaminants.

• Samples were taken from eachpit and placed in teflon-sealedglass jars. These jars wereplaced in coolers and flown to

a lab to test for “contaminantsof concern” or COCs. Examplesof COCs are benzene, toluene,ethylbenzene and xylenes, allpetroleum contaminants found ingasoline, diesel, and furnace oil.Depth of contamination was

noted as well, allowing consultantsto estimate the extent of soil (incubic metres) to be treated.

Crews also dug groundwaterpits to determine whethergroundwater had been contami-nated over the years. Since nogroundwater appeared in any ofthe test pits, fortunately, no wellswere required. At the tank farm site,one groundwater monitoring wellwas installed.

Phase IIPhase II included the review of

all of the test samples and fielddata. The results determined therewere several contaminated areasthat would require remediation. Theproblem areas included the boneyard, shop area, generator building,waste oil storage area, and themarshalling yard.

There are two biocells over 800 metres long running on both sides of theKimsquit airstrip photo: Corby Lamb

Environment Volume 3, Issue 2 • Page 3

The areas around the camp fueltanks and wash rack showed visualevidence of contamination, but hadto be removed in order to conduct aproper investigation.

The Phase II investigationprovided the required recommen-dations and action plan we neededto review and make applications toMOELP for approval to proceedwith the site clean-up.

The cost to WFP for MOELPto review and approve the reportwas $12,500.

Phase IIIOnce MOELP accepted the

Phase II results and approvedthe plan, the actual dirt work(remediation) could begin.

Before digging up any contami-nated soil, we conferred with the con-sultants to make several decisions:• How much soil did we expect

to remediate?Once all the test results were

in, we expected to treat between7,000 to 10,000m3 of soil (up to625 truckloads).• Where could bio-remediation

cells be properly constructed?The Kimsquit Operation had a

1,000-metre airstrip close to camp(100 metres away). To avoid futureliability problems, the airstrip wasscheduled to be deactivated. Wetherefore decided that the air stripwould be an excellent area closeby on which to construct thebiocells.• What equipment would

we need?To address concerns from MoF

and MOELP as well as local FirstNations, 43 kilometres of ForestService Road had to be deacti-vated with MoF funding. Having thedeactivation equipment on-siteallowed us to use equipment effi-ciently. When there was a slow

period in road deactivation,the equipment moved to campremediation at WFP’s cost.We found, however, that the campjob would need substantially moreequipment than forecasted.• How much would the

program cost?In every project it is necessary

to have a budget. But the problemwith soil remediation is that untilyou know what the extent of thecontamination is, it is virtuallyimpossible to estimate the cost.

The estimates fordecommissioning the tank farmalone ranged from $40,000 to$135,000, depending on whatthe consultant was required todo. Tank farms are very expensiveto decommission, since all tanksmust be emptied, washed out,cut-up and transported for disposal.All liquids accumulated during thewashing must be recovered andsent to a hazardous wastedisposal facility.

In the case of Kimsquit, every-thing had to be barged 250 miles

to the nearest scrap yard and 350miles to the nearest waste facility.

Once the soil remediationbegan, we had to keep digging ateach site until contamination metacceptable levels for an industrialsite.

In total 12,000m3 of soil wasplaced in biocells, constructedalong both sides of the airstrip.Biocells have an impermeablebottom liner to eliminate the possi-bility of contaminating another siteand a waterproof top cover. Forsoil microbes to work properly, theymust not have too much water, thetemperature must be above 10° Cand they need nitrogen. Contami-nated soil was placed in the cells inlayers with a high-nitrogen fertilizer.In total, we used 8 tons of fertilizer.

On completion of the project, wehad constructed biocells coveringthe entire length and width of bothsides of the airstrip (40m x 1000m).

Visible hydrocarbon stains in marshalling yard photo: Corby Lamb

continued as Kimsquit, page 11

EnvironmentPage 4 • Volume 3, Issue 2

Forestry operations havebecome more complex. We seesmaller block sizes, reserve areas,single trees or groups left standing,and varying harvest methods.Amidst all these complexitiesthere remains the golden ruleof the woods: safety is first.

Recently, a coastal forest com-pany was fined $30,000 for leavinga wildlife tree within an activeforestry operation. The veteranDouglas-fir tree was alive with arelatively small dead spike-top andgrowth burls (possibly blind conksof Fomes pini). Because the com-pany had failed to properly assessthe tree for hazards, this defect treewas considered, by default, to bea dangerous tree. Despite its goodintentions to protect a valuablewildlife tree, the company failed tofollow current Danger Tree Assess-ment procedures, and Workers’Compensation Board cited themunder Occupational Health andSafety Regulation 26.21(1) forbypassing a dangerous tree.

In April 1998, WCB Regulationsreplaced the word “snag” with“dangerous tree.” Workers need tobe watchful for both snags and livetrees that may have dangerousdefects. Any defective trees (livingor dead) within or adjacent to aworksite must be assessed bya qualified danger tree assessor.If the tree is safe, then it must bemarked (by paint, flag, shallowblaze, or tag) to communicate toworkers that it was assessed andfound to be a safe tree.

