2014 MKRF Annual Report - Malcolm Knapp Research Forest
Transcription
2014 MKRF Annual Report - Malcolm Knapp Research Forest
Research Forest News 2014 Annual Report THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA MALCOLM KNAPP RESEARCH FOREST A highlight of 2014 was the startup of construction for the new Loon Lake Dining Hall—The Bentley Family Hall. The new structure is being built on the site of the original staff house, and will double the capacity of the old dining hall to 150 seats. The 6400 square foot building is predominantly a timber frame structure, built from timbers harvested, milled and planed at the Gallant Mill. The project was approved by the UBC Board of Governors in April, and project design and permitting was in place by July. Project Architect is Wayne Bissky Architects of Maple Ridge. Project Developer is UBC Properties Trust, and construction is being managed by Tekton Project Management of Maple Ridge. The building is scheduled for completion in June 2015, after which the existing dining hall will be repurposed as accommodation and meeting space. This project is the final phase of the redevelopment of Loon Lake that began in 2003. 2014 harvesting at MKRF and Woodlot 37 is summarized below: Silviculture system Area (ha) Volume harvested (m3) Clearcut Clearcut with reserves Patch cut Salvage Commercial thinning Roads/utilities BC Hydro RW salvage 17.6 21.8 0.4 1.7 3.2 - 9,699 12,884 345 Total 44.7 27,149 199 2,522 1,500 Forest product market conditions continued to improve over 2012 levels. Average sales value in 2014 was a 20 year high. Total volume harvested was reduced by 9% from 2013. Cedar poles, hemlock piling, and fir peelers were major target products, as well as sawlogs for the MKRF sawmill. Markets for all products were active throughout the year. Harvest methods employed utilized both ground based and cable. Sawmill production totaled over 612,000 board feet in 2014, up 9% from 2013. New road construction in 2013 totaled 1,223 meters of new road and 873 meters of road upgrades. A new bridge was constructed over Blaney Creek on the main road to Loon Lake in August. Loon Lake Dining Hall construction (clockwise from left); demolition of the old staff house, timber framing the Bentley Family Hall, Architect’s rendering of the finished building For more information, please contact Jeremy Watkins 2014 Annual Report Page 2 Our 2014 silviculture program focussed on stand establishment, including deer protection and brushing. Douglas-fir, western redcedar, yellow cypress, amabilis fir and white pine were planted. A summary of silviculture achievements is as follows: Silviculture activity Planting Brushing Deer protection Juvenile spacing Surveys Total Hectares Trees 55.0 25.0 4.5 -206.3 290.8 77,440 Seventeen research projects were initiated in 2014 bringing the total number of active projects to 80. In total, 944 projects have been initiated since the forest was dedicated in 1949. Highlights of the program were: - Forestry education and demonstration areas at MKRF - Development of a Web-Based Tool for Humus Form Description and Classification - Swiss Needle Cast Monitoring - Effects of riparian harvesting on stream macro-invertebrate richness and composition along an altitudinal gradient 77,440 We continued to maintain and improve access and signage for several major projects on the Forest, as well as ensured updating, security and accessibility of research projects data through the Research Projects Database (www.rpd.forestry.ubc.ca) For more information, please contact Cheryl Power For more information, please contact Ionut Aron 2014 was another busy year for education on the Forest. Fifty – three UBC students attended the annual Spring Field School at Loon Lake in April. Conservation Field School was also held at the forest in October and was attended by 48 students. 19 students of the Master of Sustainable Resource Management program attended that program at Loon Lake in October. Paul Lawson, RPF, Director ([email protected]) Cheryl Power, RPF, Resident Forester ([email protected]) Ionut Aron, MF, Research Coordinator ([email protected]) School programs and recruitment activities continued in 2014. In In June, Research Forest Staff hosted a tour and retreat for the Forest total, over 4,800 K-12 students Practices Board of BC and their staff. Board members from left to right; stayed at Loon Lake or participatAndrea Lyall, Norma Wilson, Dave Patterson, Bill Dumont, Board Chair ed in forestry and conservation Tim Ryan, Mike Nash, Ralph Archibald, Bill McGill curriculum and recruitment activities at MKRF during the year. MKRF hosted professional training events for the Indian Forest Service, as well as classes from UBC, SFU, Trinity Western University and University of Washington. The Maple Ridge Environmental School also held classes at MKRF in both the spring and fall terms of 2014 for the third straight year. Jeremy Watkins, BSc, Assistant Operations Manager ([email protected]) Sarah Panagiotou, Manager of Administration ([email protected]) web: www.mkrf.forestry.ubc.ca Karim Farahbakhchian, Manager, Loon Lake Research & Loon Lake hosted its tenth Camp Goodtimes in conjunction with the Canadian Cancer Society and rec- Education Centre orded over 14,879 visitor-days in 2014 – a decrease of 15% over 2013. The public school teacher’s job ([email protected]) action had a dramatic effect on our business this year. web:www.loonlake.forestry.ubc.ca Guests at Loon Lake this year included Worksafe BC, The Forest Practices Board of BC, BC Timber Sales Doug Woods, Sawmill Manager , and Fraser Health Authority, as well as many other educational and corporate groups. Gallant Enterprises Ltd. Planning began this year for the DEMO International 2016 Conference to be held September 22-24, 2016 at the Malcolm Knapp Forest. This is the biggest live demonstration of forestry equipment and technology held in Canada every four years. Over 10,000 guests are expected attend this event. ([email protected]) web: www.gallant.forestry.ubc.ca For more information, please contact Paul Lawson UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest 14500 Silver Valley Road, PO Box 21120, Maple Ridge, BC, Canada V2X 1P7