West Babine Sustainable Resource Management Plan

Management direction for berries
The Gitxsan have mapped berry management areas within the West Babine (Map 11, page 76;
polygons from SWAT 1999). The following objectives and targets are to promote berry productivity
within berry management areas. They are based on recent studies into berry management in the
Kispiox Forest District (Burton et al., 2000; Oikos, 2001; Wintergreen, 2001).
Table 18: Management Direction for Berries
Objective Indicator(s) Target/Measure Management
Considerations
1. To maintain
and enhance
the productivity
of berry habitat
within berry
management
areas (see
Map 11, page
76).
a. Amount of full
sunlight
available on
harvested sites
within mapped
berry
management
areas.
b. Amount of
impact on soils
and understory
vegetation.
c. Productivity of
berry shrubs.
Where harvesting
occurs, remove
sufficient forest cover to
provide at least 60%
exposure to sunlight.
Where berry areas overlap the
THLB, use silviculture systems that
result in a substantial uniform
canopy reduction or large gaps in
the canopy e.g., clearcuts, patch
clearcuts, coppice systems, seed
tree systems, and irregular and
group shelterwood systems 41 .
-- Minimize impacts to understory
vegetation and associated root
systems.
Use low ground disturbance
systems such as hand falling and
cable logging. Alternatively, use
conventional mechanical falling
and skidding on a sufficiently deep
snow pack (approx 75 cm).
-- Apply appropriate cultural and
silviculture practices to traditional
berry-picking areas to enhance
productivity. Examples include:
Prescribed low intensity burning
to kill older berry plants, kill
over-topping trees and shrubs,
increase soil nutrients, and
stimulate resprouting.
Avoid cutting berry plants during
brushing and spacing of
commercial trees.
Restocking trees at low densities
(approx 420 stems/ha minimum).
41 Burton, P, C. Burton, and L McCulloch. 2000. Exploring options for the management of wild berries in the Kispiox Forest
District: Phase One of a pilot project focussing on the Suskwa River area. Kispiox Forest District. Hazelton, BC
Page 60 March 2004