When forestry workers encoun-ter live trees that are planned forretention (such as the vet fir treenoted above), or a tree with signsof wildlife use (such as a bear den,

feeding or nesting cavities) andtheir plan states to keep these treesstanding, what should workers do?

First and foremost, ask yourself,“Is the tree safe to leave standing?”If the tree is defective, a qualifiedperson must assess it, and the treemarked if found to be safe. Other-wise, the tree is dangerous.

Review your plans or ask yoursupervisor to clarify the danger treeprocedures. According to DangerTree Assessment procedures,when you discover a dangeroustree, you have only three possiblechoices of action:• Remove the tree.• Remove the dangerous part

of the tree.• Install a No Work Zone to protect

workers from the danger treeSo the next time you discover a

wildlife or culturally significant tree,or a defect tree within your work-

Wildlife Tree or Danger Tree—What To Do?by Dean McGeough, RPF

site, and the plan requires you toleave the tree standing, assess thetree and follow the appropriatesafety procedures.

One last word: bear in mindthat company planners shouldwork with fallers to assess retentionclumps or falling boundaries—safety remains our #1 concern.

Hot Name Will Win Cool Cash!During the development of the WFP Environment Management

System (EMS) over the past two years, we have noted that methods ofrecording WFP activities and agency directives have varied widely fromregion to region. During the ISO registration audits, QMI observed thisinconsistency and requested that WFP either clarify the process foreach region in writing or develop a single recording system. The Envi-ronment Review Committee recommended and the Senior ManagementTeam has agreed that a single WFP recording system is the best ap-proach for our company and supports our pursuit of due diligence.

To that end, we have hired Forsite Consultants to work on combiningthe best features of the two current recording systems into a singlesystem over the next 3–4 months. The new computerized system willbe incorporated in all operations. This system will be used to track allthe activities and obligations that occur on blocks, roads and bridges.It will also provide staff with information on the status of permit approv-als, volumes, and inspection results.

Work has already begun on this project, but the system still needsa name—and we’re willing to pay cold, hard cash for it. One hundredbucks goes to the wordsmith who can come up with a name for thesystem. The contest is open to all staff and employees of WFP. Sendyour suggestion to Heidi Walsh in the Vancouver office, or by email tohwalsh@westernforest.com, by August 31, 2000. Remember, the nameshould reflect that the system will be used to track our forestry activities.Members of the Environmental Review Committee will select the win-ning entry in early September.

“Widowmaker” danger tree

Environment Volume 3, Issue 2 • Page 5

Contrary to perception, anylogging job, from road buildingto falling to processing, can bea complex activity. It’s not just amatter of going into a setting, doinga job, and then leaving. A lot ofthought and planning must go intoany of these tasks, and to minimizethe possibility of legal troubles latershould something go wrong, it is agood idea to develop standardoperating procedures (“SOPs”).

What are SOPs? They arewritten versions of the best wayto undertake a logging activity,and every company should havethem or follow ones given to them.For example, if a culvert or bridgeis to be installed in the course ofroad building, an SOP should existthat explains to the installer howthe work is to be done, what to lookfor when doing the work, and whatto do if something unexpected isencountered in the field.

Logging activities in the pasthave been carried out by veryexperienced crews who neededno written instructions on how tocarry out their tasks. But under theForest Practices Code, the daysof the “oral tradition” in loggingare long gone. Carrying on logging

without the benefit of SOPs simplymakes you look disorganized, andcan lead to trouble should you faceenforcement action under the Code.

SOPs do two essential things:they reduce the possibility of infrac-tions of the Code, and if infractionsoccur they can help to demonstrateyou were duly diligent and theincident happened beyond yourcontrol. In either case (but espe-cially the first), SOPs can save youa lot of money because they act asa preventative mechanism to avoidtrouble later.

The days of the‘oral tradition’in logging arelong gone.Carrying onlogging withoutthe benefit ofSOPs simplymakes you lookdisorganized, andcan lead to troubleshould you faceenforcementaction underthe Code.

SOPs should be developedwith significant input from the mostexperienced staff members in yourcompany, and they should be keptcurrent as practices change. Theyshould be given to all operatorswith adequate and recurring train-ing to ensure they will be followed(there’s nothing worse than an out-of-date SOP that sits unused in abinder in the office). The appropri-ate SOPs should be reviewed withfield crews prior to the start of eachjob to ensure they are followed(or departed from only with good

Watch for newly-updated SOPs!

Three years after our firstStandard Operating Proceduresin 1997, we have made updatesto all SOPs to better reflect thechanges in practices, inputreceived from numerous opera-tions, regulation changes, andto replace outdated procedures.Watch for the newly-updatedSOPs. Our grateful thanks to allthose who contributed valuablesuggestions or assisted byreviewing the changes.

Standard Operating Procedures Vital Due Diligence Toolsby Paul Cassidy, Blake, Cassels and Graydon

reason, which should bedocumented).

SOPs do twoessential things:they reduce thepossibility ofinfractions of theCode, and theycan help to dem-onstrate you wereduly diligent andthe incident hap-pened beyondyour control.

