Forest Practices Code Research Articles

Managing geomorphic values within Tasmanian plantations on karst terrain

ABSTRACTThe hazards associated with land use in karst terrain are widely recognised but those associated with forest operations on karst have received relatively little attention. The Tasmanian Forest Practices Code, first introduced in 1987, specifies that natural values in karst terrain are protected and managed during forest operations. Consequently, planning of operations on plantations in karst terrain requires detailed documentation and mapping of the karst features (chiefly sinkholes and caves) present. Planning by Forest Practices Officers, working with geoscientists at the Forest Practices Authority (FPA), has generally ensured that karst features have been avoided at planting, but because karst is an active process, prescriptions to protect karst in first rotations may need to be upgraded in Forest Practices Plans (FPPs) produced for later rotations. Experience gained in both pre-Code and post-Code plantations led the FPA to develop new guidelines for forest operations on karst. Instead of classifying sinkholes on their basis of their size and genesis, the guidelines classify them pragmatically into three categories—passive, active and recent—broadly related to perceived risk of further collapse and runoff-filtering capacity and apply appropriate management prescriptions for each category. Incorporation of these prescriptions into FPPs ensures risk-related management for karst features and reduces hazards for machinery operators and forest managers. The guidelines can be applied by foresters and forest planners trained in geomorphic processes and could be applied more broadly in karst terrain.

Long-term survival of trees retained for hollow-using fauna in partially harvested forest in Tasmania, Australia

Hollow-using fauna are thought to be particularly vulnerable to timber harvesting, and habitat for these species is often managed by retaining single hollow-bearing trees or patches of hollow-bearing trees within the harvested area. This study examined tree retention, survival and use by arboreal mammals in 27 small clumps of trees (0.04–0.21 ha) retained at ten partial harvest sites and 24 clumps of trees in nearby unharvested sites in Tasmania, Australia. Harvested sites were assessed on three occasions (1999, 2005–06 and 2014) and unharvested sites on two occasions (2005–06 and 2014). Of the retained clumps in harvested areas, 96% contained at least two habitat trees at the time of first survey (one year after harvest) which is the minimum required under the Tasmanian Forest Practices Code. Loss of retained trees in clumps between 2005–06 and 2014 was higher in harvested sites (average of 11.7% of all trees and 1.5% of habitat trees per clump) than unharvested sites (average of 2.8% of all trees and 0.3% of habitat trees per clump), but was comparable to or lower than rates of loss in many other studies. Trees were more likely to fall if they were dead and had little burn damage at the time of last survey. Factors found to influence tree death included the interaction between burn damage and the size of the tree, with the likelihood of a heavily burnt, average sized tree dying being twice that of an unburnt tree. Scratch marks from arboreal mammals were more prevalent in large trees with visible hollows, particularly in the clumps in harvested areas. In conclusion, the Tasmanian Forest Practices Code provisions were generally implemented as required and the evidence suggests the retained clumps of trees survive and are effective to some degree at providing habitat and promoting recolonisation by fauna in partial harvest coupes. However, further work is required to assess the adequacy of the clump provisions, when combined with management for other values in production forests, for maintaining hollow-using fauna throughout their range.

Conceptualising ‘code complexes’: A case study of harvesting-related codes applying to forest operations in Tasmania, Australia

In the past 20years, a proliferation of governance instruments has been developed by both state and non-state actors. Today, many industrial sectors are governed by a variety of overlapping instruments that are usually analysed separately rather than as a collective. In this paper, we make the case for analysing such codes as a collective, given that is how they are experienced from the perspective of users and how, ultimately, they achieve their governance objectives. Drawing on an exhaustive database of all related governance instruments, we present an overview of the Tasmanian forestry code complex with regard to harvesting-related forest operations, highlighting how public and private instruments relate to each other and intersect. Three key findings from the study are (a) the critical importance of Tasmania's Forest Practices Code as a master code, which sits at the centre of the State's Forest Code Complex with regard to harvesting; (b) the role that company management plans play in mediating between Tasmanian and international codes such as those endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification and the Forest Stewardship Council; and (c) the utility of the code complex concept for comparative analyses of resource management.

