Forest Health Management & FireSmarting | Saranagati Community Network

Our Valley and the surrounding area has been identified as a “wildfire high risk zone” by the ministry of forests. We need to be proactive in maximizing the the effectiveness of our response to fires. Our trees have slow growth. Our firewood won't last at this rate.

A fire smarting preventive strategy will protect our forest and homes (and neighbouring Nlaka’pamux Homeland) from devastation. A healthy forest survives when fire comes. The fire is coming sooner or later whether we like it or not; it's part of Krsna's natural laws that we've suppressed in ignorance for far too long.

‘Take action’ is what is needed if we are to return to a natural state (nature) and can welcome fire once again. Opening up the forest to allow it to start growing again means more firewood

Venables Valley Forest Management

Concern: our valley has been designated as a large wildfire risk. We have a large amount of unhealthy forest on private land and surrounding our community on crown land.

The Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) has helped to identify the problematic wildfire areas surrounding our community on crown land only. A small area of crown land has undergone wildfire risk reduction. But not nearly enough.

What can we do to reduce this wildfire risk? This is a safety issue. It’s not a factor of if a fire will come through the valley, it is a question of when it will happen. When a wildfire does come through the valley the community will be severely affected and may actually end the sustainability of our community. Look at Lytton? We need to address this issue with a forward-thinking plan.

Forest Management Notes

Firesafety Plan

Our Current Forest is Unhealthy

One might think that by cutting no trees we are protecting and creating less karma. What’s happening is actually the opposite. By not cutting trees we are encouraging a dying forest. We can see evidence of an unhealthy forest everywhere. Bruce Morrow told me this several times when we worked on the study for the CWPP. I recently walked our forest with a log buyer from West Fraser Mills and he pointed out a tremendous amount of ill forest. Bottom line is that our forest is starving. Plus, there are pests and blight (pine beetle, fir beetle). Zero natural spacing between tree canopy.

Healthy Forests

In our area, a healthy forest has tree spacing between crowns of 5-7m. Water needs to be able to reach the ground. Sunlight needs to be able to reach the ground. Grasses, flowers, animals, birds, bugs, carnivores, rabbits, deer and all other wildlife would flourish in a healthy forest. Plus, healthy forests don’t have pests like pine beetles. On top of all that, healthy forests survive wildfires. In fact, healthy forests are designed to survive wildfire.

How do we get to a healthy forest? Remove 60-70% of tree stems. Reduce to approximately half the forest by volume. Our forest is starving, so we need to reduce the amount of trees. The trees are fighting for limited resources. We remove all low grade trees, dying trees, and crowded areas. We recreate the 5-7m spacing with all the good strong healthy trees.

Secondary Market Opportunities

There’s an opportunity to start a medium sized milling operation. These mills can be operated very efficiently and many smaller land owners invest in mills like this and sell or use the products in secondary markets. There’s an opportunity to start a post and rail business. The market for posts and rails is quite large in our area. There’s an opportunity to sell wood chips. These chips are referred to as Hog Fuel which is essentially dirty wood chips. There’s an opportunity to sell firewood.

Swales

The swales mimic the large dead trees in an ancient forest. Mimicing nature is another word for getting back into alignment. How Krsna designed this, the natural laws. The regenerative grazing has laerned we need to mimic the disturbance pattern of the buffalo and wolf. Creates amazing ecosystems of North America, our meadows and grasslands.

What we have learned is that the grass when we first got here could be tied in a bow from saddle height which is 6 or 7 feet in the air. If our grass isnt growing that tall it is being stunted. We are seeing that now with the cattle now. We are learning that from a carbon storage perspective now. That root system is arguably the same size below ground. All the grasses grazed to nothing, this means the root system is stunted. A stunted system everywhere. So yes, we need to manage these systems and cows. Move the cows around properly allow the grass to generate. Become aware of how these perrannual plants want and need to grow. Im all for it, its a great idea. We need to talk about fire and how it will bring back all the saje. We have to much saje in the south end. The elders mentioned this. We need to bring back the fire.

Swales mimic old growth forests. Manage moisture and nutrients. Are home for fungus which is very important. Established swales support the meadows, may not need irrigation or tilling. Fungus is only plant that can break down cellulose. Lets support this. Focus on Perannuals and berries. How we can work with nature. Copus wood lots. Food security is important. Understanding soil and how we can nurture soil is very important. Mushrooms can be considered anywhere with shade and moisture. Relationships with first Nations. Truth and reconcilliation. Healing the Karma from the past. Regenerative grazing, lets do it.

Water lenses increase the ‘humidity bubble’ at the ‘soil horizon’ level. The ‘moisture retention’ comes from the fungal matrix (mycorhyzal fungi). Fungus represent 80-90% of the moisture holding capacity.

Community Wildfire Protection Program (CWPP)

The CWPP has already begun on the high-risk crown land areas surrounding our community. The CWPP is a program that is conducted by the TNRD. Now we need to decide how to best protect our community land from wildfire.

Resident's plan for wildfires in the valley

Be first responders to any fire, domestic or wildfire.
Contain any fires, until professional BC government help arrives, at which time we hand over responsibility to them.
Expect that Government response time may vary, and be prepared to attend fires for at least 2 hours or longer, and possibly overnight.

Back packs for fires

Whistle
Flagging tape for trail marking
Personal first aid kits
Hard hats with strap
Reflective visible clothing
Proper footwear (Goretex etc)
Tight weaved long sleeved cotton clothes
Safety glasses
Headlamps with spare batteries
Leather gloves - 2
Extra socks, extra clothing for warmth
Water
Snacks
Knife
Radios (Dedicated exclusively for communication with each other and fire chief only. Cell phones not to be used.
Bug spray
Flashlight with extra batteries
Masks

Fire Fighting Assets in Community

VEHICLES: We seem to have a lack of trucks in our valley able to carry the weight of a fully loaded water tote weighing 2500lbs. If you have a truck that can be setup with a water tote let me know. Here's where we stand currently.

Bala Krsna has a small logging trailer that can accommodate up to 4 full water totes. He will pull that trailer with his tractor. He also has a small pickup truck that will hold tools, pumps and hoses. However, we need some help getting this equipment secured to the logging trailer.

Mark has a 1000 litre water tote with pump, hose and tools in the back of a pick up truck. I also have 6 day packs that were given to our community, 4 hoes, 2 heavy lift packs, 3 backpack water packs, hi-viz vests.