If possible, it’s a good ideato write your SOPs in simple lan-guage and, where feasible, to keepthem to one page each. Severalcompanies even plasticize them(for weather-proofing in field use)and put them in each operator’svehicle.

Paul Cassidy is a lawyer withBlake, Cassels and Graydon,who specializes in resource man-agement and environmental law.

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EnvironmentPage 6 • Volume 3, Issue 2

Since 1997 WFP’s StandardOperating Procedures have beenhelping the company, its workers,and its contractors maintain a highlevel of compliance with forestlegislation in all “higher risk” activi-ties. SOPs for Minor Forest Prod-ucts are extremely important toestablish the company’s due dili-gence in the event of contraven-tions related to cutting outside ofapproved boundaries. This recentexample of how SOPs and goodrecords helped us in handling acontravention within the ZeballosOperation reaffirm their importance.

The contraventionsOn March 15th this year, WFP

discovered a possible trespass bya longtime shake operator withinTFL 19 of the Zeballos ForestOperation. WFP inspection foundan area of cutting outside theobvious timber boundary. Eight to

ten trees were cut up and the woodhad been flown to the road. Severalsaplings had also been cut anddamaged. WFP personnel tookphotos and measured the woodon the road, approximating thevolume at 30–35m3. At this point,WFP personnel seized the wood,then spray-painted “DO NOTREMOVE—WFP” on the groundin three locations.

As Operations Forester for thearea, I then contacted Bill Dumont(WFP’s Chief Forester) for direc-tion. Bill recommended that I reportthe situation to the MoF as soonas possible. I contacted the compli-ance and enforcement officer forthe Zeballos operation, and seta date for an on-site inspection.

The shake operator said thatthe workers in the area felt theywere not in violation; however, headmitted that the cutting wasobviously outside the boundary.

The operator agreed that all hisemployees had either undergoneWFP SOP training or he had re-viewed the SOPs with each worker.He could offer no further explana-tion. And at this time he reported aseparate possible trespass that hehad recently discovered in anotheroperating area.

The MoF inspection andinvestigation

On March 17th, Complianceand Enforcement (C&E) officersfrom Campbell River MoF held ameeting at WFP office with me andthe Operations Engineer. We askedif this was an inspection or aninvestigation. C&E officials repliedthat they needed more informationto determine that, but would treatthe procedure as in similar caseswhere a third party had reporteda potential violation. We asked theofficials to clearly indicate at whatpoint WFP was being investigated.We reviewed our findings andoutlined the provisions within theWFP SOPs and Minor ProductsOperating Agreement to establishWFP diligence. We also stated thatWFP had recently conducted asecond SOP training course (onFebruary 8, 2000) with all thesalvage crews working in the TFL.Recent inspections of shake opera-tors’ operating areas were found tobe in compliance.

Inspection at site #1:The operator explained that twoinexperienced splitters were work-ing under the direction of a cutterwho had packed up and left townovernight. The operator explainedthat the cutter had been givenSOP training and was fully awareof where the boundary was. Thesplitters said that they had ques-tioned the cutter on several occa-sions about whether they were

SOPs and Good Records Worth the Effortin Zeballos Contraventionby Doug Folkins, RPF, Operations Forester, Zeballos Forest Operation

MoF C&E Officer Henry Grierson stamping seized blocksphoto: D. Folkins

Environment Volume 3, Issue 2 • Page 7

inside the line, and that each timethe cutter told them that they were.The C&E officers asked the opera-tor and the splitters to meet atthe WFP office for one-on-oneinterviews.

C&E officers took photos ofeach of the cut-up trees and thesurrounding standing timber ineach case. We took photos forWFP as well. The wood that wasflown to the road was photo-graphed, measured, and markedwith seizure signs. A large percent-age of the blocks were stampedwith the forest service hammer mark.

Inspection at site #2: We andthe officials walked up an S5stream where cutting within the 10-metre “No Cut” zone had occurred.We crossed the flagged pink lineand photographed 5 cut-up logswithin the proposed cut block Z105(SP was approved). More photoswere taken of damaged regen andcuttings in the creek. As before, thewood that was flown to the roadwas photographed, measured, andmarked with seizure signs. A largepercentage of the blocks werestamped with the forest service

hammer mark.C&E officers then conducted

individual interviews with the opera-tor and the splitters involved at theWFP office.

Wrap-up meeting: The C&Eofficers said that they could notperceive any faults caused byWFP. They said that they feltWFP’s diligence was more thanadequate in both cases, and that

the MoF would notrequire copies of WFP’srecords, since we werenot being investigated.

C&E officers felt thatthe shake operator hadexpressed a good atti-tude in that he admittedhis mistakes and wantedto move forward. Theoperator had shownrecords to establishpartial diligence. How-ever, officers felt that hissupervision was lacking.

The shake operatorand cutters involved inthe violations wereissued tickets.

Since WFP is the licensee holder,the C&E officers said that WFPwould be able to deal with thecontractor internally, as long asany discipline was in line with thefollowing MoF goals:• Stumpage is paid.• The action is stopped.• Preventative measures are

established.