The application of a prescribed duty of care for non-wood values in forests set aside for resource use on public and private land in Tasmania

ABSTRACTIn Tasmania the concept of multiple-use forest management has been replaced with a model of ‘polarisation of forest use’, in which forests are allocated either as reserves with a primary purpose of nature conservation or as public or private forests that are available for resource use. Long-standing uncertainty and disagreement about the level of constraints that may be imposed to conserve non-wood values within wood production forests have been addressed through the application of a defined ‘duty of care’ in the Forest Practices Code. The duty of care requires forest owners to fully protect the forest’s fundamental soil and water resources and to make a reasonable, prescribed contribution to the conservation of all other non-wood values. The duty of care has been successfully applied to private forests since 1997 and it was formally extended to public wood production zones in 2015.

British Columbia's Coastal Forests Variable Retention Decision Aid for Biodiversity and Habitat Retention

Variable retention (VR) refers to a strategy that is designed to retain biological legacies, such as large old trees, snags, and downed logs, at harvest to create and/or maintain structurally complex stands with a range of silvicultural systems. The retention system is a new silvicultural system (Forest Practices Code – Operational and Site Planning Regulations) designed for use under a VR strategy (Mitchell and Beese 2002). By retaining certain structural elements, habitat carrying capacity can be maintained and connectivity can be conserved over the landscape. The planning and implementation of VR is a complex process, with many potential risks that must be understood if one is to successfully achieve multiple management objectives. With the implementation of the retention system in coastal British Columbia, researchers have generated much information and learned many lessons. This Stand Establishment Decision Aid (SEDA) is intended to provide general guidance and points to consider when implementing the various structures (aggregated or dispersed) that are associated with the retention system in British Columbia's coastal forests. Additional information related to retention and variable retention can be found in the Resource and Reference list at the end of this document. It is important to note that the list provided in this reference section is not exhaustive and more information is available, but not necessarily cited. Reference material that is not available on-line can be ordered through libraries or the Queen's Printer at: http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca.

Improvements in Value Recovery through Low Stump Heights: Mechanized versus Manual Felling

Abstract Stump heights were measured on two blocks harvested during the summer of 2000 in north-central British Columbia. Each block was of similar stand and terrain characteristics, consisting mainly of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) with minor components of white spruce (Picea glauca × P. engelmannii) on gentle slopes. The blocks were harvested by two different contractors using different felling methods: mechanized felling with a feller-buncher and manual felling with a chainsaw. The average measured stump height from mechanized felling was 8.8 cm lower than that of manual felling, measuring 21.9 and 13.1 cm, respectively. When the saw kerf of felling equipment and stump-pull were included, the average stump height of mechanized felling was shown to be 5.8 cm (17%) lower than manual felling. High-end and low-end potential value losses were determined based on average sawlog values (Canadian [CN] $60/m 3 ) and pulp log values (CN$40/m 3 ), respectively. The potential value loss from manual felling was estimated to be up to CN$0.33/tree more than from mechanized felling. This result indicated that mechanized felling recovered up to CN$160/ha over manual felling when an average sawlog value and the stand density information from the study site were used in the calculation. The study demonstrated that lower stump heights than the 30 cm maximum stump height set by the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia are attainable with both felling methods. Sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the potential value and volume gains for a range of stump heights from 0 to 30 cm. Operational constraints were identified in the study, and recommendations for minimizing stump heights are presented.

Soil erodibility and erosion hazard: Extending these cornerstone soil conservation concepts to headwater streams in the forestry estate in Tasmania

