The BC Forestry Museum documents the ongoing history of forestry and lumbering in the province of BC. It has both indoor and outdoor displays. Outdoors are several examples of older machinery employed in the logging industry.
An overview of the museum's intent:
"The Museum was founded in 1999 “To record, preserve, restore and display artifacts and collections of historical, archaeological, artistic, educational, and scientific material as it pertains to the forestry industry in the interior of the province of BC.”
The objectives of the Museum are: to operate as a non-profit society whose purpose is to maintain a public forestry museum in which to store and display artifacts and collections of historical, archaeological, artistic, educational, and scientific material as it pertains to forestry.
And, to encourage historical research, stimulate public interest in the history of forestry and develop programs of interest to the general public to enhance the regional base of tourist attractions.
Source: Forestry Museum
History of Reforestation Timeline
In the 1700's, Douglas Fir began to be harvested on the coast of British Columbia for shipbuilding. At this time, reforesting harvesting ideas began to evolve as resources began to dwindle.
Throughout the 1900's...
1912: The BC Forest Act establishes a new licensing system to parcel and lease land as non-replaceable Timber Sale License (TSLs), to promote foresight for sustainable timber harvesting.
1928: The integration of aerial photography allows for the Forest Service to have a "bird's eye view" of the landscape. It shows the dwindling supply of resources.
1930: The first large scale seedling production nursery opens in Surrey.
1945: Honourable Gordon McGregor Sloan, Chief Justice of British Columbia, reports that the forests were in a "slowly descending spiral" in his report for the Royal Commission on Forestry. He introduces the concept of "sustained yield" and lays the groundwork for reforestation silviculture as a profession and industry.
1947: The Forest Act Amendment implements many of Sloan's recommendations, most notably, the selling of Forest Management Licenses that require companies holding TSLs to develop forest management plans to ensure sustained yield.
1948: Wilf Berg, a young forester, is given an office in the basement of the Cranbrook Ranger Station and becomes responsible for the inception of a reforestation program, involving nursery and tree planting operations, site selection and preparation, seed collection and forest regeneration.
1957: The Royal Commission on Forests reports unprecedented industry growth and details the importance of sustainability. This results in changes to growth and specialized licensing programs.
1965: New systems for issuing Tree Farm Licenses (TFLs) are put into place, and "75 by 75" is instituted an aggressive reforesting goal of replanting 75 million seedlings by 1975.
1975: "75 by 75" is successful in replenishing annual harvests, but does not satisfy backing NSR (that which is not replanted within five years of harvest). Dr. Peter Pearse, Professor of Economics and Forestry at University of British Columbia heads another Royal Commission report in response to public concern for sustainable forestry. Pearse's report reveals 3.9 million hectares of NSR, much of it backlog, and makes key recommendations on forest planning regimes and site-specific operation plans.
1978: David Raven, Revelstoke's current mayor, takes a job with the Ministry of Forestry. He orders 70,000 seedlings to supply the local reforestation effort in an attempt to improve the interior silviculture program.
1980(s): The environmental movement intensifies media pressure of unsustainable harvesting practices. Economic recession and the need for employment overshadow the concerns for sustainable practices
1984: A Forest Range Resource Analysis carried out by the Ministry of Forests exposes the back-burner issue of province-wide NSR.
1987: Logging companies experience a tough financial transition due to incurred costs by the government deducting reforestation costs from stumpage fees paid by licensees. New technology in computer calculates Annual Allowable Cuts. Mapping software generates complex regional silviculture prescriptions. Genetically superior seeds lead to greater availability of trees for replant and improved survivability of planted seedlings.
1988: Tree planting becomes "piece work” (where planters are paid a predetermined amount for each tree planted). This results in nearly all backlog NSR in the interior to be replanted since.
2011: Estimates of total provincial backlog NSR ranges between 200,000 - 800,000 hectars forestry professionals believe this number to be much higher in reality.