Concluding remarksAdministration of Minor Forest

Product salvage operating agree-ments, pre-work meetings, onsiteSOP reviews, SOP training, blockinspections, scaling and cuttingapproval administration can oftenbe a considerable time strain onWFP staff. The importance ofmaintaining proper records andfollowing the SOPs may sometimesbe lost amongst the mountain ofpaper. However, as we found atZeballos, when problems arise,maintaining good records andfollowing SOPs are of paramountimportance in establishing duediligence.

Log cut outside the harvest boundary, TFL 19 photo: D. Folkins

MoF C&E Officer Russell Boucher establishingsize on illegally cut log photo: D. Folkins

Page 8 • Volume 3, Issue 2

ISO 14001 Certificate PresEnviro

by Sandy Lavigne, Coordinator, Environmental ProgramsOn May 3, 2000, WFP held ceremonies in Vancouver, Campbell

River, Gold River, Zeballos and Port McNeill to present the ISO 14001registration certificates to staff, employees and contractors.

Vice President Vic Woods and Lead Auditor Peter Johnson of Qual-ity Management Institute (QMI) presented the certificates confirmingthat the company has been granted ISO 14001 registration throughoutall our coastal forest operations following a thorough audit and reviewof our Environmental Management System (EMS). The registrationaudit, conducted in February, included interviews with numerousoperational personnel and looked at forestry and harvesting systems.

Awarding the individual operations certificates recognized their 18months of dedication in implementing the EMS throughout the entirecompany. This included extensive training of all personnel in environ-mental awareness, setting up an internal audit team, and regular meet-ings of environment committees in all company and contractor camps.

ISO 14001 is an international standard of environmental excellence,based on a commitment to continual improvement. Targets for environ-mental performance have been set for maintaining air, soil and waterquality; annual internal audits confirm our progress in relation to thesetargets.

This important initiative is a major milestone for WFP. Said Woods,“This certification confirms our continued commitment to managing ourforests in an environmentally-responsible way and shows our interna-tional customers that we are meeting the highest environmental stand-ard in our day-to-day forest activities.”

WFP’s registration to ISO 14001 is one of the largest and mostcomprehensive audits in North America. QMI’s Johnson noted that“the audit results confirmed WFP’s thorough and effective EMS atall levels of the organization.”

L to R: Rick McRae, Graham Lasure, Berni Clark, Gary Griffith, Andy Hansen,Jim Cox, Ivan Amos, Helen Wallace, Mickey Brown, NVIR

L to R: Brendan Mo

Back row L to R: Paul Turner, Dave MogenDaryl Stewart, Murray Watkinson, Joel DuMiddle row L to R: Berni Zimmerman, Kim Joe Schluchter, John Halusiak, Chris BicknDavidson, Jim Dunn; Front row: Jim NewmMainland/Islands

l to r: Peter Johnson, CMI, Vic WooJim Cox, Gio Alberti

sented to WFP – Well Done!

Volume 3, Issue 2 • Page 9onment

NVIR Regional Man-ager, Gary Griffith

ohan, Daniel Gachter, Jim Basha

L to R: Vic Woods, Sandy Lavigne, Dan Jepsen,Bill Dumont, Head Office

Back row L to R: John Crowhurst, Bob Dunn, Dan Jepsen, Peter Johnson;Front row L to R: Gregor MacIntosh, Lane Thornton, Doug Folkins, Phil Fenn,Pearl Myhres, Vic Woods, Rick Osmond, Bill Dumont, Zeballos

nsen, Roger Wade,umaresq Christensen,nell, Patrick

man,

Sharon Moffat, PurchasingManager, Vic WoodsCentral Warehouse

ods,

L to R: Trevor Boniface, Bob Craven, John McLaughlin,Mark Kenny, John Costin, Gerry Fraser, John Waring,Kevin Sommerville, Graham Hues Nootka Region

Page 10 • Volume 3, Issue 2 Environment

Since we have received anumber of inquiries about properstorage and mop-up techniquesin the event of jet fuel spills,I thought it timely to providean update of the issues.

StorageThere is little guidance in the

legislation on the proper storageof the 45-gallon drums of jet fuelproducts in helicopter fuel transferareas. WFP requires that storageand transfer of jet fuel productsmeets with the company’s yellowCommon SOPs card, which clearlystates our policies on using petro-leum products, for example, “Don’tdump gas or oil anywhere, don’tstore petroleum in an RMA, andwhen you see an emergency likea fuel spill, follow the WFP emer-gency procedures and tell yoursupervisor as soon as possible.”

Storage areasshould be locatedboth 1) as farfrom RMAs aspossible and2) where theyare least likely tosuffer collisiondamage fromvehicles.

We are all aware that there is awell-recognized procedure for drumstorage: helicopter pilots mustensure the drums are stored ontheir sides to reduce the possibilityof the water contamination thatresults from the water accumulatingon the drum’s top if it’s storedupright. This informal policy com-plies with the current legislationregarding storage of 45-gallon

Guidelines for Helicopter Fuel Storage and Mop-upby Dan Jepsen, Manager, Aboriginal Affairs and Environment

drums. Secondary containment isnot required for 45-gallon drums.However, storage areas should belocated both 1) as far from RMAsas possible and 2) where they areleast likely to suffer collision dam-age from vehicles. Old fuel anddamaged drums should be dis-posed of in the appropriate matter.