Soil erodibility is defined as ‘the inherent susceptibility of soil particles or aggregates to become detached or transported by erosive agents such as rainfall, runoff, throughflow, wind or frost’. In Tasmania soil erodibility is routinely assessed using a combination of standard laboratory methods and observations of profile characteristics. Five soil erodibility classes are defined: low, moderate, moderate-high, high and very high. A plot of soil erodibility against slope produces an erosion hazard matrix. Erosion hazard increases with increasing soil erodibility or slope. Informal matrices have been used in the Tasmanian Forest Practices Code to define the harvest machinery and cultivations techniques appropriate for different soil erodibility/slope combinations. We are formalising these matrices to define five erosion hazard classes, ranging from Class A (low erosion hazard) to Class E (very high erosion hazard), and extending the erosion hazard concept to riparian zones. At present forest streams in Tasmania receive riparian protection related to the size of the upstream catchment. Streams are classified into Class 1 (largest), Class 2, Class 3 and Class 4 (headwaters). Class 4 streams, which have a catchment area of 50 ha or less, are least protected. In the Tasmanian Forest Practices Code the standard prescription for Class 4 streams is to allow harvest of timber trees but to apply a 10 m machinery exclusion zone. Protection can be upgraded for biological conservation reasons or by the recommendation of a Forest Practices Officer or a specialist advisor. Observations in >400 headwater 4 streams in forestry coupes (harvest areas) indicates that, within a stream or its 0–10 m riparian zone, the incidence of seven ‘erosion features’ (channel >4 m wide; recent boulder movement; near-vertical stream banks >1 m high; significant sediment accumulation; tunnel gully, gully and rill erosion; sheet erosion; landslides or slumps) is correlated with riparian erosion hazard class. For 66% of streams in coupes in which advice was sought for environmental protection reasons, measures to provide greater protection than the standard 0–10 m machinery exclusion zone were recommended. These measures ranged from wider machinery-exclusion zones where riparian zones are steep, to 20 m no-harvest streamside reserves where erosion risks are considered to be high. This paper formalises the decision-making process for applying such protection measures to ‘at-risk’ headwater streams. Prescribing headwater stream riparian buffer types and widths using the erosion hazard and erosion features concepts is considered to be superior to using riparian slope alone (as commonly done in overseas codes of practice) because the defined erosion hazard classes and erosion features identify the most vulnerable streams and riparian zones in the proposed forest harvest area, allow environmental risks to be objectively assessed, and tailor protection measures to the specific risks identified. The proposed system is generic and likely to be applicable to headwater streams in other temperate regions.

Effects of forest management practices on a localised Tasmanian endemic plant, the trailing riceflower Pimelea filiformis Hook.f. (Thymelaeaceae)

Summary Threatened plant species are a key component of forest ecosystems and are often justly considered sensitive to forestry practices. Management of threatened species is an important aspect of modern forest management. The trailing riceflower, Pimelea filiformis Hook.f. (Thymelaeaceae), is endemic to Tasmania and is confined to eucalypt forests of the central north of the State, an area important for production forestry activities. We determined the impact of forest practices on the abundance and health of P. filiformis by comparing sites that had and had not been logged. We examined four types of forestry activity: conversion of native forest to hardwood plantation; intensive native forest harvesting and regeneration undertaken prior to the introduction of the Tasmanian Forest Practices Code, intensive post-Code native forest harvesting and regeneration; and less-intensive post-Code native forest harvesting and regeneration. We also examined the environmental factors that were associated with P. filiformis in relatively undisturbed forest environments (control sites). Pimelea filiformis occurs most commonly on midslopes with relatively dense low shrub and ground layers (<1 m high) and low cover of both exposed soil and litter. Pimelea filiformis is least common on north-east-facing sites and most common on south-west-facing sites. There was a clear difference in both the cover and occurrence of P. filiformis between unlogged sites and those logged prior to adoption of the current Forest Practices Code. We found no evidence, however, for any impact on the cover, occurrence or health of P. filiformis between unlogged sites and those logged after the adoption of the Code, irrespective of the forestry treatment (including conversion of native forest to hardwood plantation).

Spatially explicit sustainability analysis of long-term fiber supply in Georgia, USA

We present here a proof of concept for a new study of the forest management practices in Georgia, USA. The study is based on a long-term wood supply analysis of the current forest resources. We pursue questions about the sustainable bases of existing practices and significance of hypothetical scenarios relating to various management practices and regulatory constraints. The study is based on research in areas of regional growth and yield dynamics, intensive silviculture, and forest practices code. At this introductory stage the analysis is based on basic inventory information provided by the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory Analysis unit, approximate locations of about 10,000 permanent sample plots, limited GIS information, Landsat TM imagery, and simplified assumptions about the spatial distribution of different forest cover types. We present here the preliminary results and identify the directions and resources for future developments. The results of the simulations suggest that the current forest practices in Georgia are based on sound and sustainable principles with the existing harvesting far below the maximum sustainable level. The preliminary analysis, for the current land base held constant, suggests that at the current harvesting level of approximately 42 million m 3 a year, the volume of mature and over-mature stands available for harvesting in Georgia may initially decrease during the first several years from about 550 to 400 million m 3, but after that it would increase to nearly double and eventually level off, exceeding 550 million m 3. The total volume of Georgia forests is expected to increase in the first 50 years from its current level of about 950 to 1150 million m 3, and then it will gradually decrease to about 1 billion m 3 over the next one-and-a-half century.

