Western Silvicultural Contractors’ Association Rumour Mill RoundUpDate Volume 16, Issue 21

December 2, 2016
Volume 16, Issue 21

Warning: This edition may contain both facts and figures.

BCTS Not Moving Away From Longer-Term Contracts in Spite of Rumours

Rumours from the field this fall that BCTS is getting out of offering multi-year and option-to-renew silviculture contracts are unfounded. (Aren’t rumours supposed to be unfounded by definition?) According to the BCTS executive we spoke with there is no directive from head office instructing regional business offices to get out of the business of tendering these kinds of contracts. Likewise no business office should be making any decision along these lines unilaterally. To do so would not only be out of step with policy, but also with the forest minister’s 2014 BCTS effectiveness review, which recommended the organization find ways to move away from low bid auctions, and create longer term relations with qualified silviculture contractors. Ironically perhaps, the confusion may arise from the ongoing pilot contractor rating system dedicated to just that. In order to un-complicate that process business offices were instructed not to allow the pilot on multi-year or option-to-renew contracts. Perhaps that got misunderstood. Or contractors are just really good at rumours. Either way, early this month the WSCA will meet with BCTS to bring the BCTS contract advisory committee (BCAC) back to life. It will be the contractor-BCTS forum where these confusions can be sorted and headed off.

It’s Official, 250 Million Seedlings Sown for 2017 Planting in British Columbia

Final figures for next year’s planting based on sowing requests indicate 250 million seedlings will be planted in 2017 on Crown land in the province. This continues the trend for the third year of seedlings sown at or above 250 million annually. An estimated 230 million will be planted in the Interior with the balance on the coast. Last year the annual figure for the whole province was 260-million seedlings sown.

Cutting the Cord on Electric Chain Saws

In most cases electric power tools for wood-cutting and clearing have not made it past the home and garden. That’s largely because that’s how long the cord was. But news has been crossing our desk lately of advances in batteries capable of driving tools long and strong enough for industrial forestry settings. Shouldering a battery may be a better option than inhaling fumes and packing gas. Noise may be somewhat reduced. Combustion-based motor vibration would be gone. And there could be opportunities for even more effective safety braking devices for blades and chains. Rumours that solar panels are being developed to mount on workers are unfounded.