As part of our previous legacy of progress and experimentation, HFP is actively again seeking means to harvest timber in more innovative ways. For example, this last year saw HFP harvest substantial portions of our annual harvest using a heli-select operation. In this operation, individual trees are removed from the stand. Stand structure is maintained for two major reasons; firstly, only 30% of the total volume is removed and secondly, the spectrum of larger and smaller diameter stems is maintained. 

Many of those people which have observed this type harvesting could not distinguish harvested from non-harvested areas. 

HFP is committed to continuing with this harvesting system and increasing its application across all of our harvesting operations. 

HFP actively works towards finding harvesting solutions which balance off respected resource values. For example, the following outlines the various assessments undertaken by the company to ensure other resources are actively considered;

• Visual computer generated depictions of harvesting in visually sensitive areas
• Detailed terrain assessments on all areas to avoid erosional concerns
• Ecological assessments on every planned harvest area
• Ecologically suitable reforestation prescriptions on every harvest area
• Cultural and archaeological surveys and assessments on all known sensitive areas
• Assessments to minimize concerns associated with windthrow and blowdown
• Classification of all streams and waterbodies with detailed streamside prescriptions
• Sensitive gullies assessed for potential erosion concerns
• Wildlife and bird surveys on identified sensitive areas
• Periodic water samples and assessments on all potentially sensitive areas
  

These assessments are in addition to the extensive public consultation process HFP must undertake prior to any approvals for harvesting being granted by government. Each 1-2 years, HFP submits a Development Plan to the public and government for review and approval. Typically, this process takes about 6 months to complete during which time the public has full opportunities to provide input and comment.

GROWING THE FOREST The majority of the area and forests managed by Husby Forest Products falls within the Coastal Western Hemlock wet hypermaritime zone. This zone is restricted to the Queen Charlottes and is characterized by:

• mild, wet winters with little to moderate snowfall,
• frequent fog and low cloud,
• cool, moist summers with occasional warm dry spells. 

The local forests are dominated by western hemlock, western red cedar and Sitka spruce. Yellow cedar becomes common at higher elevations and shore pine is present in wet, swampy ground. 

With regards to reforestation, the land base can be divided into 3 broad groupings:

• nutrient poor types are well suited for cedar (and, to a lesser degree, hemlock),
• nutrient medium types regenerate well to hemlock, and
• nutrient rich sites are most suited to Sitka spruce (and hemlock).

Although all the area harvested by Husby Forest Products would regenerate naturally, the company has a strong commitment to planting. In fact, approximately 80% of the area harvested is planted (typically within 2 years of logging); the remaining 20% of the area regenerates naturally. Of the area planted, 2/3's is planted to Sitka spruce and 1/3 is planted with western red cedar or yellow cedar. Western hemlock is prolific at regenerating naturally and supplements the stocking in plantations.

Deer, an introduced species, are extremely abundant on the Queen Charlotte Islands due to the lack of any predators. One of the effects of the high deer population is the difficulty in regenerating cedar (both western red cedar and yellow cedar). Quite simply the deer browse all regenerating cedar. This makes establishing second growth cedar a very costly venture. Each and every cedar tree planted has to be protected. A variety of protective devices continue to be tried, including plastic mesh tubes, solid plastic tubes and wire cages. In order to successfully continue to reestablish Cedar and Cypress, Husby Forest Products has developed a Cedar Regeneration Policy that identifies the most appropriate sites and provides the minimum stocking level for establishing cedar on these sites.

After planting is completed, HFP is responsible for monitoring and assessing the stand until it reaches a point declared as "Free To Grow" where no further treatments are required until the stand again reaches maturity. In some instances, HFP will have to remove competing vegetation from the stand to ensure thriftiness. HFP does not use any herbicides in its operations.

Since beginning operations in the mid-80's, Husby Forest Products (HFP) has proven to be an innovative leader in the forest industry and has followed the same tradition with respect to Forest Renewal BC (FRBC) funded projects. This relationship between Husby and FRBC began in the summer of 1995 with the creation of FRBC. 

FRBC's core mandate is to invest in the forests of British Columbia and offer employment opportunities for forest workers. To ensure HFP's mandate is compatible with FRBC, Husby has worked diligently to seek an active and strong partnership with FRBC while creating employment for their own employees and on-Island residents from the Queen Charlottes. As an indicator of the success of the partnership, Husby obtained a Multi-Year Agreement this year with FRBC which allows our company the benefit of being able to plan long-term projects. This coincides with FRBC's vision of delivering forest investment in watershed restoration projects over a long period to make sure the efforts expended by licensees is effective.

• Tartus Watershed Restoration Program - (QCI) - Overview fish, fish habitat and riparian zone assessment and a Level 1 Detailed Fish habitat assessment; created 28 person days employments; 16 km of stream assessed for fish habitat and riparian zone 
• Landslide rehabilitation assessment procedures in Tartu Watershed -assessment and prescription phases; 8.5 km of road assessed, 7,489 ha watershed; scope of the assessments addressed both road and hillslope areas. 
• Davidson Creek Hydro-seeding - helicopter seeding of Landslides for enhancement of slope stability 
  
• Tartu Watershed - Heli-hydroseeding project; fertilized 11ha, created 6 mandays 
  
• Planting programs in Eden Lake in conjunction with cedar seedling vexar conversion; created 525 person days employment 
  
• Eden Lake Road Deactiviation projects; 8.3 km deactivated, created 153 person days employment for $175,000.00 
  
• Cave and Haines watersheds - Overview assessments of approximately 13 km of roads and 20 km of S1 and S2 streams. 
  
• Davidson Creek and Naden River watersheds - Overview Level 1, detailed fish, fish habitat and riparian zone assessments; nine high priority prescriptions completed throughout the watersheds. 
  
• Wildlife Inventory - marbled murrelet and Northern Goshawk study; study conducted in three forest licences, covering nine watershed on northwest Grahan Island, QCI. 
  
• Level III, In-Stream Restorative works, in the Davidson and Naden Watersheds; 10 sites with in-stream rehabilitation works completed; created 193 person days employment 
  
• Brushing project in Tartu Inlet; 92 ha brushed, created 778 person days 
  
• Bio-Engineering/Landslide rehabilitation in Eden Lake 
  
• Spacing projects in Eden Lake; 125 ha spaced, created 517 person days employment