The environmentis important, butsafety remainsour number-onepriority.

Mop-upJet fuel and regular gas are

very volatile. Pay special attentionto their proper mop-up in the eventof a spill. Your first priority is thesafety of personnel, and second,the protection of property.

Although you must reduce spillsand drips, and mop up small quan-tities of fuel, generally the propermethod of responding to thesetypes of spills is to keep the fuelaway from personnel and propertyand allow it to evaporate. Usingpads or constructing berms torestrict or contain spills is toodangerous for these types of fuel.

In spill training, the Coast Guarduses a test scenario where theyask what you would do in the caseof a Jet “B” spill to water adjacentto a barge facility. Most peoplefall into the trap of suggesting thatcontainment booms be launchedand an effort made to contain andmop up the spill. But this is com-pletely incorrect. The recom-mended response is to ensurethe slick is kept away from thebarge by using a fire hose setto a fine spray.

Please keep this example inmind when using the more volatilefuels like Jet “A” and “B” and regu-lar gas. The environment is impor-tant, but safety remains ournumber-one priority.

Lewey Da Loser says....“Remember, the number one causeof injury in the woods is slips andfalls. Plan ahead, check yourfooting, think ‘Safety’!”

Cartoons by Heather Brown

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Hazardous Wasteby Heidi Walsh, RPF

The Waste Disposal Program isone of the environmental programsunder WFP’s Environmental Man-agement System. Its goal is todispose of any hazardous waste inWFP operations by December 31,2000. This includes surplus wastesnot currently disposed of throughthe regular waste disposal channels.

Environment Volume 3, Issue 2 • Page 11

“Being reminded that slips andfalls are the number one causeof injuries in the woods is effectiveonly if YOU make the effort to planahead, check your footing, andthink ‘Safety’!”

Does Your Operation Havean Environment Committee?by Heidi Walsh, RPF, Assistant, Environmental Programs

Kimsquit, continued from page 3

And it’s not over yet . . .Decommissioning Kimsquit took

four months to complete, at morethan $600,000. The largest amountof contaminate was found underthe marshalling yard. Approxi-mately 7,000 m3 of soil was re-moved from the site.

Everyone should remember thatparking a vehicle or piece of equip-ment in the same spot day afterday can have a negative potentialcumulative impact on the environ-ment. Leaks need to be addressedimmediately to prevent the samesituation elsewhere.

And the $600,000 spent sofar is not the end of this project.For the next 3 to 5 years, theKimsquit bio cells will have to beturned over and re-fertilized annu-ally, at an approximate cost of$50,000. Each year a consultanthas to take readings and submita report to MOELP.

In future, camp decommissioningshould be minor, requiring one smallbiocell, at a fraction of the cost—pro-viding we all learn from experience.

Operations EnvironmentalCommittees are a crucial part ofthe EMS, providing the opportunityfor all employees and contractorsto assess WFP’s environmentalperformance. They identify poten-tial environmental issues in anoperation, provide feedback,and suggest solutions topotential issues.

All working operations musthave a committee and meet

quarterly (March, June, September,and December). It’s vital that thesecommittees are set up and working,since they provide important feed-back about how well WFP is per-forming on the ground, and thuskey to maintaining our ISO Certifi-cation. Your input is welcome, soif you’re interested or have issues,please see the manager of youroperation for information.

Facts andArguments

• With every turn of the secondhand on your watch, the world’spopulation increases by 3. Thatmeans our planet must supportanother 93 million people everyyear. The United Nations predictsglobal demand for forest prod-ucts will increase at the rate of86 million cubic metres annually.BC harvests less than 80 millioncubic metres per year.

• Not all forests are equal. About220,000 hectares of forest landis harvested each year in BC.To produce an equivalent volumeof wood from Siberia, about 1.76million hectares would have to beharvested; in the Amazon, about11 million hectares.

• Lumber production is cleanerthan its alternatives. To manufac-ture steel studs results in 40times more harmful effluents and3 times more carbon dioxideemissions than manufacturingwooden 2x4 studs.

Water Facts

• Canadians use, on average,390 litres of water per day—about twice as much as theaverage European.

• A tap that drips once everysecond wastes about 10,000litres of water per year.

Disposal Program

Earlier this year, a request foran inventory of these wastes wassent to all WFP operations. Withtheir help, a final inventory wascompiled and work to dispose ofthese wastes by our deadline iswell on its way. Thanks to all whoare helping to make this happen.

Page 12 • Volume 3, Issue 2 Environment

As a result of vandalism atWestern Forest Products’ SaanichForestry Centre last fall, and morerecently at the Ministry of Forests’Saanich Seed Orchard, morepeople have been asking whatthe forest tree breeding and seedproduction program is about. Thevandals apparently thought that thetrees, gene archives, and seedorchards that they destroyed anddamaged were genetically modified.

But they were terribly mistaken.And as a result some of WFP’sreforestation efforts and researchprograms have been set back byas much as 5–7 years.

