100% Correct!The Western Spruce Bud Worm is what is causing the local top kill in higher elevation Douglas Fir stands. Fir beetle often follows as they can attack stressed out trees more successfully when they cannot ‘pitch out’ the attack.
Most stands around communities are not available for harvest because of Visual Quality Objectives/Areas (legislated); this is creating a build up of fuel near communities, and isolating viable, sustainable harvest of second growth stands. Most communities vote down stand management for fire proofing the urban interface because it involves cutting trees…… then those communities burn and the media quotes climate change…..
Forest companies spray herbicide because the government has legislated that a conifer crop be established as ‘Free to Grow’ which means the conifer saplings must meet a target stems per hectare of a preferable species and a minimum height and be 125-150% in hieght from competing deciduous in 3/4 quadrants from 1m of the crown around the coniferous tree.
Steven Guilbeaut, Minister of Environment etc….. in conjunction with Wilderness Committee is attempting to turn all of the Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) for the spotted owl to critically listed and cease 80% of the logging in South-West BC; they know of a single Spotted owl in the Stein Valley. MOE was culling barred owls a few years back and accidentally killed a mated pair of spotted owls (my guess was this happened in the Skagit Valley, im not sure, but slowly this has been acknowledged through loose lips) Washington/Oregon same idea and it failed because the Barred Owl (read up on it). Guilbeaut and Wilderness committee never acknowledge the USFD science and Joe Foye of wilderness committee never speaks about in his many interviews with Global News, lying through omission of critical facts