Protecting wetland habitat in the Cypre Watershed Planning Unit, Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Harvesting old-growth forest is one of the activities that has strongly shaped the economic, social, and ecological landscapes of Clayoquot Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Clearcutting, which has been the dominant harvesting method, has changed the distribution and natural age classes of forests, altered drainage systems, and affected the visual appearance of the landscape. Growing discontent over the effects of harvesting old-growth forests came to a head in 1993 with widespread public opposition to the Clayoquot Land Use Decision. The provincial government sought an alternative approach to resolving these issues, and so convened the Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel. The Panel's recommendations for forest planning and practices—including the protection of wetland areas—were adopted, along with British Columbia's Forest Practices Code in 1995. The latter was applied province-wide, whereas the Scientific Panel's recommendations for the protection of coastal ecosystems and First Nations' values were specific to Clayoquot Sound.In 1999, Iisaak Forest Resources Ltd. undertook planning to harvest timber in Clayoquot Sound. In keeping with the Scientific Panel's principles, Iisaak voluntarily took steps to protect six small, unclassified, temperate rainforest wetlands in one of four cutblocks. The main objectives in protecting the wetlands were to maintain their ecosystem functions and to maintain linkages within and between the wetland areas. To achieve these and other objectives, Iisaak used variable retention and aerial harvesting methods in the summer of 2000.This paper describes Iisaak's landscape-planning and site-planning procedures, including how planning accounted for drainage patterns, wildlife needs, and habitat connectivity. Spatial maps demonstrate that a continuous reserve network of hydroriparian and wildlife reserves determined the harvesting pattern. Over 75% of the original old-growth forest was retained across the cutblock. This effort is one of the first examples of how the Scientific Panel's guidelines were incorporated into a timber-harvesting regime. The ecological benefits of doing so remain to be seen through effectiveness monitoring.

The effect of variable-retention riparian buffer zones on water temperatures in small headwater streams in sub-boreal forest ecosystems of British Columbia

Stream temperature impacts resulting from forest harvesting in riparian areas have been documented in a number of locations in North America. As part of the Stuart–Takla Fisheries–Forestry Interaction Project, we have investigated the influence of three variable-retention riparian harvesting prescriptions on temperatures in first-order streams in the interior sub-boreal forests of northern British Columbia. Prescriptions were designed to represent a range of possible harvesting options outlined by the Forest Practices Code of B.C., or associated best management practice guidelines. Five years after the completion of harvesting treatments, temperatures remained four to six degrees warmer, and diurnal temperature variation remained higher than in the control streams regardless of treatment. Initially, the high-retention treatment acted to mitigate the temperature effects of the harvesting, but 3 successive years of windthrow was antecedent to reduced canopy density and equivalent temperature impacts. We speculate that late autumn reversals in the impacts of forest harvesting also occur. Temperature impacts in this study remained within the tolerance limits of local biota. However, even modest temperature changes could alter insect production, egg incubation, fish rearing, migration timing, and susceptibility to disease, and the effects of large changes to daily temperature range are not well understood.

The incorporation of research into attempts to improve forest policy in British Columbia

During the 1990s, a number of major changes occurred in forest policy in British Columbia. The Forest Practices Code was enacted in 1994, based largely on the best available science at the time. The Code was highly prescriptive, and is believed to have substantially increased the costs of forest operations in the province. Following criticisms of the Code and the financial burden it imposed, some revisions were introduced. In the same period (the second half of the 1990s), the provincial government announced a number of programs ostensibly aimed at introducing innovation to the forest sector, but in reality more closely associated with creating employment. Three forms of pilot projects were started: the Innovative Forest Practices Agreements, the Results-based Forest Practices Code Pilot Projects and the Community Forest Pilots. To date, these have met with limited success, although it is possible that with time, they may generate the type of information sought by the government. Unfortunately, links to research have sometimes been weak, reflecting a declining investment in forestry sector research and development in the province. Closer links between research and the stimulation of innovation would lead to greater chances of success for the programs attempting to improve the scientific basis of forest management in British Columbia.