What are the real facts?Tree breeding is not genetic

modification. Breeding identifiesand selects naturally-occurringcharacteristics from the geneticvariation in natural forests. It doesnot introduce new genes or modifyexisting ones.

In contrast, genetic engineeringcreates genetically-modified organ-

isms (GMOs) by introducing foreignDNA into the natural genetic mate-rial of the product. No GMOs areused to reforest any Crown lands.

WFP has been involved inprograms to improve the quality ofseedlings available for reforestationprojects for more than 30 years.These include studies of diseaseand insect resistance, growth rate,stem form, and wood quality. Why?In all the species of interest to ourcompany, there are high levels ofvariation in each of these traits inwild stands. The tree improvementprograms for each species selectnumerous individual trees fromacross the landscape forbreeding programs.

In the early years of the pro-grams, foresters selected “plustrees” having good growth andform, which generally means theyhave good resistance to pests anddiseases. Wood quality continuesto be monitored in these selections.Selections of “plus trees” continue

in species such as Sitka spruce,many of which have natural resist-ance to weevils, and in westernwhite pine, which have naturalresistance to blister rust.

Further tree improvement pro-grams have helped solve problemslike “in-breeding depression.” Thisis the result of the natural breedingstrategy of conifers. Trees growingadjacent to one another are oftenclosely related; they may resultfrom seed produced by a singletree. Pollen from these adjacenttrees has a much greater probabil-ity of reaching the cones of immedi-ate neighbours than of reachingand effectively pollinating coneson more distant trees. Thoughmany species reject self-pollinationthrough various means, once theydetect a threshold of difference inneighbouring trees, pollination willproceed.

Vandals Mistook Natural Selections for GMOsby Annette Van Niejenhuis, Tree Improvement and Research Coordinator, Saanich Forestry Centre

Georgina Dampier, Forest Techni-cian, Sannich Forestry Centre

Kathy Brown, Sannich Forestry Centre

Environment Volume 3, Issue 2 • Page 13

The orchard system allowsgrowers to choose individual treesthat are different from each otherand replicate them through grafting.Because near neighbours will havelittle chance of being near relatives,a well-designed orchard removesin-breeding depression. Not only isthis a benefit in producing timber,but it also increases the numberof seeds per cone in many cases.Where in-breeding is prevalent,seed yields, seed germinationrates, and seedling performanceare low.

Only naturalreproductiveprocesses areused to produceseed in our or-chards. At no timein the history ofthe orchard treeshave they beensubject to geneticengineering orDNA tampering.

Removing in-breeding depres-sion can be accomplished bysimply selecting one tree at randomfrom stands separated by a fewthousand metres. However, torealize additional gains, we alsoconsider the performance of theselected trees.

For example, consider a hem-lock stand of one hectare wherethe mean annual increment is 10cubic metres a year. If 1,000 hem-lock were contributing to thatannual increment, each tree con-tributes 1/1,000th of the volume.When you walk through the hem-lock stand, it becomes very appar-ent that some trees are contributingmore than their share, while othersare contributing less. Selecting theindividual trees that produce more

than their share and replicatingthem in the orchards throughgrafting leads to an orchard fullof high-performing trees. Thoughnot all the offspring of these high-performers will produce at thislevel, they will on average out-perform the progeny of trees thatcontribute less than their share tothe mean annual increment of thestand. This is the premise underly-ing choosing trees for orchards.All selections included in the seedorchards are tested to confirm thatthey are truly “plus trees.”

Where possible, seed for en-hanced regeneration of WFP’smanaged forests comes from seedorchards. Regulations stipulate thisas part of the Forest Practices Code.

However, not all seedlings resultfrom seed collected in seed or-chards. Seed transfer guidelineslimit the area each orchard canserve. So an orchard developed forhemlock on Vancouver Island willnot produce seed for regenerationon the north coast. And a redcedarorchard developed for low eleva-tions on Vancouver Island will notproduce seed for use above 600m.

Two species of significantinterest to WFP that do not produce

seed in orchards are balsam andcypress. We take wild seed collec-tions periodically to meet our needsin these species. WFP favoursstecklings for enhanced regenera-tion of cypress. Research contin-ues in these species to determinea strategy to overcome the seedproduction obstacles.

Tree breeding isnot genetic modi-fication. Breedingidentifies andselects naturally-occurring charac-teristics from thegenetic variationin natural forests.It does notintroduce newgenes or modifyexisting ones.

At the Saanich Forestry Centreand at our former Lost Lake SeedOrchard, seed crops are managedfor western redcedar, westernhemlock, Sitka spruce, and Doug-las-fir. Activities include grafting

continued as Saanich, page 15

WFP Public Forest Tours Are BackThe North Island Forestry Centre, sponsored by WFP, Canfor,

Weyerhaeuser, Interfor and TimberWest, is running free tours for thepublic in July and August. The weekday tours give us a chance toshowcase our operations. Debbie Anderson, Manager of the ForestryCentre, says the tours show everything imaginable: “They meet thefallers, they’ll see clearcuts, they’ll see old growth and second growth,fertilizing. We show the good and the bad, and it’s a long day.” Plan toinvite your family and friends to visit or take a tour. Bookings can bemade by calling the Forestry Centre at (250) 956–3844.

