A benchland overlooking B.C.’s Chilcotin River is an ideal location to recreate an historic forest landscape from the region’s past. It was an ecosystem of grasslands interspersed with groups of trees and it reflected how much of the region once appeared.

A group of First Nations forest companies are working to re-establish the diversity of yesterday’s landscape while making the forest better equipped to survive the more devastating wildfires predicted, as global warming conditions intensify.

Daniel Persson, Forestry Superintendent with Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd.

The Chilcotin Plateau lies west of the Fraser River near Williams Lake in British Columbia’s Cariboo region. The Chilcotin’s pastiche of forest, grasslands and lakes extends west across the belly of the Interior toward the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

The back to the future forest landscape initiative had a baptism of fire. The forest fire season of 2017 won’t soon be forgotten in the Cariboo-Chilcotin. It began early in the spring and persisted well into fall. In the interim, the fires caused incalculable damage on many levels. Two major wildfires changed the Chilcotin River valley that year. The Hanceville-Riske Creek wildfire had consumed more than 240,000 hectares by July. The Plateau complex, where several smaller blazes combined forces to create a megafire northwest of Williams Lake, was burning across more than 450,000 hectares by August 2017.

The decision was taken to replant the burned area near the Chilcotin River in 2021. But the elements hadn’t finished creating their havoc.

“That was the heat dome year,” reminds Daniel Persson, forestry superintendent with Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd (CCR) based in Williams Lake. The heat dome recorded temperatures approaching 45 degrees Celsius, and wiped out about 95 per cent of the newly planted seedlings, continues Persson.

CCR is a joint venture company owned by Tŝideldel First Nation and Tl’etinqox Government. “Our focus is to coordinate and implement large scale forestry programs and initiatives within our traditional territories to provide sustained economic opportunities for our communities and to ensure the long term sustainability of our traditional forest land base,” explains CCR’s website.

Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. uses a John Deere 748 GIII skidder to pull shaped mechanical discs positioned to alter the soil’s structure and composition. The process can deliver several advantages. The rotating scarifying discs improve soil aeration, redistribute compact soil and aid nutrient distribution.

The Hanceville Project overlooking the Chilcotin River occupies approximately 275 hectares and supported a primarily Douglas fire forest prior to the 2017 wildfires. Persson says the area has inherent challenges to successful replanting strategies. It’s exposed with south facing slopes with compacted soils in a concave landscape.

“That’s why we are trying a new approach with the objective of minimal soil disturbance while still being able to establish trees that mimic a more historical stand with clumping distribution that is resilient toward wildfire,” describes Persson.

Planting site preparation is required and CCR opted for a ground ripping technique. Loosening compact soils allows for improved water infiltration, drainage and root development on Douglas fir seedlings. Variables such as moisture availability, post-planting care and species adaptability need to be regularly monitored and adjusted to align with the Chilcotin’s evolving climate dynamics.

An additional factor enters the Hanceville Project’s considerations.

Cows. Ranching is a traditional Chilcotin industry with a rich history.

The historic Chilco Ranch, founded in the 1860’s, sits adjacent to the project’s site. CCR wanted to ensure the movement of cattle on the range wouldn’t be unduly impacted by the ground ripping project. Persson says after listening to area cattlemen, the CCR opted to rip the land in a basic northwest to southeast orientation. Cattle—like people—will typically follow the course of least resistance when using an area.

Barring future developments, plans were to replant the site in the fall of 2024. The block is not subject to stocking standards as specified in the appraisal system. It allows for the planting of fewer stems per hectare, helpful in achieving the tree clump-grasslands mix sought to better replicate the Chilcotin from the past.

CCR leases the ripping equipment required in the project from its partner, Dechen Ventures along with the Cat D7R which typically pulls it.

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