here. - Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

Post-Wildfire Mortality
New mortality of both Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine was observed within stands damaged by
low-intensity 2010 wildfire activity. A total of 6,010 hectares were affected, over two-thirds
of which experienced moderate to severe levels of mortality. Most affected stems experienced
fire damage to roots, stems, and/or crowns and are now being killed by a combination of this
and bark beetles, most notably Douglas-fir beetle.
Animal Damage
Damage patterns typical of animal feeding, including scattered tree mortality and dead tops,
were observed in 22 separate lodgepole pine plantations in the eastern wet belt areas of the
TSA. Ground checks confirmed the causal agent as black bear. Porcupine feeding was also
observed in these and several other areas of the TSA. However it does not as often cause
mortality in lodgepole pine past the seedling stage.
Other damage recorded during the aerial surveys were 8 hectares of severe aspen decline,
2,010 hectares of wildfire, 152 hectares of windthrow, six landslides which covered 63
hectares, fourteen new avalanche paths covering 80 hectares, and 117 hectares of red belt
at Lone Cabin Creek. Flooding damage was quite widespread across the West Chilcotin in
2012, especially around Nimpo Lake, Charlotte Lake, and Aktaklin Lake. Lodgepole pine
was the most commonly affected tree species. However, Douglas-fir, spruce, cedar, hemlock,
and subalpine fir were also affected.
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Bark Beetles
After declining in 2011, Douglas-fir beetle activity increased sharply in the TSA in 2012.
Affected area was up by nearly twenty-fold, to 3,344 hectares. An additional 349 spot infestations
were mapped, up from 213 in 2011. Most of the attack was near Lac La Hache, Timothy
Lake, Ruth Lake, Canim Lake, Spout Lake, Kelly Lake, and Loon Lake.
Spruce beetle attack was mapped on 10,900 hectares in 2012, nearly half of which experienced
moderate or greater mortality. This is up significantly from 2011 levels of 1,705 hectares,
but similar to the area mapped in 2010 (9,195 hectares), which shows that populations are
relatively static in the TSA. Most of the affected stands were near Deception Creek, Mount
Hendrix, and Boss Creek. As in other areas in the Cariboo, a combination of unreliable tree
fade and a synchronized two year life cycle led to large fluctuations in detected area from
2010 - 2012.
Western balsam bark beetle attack has declined in the TSA, with new red attack being
mapped on only 1,560 hectares. Most of the affected stands are near Deception Creek and
Boss Creek.
Mountain pine beetle activity was limited to 222 hectares of new red attack near Jesmond
and Kelly Lake.
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Kamloops, B.C.
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