Don’t forget other sites of interest—call the Saanich Forestry Centreat (250) 652–4023 to arrange for a tour of their tree breeding and seedproduction programs. Tours are available to WFP personnel and con-tractors. Tours are also running at Gold River. Contact the Tourist Infor-mation Centre at (250) 283–2418 for more information.

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Page 14 • Volume 3, Issue 2 Environment

Western Pulp has two pulpmills, one located in Port Aliceand one in Squamish, each ofwhich produce two different prod-ucts. Port Alice is a dissolving milland Squamish a Kraft mill. Dissolv-ing pulp is used in various specialtyproducts from rayon fabric, explo-sives, and lacquers, to acetates.Kraft pulp, although it has somespecialty applications, is mainlya commodity product, like lumber.

The Squamish mill producesNBSK (Northern BleachedSoftwood Kraft pulp). NBSK isconsidered a long fibre pulp andis valued for its strength. Paper-makers usually add 20 to 30% longfibre into their product for strength.These long fibres can be easilyseen with the naked eye: take apiece of normal photocopy paperand tear it. Closely examine thetorn edge. You will notice somefibres longer than others; theselonger fibres are the softwoodportion of the paper. NBSKfibres are normally around2.5 to 3mm long.

The commodity market forNBSK is strong. Prices have risenfrom a low of $460 US/ton in Marchof 1999 to $670 US/ton in April of2000, a 45% price increase inabout a year. It’s a big change fromthe 1990s, when there was onlyone strong year in 1995. BrianFallows, Vice President of Market-ing at WP, has said, “The renewedstrength in the pulp prices coupledwith the major efforts to improvethe environmental performanceand achieve ISO certification aremajor marketing advantages forthe Western Pulp products in theglobal marketplace.”

The mill’s main markets are inEurope (35%) and the Pacific Rim(55%). With our unique location inHowe Sound (there are no roadsor railroads to the mill), very littleproduct is sent to North America.It’s cheaper to have deep-seavessels arrive directly at the mill forloading, than transfer pulp to Van-couver for rail transportation withinNorth America. All mill employees(plus equipment and supplies) mustarrive to the mill by ferry each day.

The Squamish mill first startedin 1914, and has gone underseveral modifications since then.The mill went through a moderniza-tion project in 1986. It was de-signed to produce 623 tons/day.The mill is now averaging 795 tons/day, over 25% more than its designcapacity. Small projects and proc-ess “de-bottlenecking” haveachieved this gain. Production rateis one of the main measures of howa mill is performing. Says DaveIngram, mill Manager, “I am verypleased at the hard work and

dedication of our mill workers inpushing the performance of ourmill—this is truly a major accom-plishment. Chart 1 shows howSquamish has increased its pro-duction year over year.

Western Pulp Squamish Operationby Steve Sutherland, Manager, Technical Marketing, Western Pulp Squamish Operation

Steve Sutherland worked for threeyears as Assistant ProductionSuperintendent of the WoodfibreMill before becoming the Technicaland Environmental Manager in1996. Since 1999, he has workedas Manager of Technical Marketing.

Chart 1 Squamish Production—Daily Average

624

671 675 675

690700

684

712722

704

744752

761

800

600

650

700

750

800

850

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000ytd

Pro

du

ctio

n t

on

s/d

ay

Design

Environment Volume 3, Issue 2 • Page 15

Saanich, continued from page 13

and propagating orchard treesof known origin and rank, doingreproductive bud surveys to deter-mine the proportion of contributionof each individual to the seed yield,managing pollen to decrease in-breeding rates and increase thecontribution of high-ranking indi-viduals to the crop, and seedharvesting. These are all traditionalbreeding practices; only naturalreproductive processes are usedto produce seed in our orchards.

At no time in the history of theorchard trees have they beensubject to genetic engineering orDNA tampering. Most of the geneticdiversity of these species is cap-tured in the seed and breedingorchards. By selecting numerous“plus-trees” from across the rangeof these species, most genes arerepresented. As further selectionstake place among the original plus-trees, a few more genes may beremoved from the seed orchards.However, with the number of re-serves established across thelandscape, it is unlikely that anygenes are being removed from thegene pool. All original selectionshave been replicated in gene banksaround the province.

All seed is registered with theMinistry of Forests and stored.The shelf life of each seed cropdepends on the quality of the seedand the species. Seed of mostspecies remains viable for yearswhen stored under ideal conditions.

Why not come and see foryourself? The Saanich ForestryCentre welcomes all WFP person-nel and contractors to visit ourfacilities on the Saanich Peninsula.Just give us a call beforehandat (250) 652–4023 to confirm thatone of our staff can give you a tour.

Squamish came under consid-erable environmental pressure inthe 1980s and early ‘90s. With themill rebuild in 1986 and a newsecondary treatment plant installedin 1992, the mill’s environmentalrecord has been excellent. Thetwo charts below give an indicationof how well the Squamish mill isperforming environmentally. Chart2 shows the mill’s AOX (chlorinatedcompounds) discharge. Thepresent level of only 0.5 kg/ton iswell below the provincial regulationof 1.5 kg/ton. Chart 3 shows BOD,Biochemical Oxygen Demand.

