Prioritizing Ecological Integrity

The Gwa'ni Project is proposing the creation of the Gwa’ni Special Management Zone (SMZ). Special Management Zones are intended to prioritize other values and ecological integrity over timber. To help achieve these outcomes, we are proposing redesigning and increasing the amount of special management zones in the Nimpkish Valley to prioritize ecological integrity over forestry.

Strategies developed through the FLP, considered within the special management zone, will include:

  • Smaller harvest areas
  • Increased retention (more trees and patches left standing)
  • Longer rotation between harvest (allowing trees to grow older before harvest)
  • No herbicide use for forestry purposes
  • Ending clearcut harvest (instead use retention silviculture systems and alternative approaches)

Through the Gwa’ni Project engagements, we have also heard concerns regarding the health and availability of cedar for future generations, given the cultural importance cedar holds. One of the goals of the SMZ is to allow more time for cedar to grow naturally and allowing it to take its time to grow.

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