On the validity of the British Columbia Forest Practices Code guidelines for stream culvert discharge design

In the stream culvert discharge design guidelines of the Forest Practices Code (FPC) of British Columbia (BC), the 100-year instantaneous flood (Q100) is assumed to be three times as large as the mean annual flood (Q2) regardless of basin characteristics and location in the province. A regional linear moment analysis of annual maximum flows is used to demonstrate that this assumption is invalid and that Q100/Q2 ratios vary substantially with basin area and climate. For the snowmelt-dominated peak flows in the Columbia and southern Rocky Mountains, Q100/Q2 decreases slightly with increasing drainage area, from 2.3 (1 km2) to 1.9 (100 km2). For the flood peaks generated by rainfall and rain on snow in coastal BC, this range is 3.1–2.6. In the semi-arid Interior Plateau region, variability in Q100/Q2 ratios is most dramatic. For a 10-km2 basin, the calculated Q100/Q2 ratio of 4.9 is 1.6 times the assumed factor of 3, while for a 1-km2 basin Q100/Q2 is 7.5 or 2.5 times this factor. Underestimating Q100/Q2 may lead to underdesign and early failure of road culverts, and therefore, current FPC guidelines for estimating the 100-year instantaneous flood may have serious adverse economic and environmental consequences in small Interior Plateau watersheds.

Using numerical modelling to address hydrologic forest management issues in British Columbia

AbstractThis paper outlines how long‐term statistical–deterministic physically based hydrologic modelling utilizing data from experimental watersheds in British Columbia (BC) can be used to fill knowledge gaps related to forest management in the BC Forest Practices Code, and discusses data and modelling issues that need to be considered in this context. Developing hydrologic model applications for these experimental watersheds will further provide insight regarding priorities for future data collection and will also advance our understanding of capabilities and limitations of physically based hydrologic models in addressing watershed management concerns in BC. Experience and expertise obtained in this fashion is a prerequisite for successful use of these hydrologic models in evaluating site‐specific forest management issues at catchments with fewer data resources. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Pilot projects under the B.C. Forest Practices Code – a springboard for change

Pilot projects under the B.C. Forest Practices Code – a springboard for change

Shelterwood harvesting in root-disease infected stands — post-harvest soil disturbance and compaction

Soil disturbance and compaction are described for an integrated project, testing the use of shelterwood harvesting and root removal treatments. Sites were winter harvested and assessed the following summer using criteria from the Forest Practices Code (FPC) of British Columbia. At two installations, pushover harvesting caused a significantly greater level of counted soil disturbance and forest floor displacement than hand felling combined with ground skidding. Disturbance levels increased with basal area removal on pushover harvested treatment units. The highest disturbance was on the clearcut–pushover treatment at the Golden site, where levels averaged 36% for both variables. Soil disturbance on the Nakusp site was lower for a number of reasons. Pushover harvesting at the Golden site also resulted in over 25% of the sample points becoming calcareous at the surface, due to exposure and deposit of calcareous subsoil; as opposed to less than 5% on the hand felled treatment units. Pushover harvesting at Golden, compared to the Nakusp site, also yielded a greater proportion of the treatment units occupied by stump holes, because of larger tree size and finer soil textures. Soil compaction significantly increased total bulk density at Golden and decreased total porosity and two measures of aeration porosity at both sites. Machine disturbance not meeting the disturbance survey criteria of the FPC occupied up to 16% of treatment units at the Golden site. This uncounted disturbance was not significantly different from countable compaction for five physical properties. Compaction impacts were usually significant, irrespective of the harvesting method or basal area retention on a treatment unit. Aeration porosities for some compacted samples were at or below ‘critical’ values of 15% on both sites. Tree growth at Golden is expected to be reduced because compaction has reduced aeration porosity and push felling exposed greater levels of free lime. Site sensitivity guidelines for pushover harvesting are exceeded for the soil conditions at Golden. More recent harvesting on other sites has resulted in less disturbance than reported here. It appears that countable soil disturbance can be limited to 15% for pushover harvesting under operational conditions.