BOD gives an indication of howmuch oxygen the mill’s effluentwill consume, thus competing withother organisms in the environmentthat require oxygen. The mill’s BODdischarge is 1.0 kg/ton, again wellbelow the provincial regulation of7.5 kg/ton.

Squamish mill achieved its ISO9000 certificate (quality standard)in 1993 and ISO 14001 in 1999.We’re very proud of both of theseachievements. And with Kraftpulp prices rising and productionhigh, we’re looking forward toa strong 2000.

Chart 2 Squamish Mill AOX Discharge

Chart 3 Squamish Mill BOD Discharge

34 34

29

25

20.9

2.2 2 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.2 1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

BO

D k

g/t

on

Provincial Standard 7.5 kg/ton

6.0

4.5

3.0

2.5

1.8 1.71.5 1.4

1.0 0.90.5 0.5

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

AO

X k

g/t

on

Provincial Standard 1.5 kg/ton

Page 16 • Volume 3, Issue 2 Environment

A blessing ceremony performedlast November by cultural leadersfrom the Mowachaht/MuchalahtFirst Nation marked the successfulcompletion of a 4-year project tocomplete a new spawning channelnear Gold River. Located at themouth of Oktwanch River whereit empties into Muchalaht Lake,this innovative groundwater-fedchannel is giving new life to thoseMuchalaht Lake salmon popu-lations that use the Oktwanch Riverfor spawning and rearing habitat.

“This project will finally allow theMuchalaht Lake sockeye, coho,and chinook stock to rebuild,” saidBill Dumont, WFP Chief Forester.“While the salmon have years ofrecovery ahead of them, we areone very important step closer toreturning stable spawning andrearing habitats to the watershed.”

Then $300,000 spawning chan-nel was a WFP project, supportedwith Forest Renewal BC funding,started four years ago when thepotential renewal of the OktwanchRiver fish habitat was first exam-ined. The project was initiated byCanfor, then reassigned to WFP.

Fisheries and Oceans Canadaand Forest Renewal BC had recog-nized that the river’s fish habitatwould benefit from a restorationproject. However, further studyshowed that due to increased peakflows, reduced woody debris, andaccelerated sediment delivery, theriver would be unable to supportlarge-scale salmon spawning forsome time. Fisheries biologistsfrom Fisheries and Oceans Canadaand the Nuu-chah-nulth TribalCouncil determined that a solutionto saving the runs rested in enlarg-ing a small side channel to the west

of the main river. This newly-enlarged channel, converted to agroundwater-fed system, providesstable spawning and rearing areasthat are protected from the chang-ing dynamics of the river.

The natural side channel thatexisted before the WFP work wasof uncertain value. Juvenile cohosalmon that over-wintered weregenerally dying as their rearingpools evaporated during the springand summer months. In addition,the channel water exited via 2–3separate sub-channels at the lowerend of the main channel. Theseexits often dried up during thesummer and early autumn months,preventing juvenile salmon fromentering and exiting the lake. Muchwork was needed on the channelto ensure survival of eggs and fry.

Site work began during thespring of 1998, and was completedin August 1999. In total, 28 peopleworked on the project, includingcontractors, members of theMowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation,Fisheries and Oceans Canada, theBC Ministry of Lands, Environmentand Parks, and WFP staff.

Work began by excavating thechannel bed down to 1m below thegroundwater table in summer,when water levels were lowest.This ensured year-round water flowfor both spawning and rearing. Inaddition, digging the mouth of thenew channel low enough to existdirectly into the lake in all seasonsensured access between channeland lake. The lower sub-channelswere cleared and access to oldbeaver ponds nearby secured forsummer and juvenile rearing areas.

The bulk of the channel workwas carried out before spawning

was due to start in July and August.The 1.4 km-long spawning

channel incorporates the newestfish habitat management tech-niques and research. It mimics anatural stream by providing calmrearing areas for fry, log and roottangles where fish can hide frompredators, and graveled areas forspawning. Ferns, salmon berry,maple, and alder will provide cover-age on the banks, and assist withrestricting access to the streamby large animals and people.The long, raised berm protectsthe channel from the nearby river.

Other fish habitat improvementsproposed for the Oktwanch Riverinclude gravel bar stabilization,another spawning channel projecton the opposite valley wall, forcepools, and large woody debriscover in the main river. It is ex-pected that the river’s main fishspawning and rearing zones willgradually recover.

The Oktwanch channel will beused primarily by sockeye, cohoand chinook salmon, and mayalso assist cutthroat trout and DollyVarden char. Oktwanch comes fromthe Nuu-chah-nulth word Okwasht,which means “smoking salmon.”

Forest Renewal BC chair RogerStanyer has pointed out that since1994, Forest Renewal has investedalmost $350 million to restorewatersheds across BC. “Assess-ments have been completed in860 watersheds. Restoration effortshave been completed in 150 water-sheds, and some restoration hasbeen done in 320 watersheds.This significant restoration effortis generating employment in localcommunities, supporting waterquality, and protecting fish species.”

Oktwanch Spawning Channel Openafter Completion of 4-Year Project