West Babine Sustainable Resource Management Plan

Table 17: Management Direction for Pine Mushrooms
Objective Indicator(s) Target/Measure Management
Considerations
1. To maintain high
value pine
mushroom sites
(ICHmc1 (01b) and
ICHmc2 (01b))
through time. See
Map 11, page 76.
3.3.6.2 Berries
Age class distribution
of ICHmc1 (01b) and
ICHmc2 (01b) sites
greater than 3 ha.
>60% of ICHmc1 (01b)
and ICHmc2 (01b) sites
>80 yrs.
Management applies to the
submesic ICHmc1 (01b)
and ICHmc2 (01b) sites
within the polygons
identified on Map 11,
page 76. Mapping may be
modified at operational
planning level, following
on-the-ground assessment
of site series.
If stand level retention was
>50%, then stand age
would be considered >80
years old.
Berry-picking is an integral part of the cultural fabric and subsistence economy of Gitxsan and is
also important to non-Gitxsan residents of the Kispiox area. Traditionally, wild berries were the
most important plant food within the watershed, with huge quantities collected and consumed
(GTOWPG, 2002). 40 The Gitxsan have a number of traditional berry management areas that have
been managed and handed down from generation to generation within Houses or Huwilp (Burton
et al, 2000). Until the time that fire prevention came into effect in the 1930s, these managed
areas were actively burned to prevent trees from encroaching and to stimulate the growth of new
shoots. Since fire prevention, the productivity of some of these areas has gone down
considerably (Burton et al, 2000).
Some of the most significant berry species of interest to gatherers are soapberry, high-bush
cranberry, oval-leaved blueberry, and black huckleberry. Black huckleberry (Vaccinium
membranaceum) is particularly important and the following management direction pertains
primarily to this species. Black huckleberries are able to persist as an understory shrub, but are
most vigorous and productive for berries in open, early seral stands. Berry yield has been shown
to be reduced below 60 per cent exposure to sunlight, with maximum productivity at 90 per cent
exposure (Wintergreen Consultants, 2001).
There is one cottage industry, Wilp Sa Maa’y Harvesting Co-operative based out of Hazelton,
that picks huckleberries and sells the jam. It is thought that only a small proportion of the berries
for the co-operative are harvested in the West Babine. The co-operative pays about $5000/year in
total to berry pickers and has about $12,000 a year in sales. There is a product demand that
40 Total annual huckleberry harvests in pre-European times are estimated at 400 litres per person. Based on population estimates
of 1,000 or more people near Kisgegas, this would translate to over 400,000 litres of huckleberries per year, requiring at
between 1,500 and 2,400 ha of productive huckleberry bushes (Burton et al, 2000).
Page 58 March 2004