Tree growth on rehabilitated skid roads in southeast British Columbia

Implementation of The Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act (FPC) in 1995 made skid road rehabilitation mandatory on many sites effective immediately and on all sites by December, 1999. This requirement implies that skid road rehabilitation will restore slope hydrology and site productivity. These assumptions require verification. Tree growth on excavated and bladed trail (skid road) rehabilitation was examined at 10 sites in the East and West Kootenays of southeast British Columbia. Height and diameter growth of lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta), Engelmann spruce ( Picea engelmannii), and Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii) trees were monitored at retrospective and new research sites established between 1984 and 1994. The study examined several ‘worst case’ scenarios with regard to soil and climatic conditions, and rehabilitation techniques. Soil conditions included fine and coarse textured material; a number of these sites have unfavourable subsoils such as calcareous, high pH parent materials. Site climates ranged from relatively dry and warm to cold and wet. Older rehabilitation techniques resulted in the subsoil mixed with the forest floor during excavation and recontouring, and the original running surface not decompacted prior to recontouring the slope. In contrast, newer techniques involve separate topsoil handling during excavation and rehabilitation, and decompacting of the skid road running surface. Growth on four disturbance types was compared: the undisturbed area adjacent to the skid road and three recontoured road locations equivalent to the previous inner track, midroad, and berm/sidecast. Data was analyzed using ANOVA and disturbance type contrasts in regional and biogeoclimatic groupings. The trees growing on the berm and undisturbed treatments commonly displayed better growth than the trees growing on the inner track and midroad treatments. For example, in the analysis of all 10 blocks for three year height increment, trees growing on the berm were either the leading or second ranked treatment in seven out of 10 blocks, with differences in growth relative to the undisturbed ranging from 89 to 161%. Height growth of trees growing on the berm, and on the berm and undisturbed together, was also significantly better in the biogeoclimatic analysis. Diameter and volume growth followed the same trend as height for all analyses. Poorer growth on inner track and midroad trees was similar to but not as pronounced as in previous studies on unrehabilitated skid roads, suggesting that characteristics of the original skidroad are still affecting the growth of trees on recontoured slopes. However, the results suggest that, for the site conditions studied, rehabilitated skid roads will support trees of merchantable quality, particularly with improved rehabilitation techniques.

Testing Alternative Theories of Agenda Setting: Forest Policy Change in British Columbia, Canada

In an effort to add to our understanding of why government chooses to take actions in certain situations and not others, this article applies competing theories of agenda building to a specific environmental issue, forest policymaking in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Clearly, how well BC and the rest of Canadian provinces manage their forests and other natural resources will contribute to the ability of Canada as a whole to become a sustainable society. In the 1990s the BC government enacted the Forest Practices Code, a comprehensive approach to managing the province's forests. This study relies on several different theoretical approaches to explain how such an ambitious program was developed and implemented. How difficult and complex environmental issues manage to reach the political agenda is crucial to our understanding of policy change and is addressed in this study.

Assessment of the Geomorphic Impacts of Forestry in British Columbia

Abstract Timber harvesting in British Columbia influences (a) forest hydrology; (b) fluvial geomorphology; (c) terrain stability; and (d) integrated watershed behavior. Impacts on forest hydrology are well understood and include increased average runoff, total water yield, increased storm runoff and advances in timing of floods. Stream channels and valley floors are impacted differently by fine sediment, coarse sediment and large woody debris transport. Terrain stability is influenced through gully and mass movement processes that are accelerated by timber harvesting. Impacts on integrated watershed behavior are assessed through disturbed sediment budgets and lake sediments. The Forest Practices Code (1995) is a significant step towards sustainable management of the land in so far as it attempts to minimize these geomorphic impacts of forest in B. C.

Assessing Potential Risks of White Pine Blister Rust on Western White Pine from Increased Cultivation of Currants

Introductions of white pine blister rust (WPBR, causal fungus: Cronartium ribicola J.C. Fischer) to eastern and western North America before 1915 caused such extensive damage that western white pine (Pinus monticola D. Don) was essentially abandoned as a manageable forest tree species for over 60 years. Recent results from WPBR resistance selection and breeding programs, and from field trials of tree spacing, pruning and bark excision treatments have supported efforts to increase establishment and to intensively manage western white pine. Western white pine is a desirable component in many forested areas because of its faster growth and much higher value compared to many other associated tree species. It also has a low susceptibility to armillaria root disease caused by Armillaria ostoyae (Romagnesi) Herink and laminated root rot, caused by Phellinus weirii (Murr.) Gilb. Some regulations, e.g., Forest Practices Code of British Columbia (BC) Act, require anyone who harvests timber on provincial forestland and uses western white pine for reforestation to either plant genetically resistant western white pine stock or prune susceptible young trees for protection. Risks of increased WPBR associated with increased commercial cultivation of gooseberries and currants (Ribes L.) have yet to be determined. However, major threats appear to include 1) increase in local amounts of spores for nearby infection of pines; and 2) possible introductions or development of new, virulent races of C. ribicola, particularly from eastern to Pacific northwestern North America. In view of these possible threats, we recommend that existing regulations and legislation should be amended, or possibly new measures enacted, to permit propagation and commercial cultivation only of varieties of Ribes that are immune or highly resistant to WPBR.