The province is recognizing Bob and Dan Davidson for innovation and excellence in woodlot management, Mike Morris, MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie, announced on behalf of Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson at the Federation of B.C. Woodlot Associations’ annual general meeting in Prince George last week.
The Davidson brothers are being honoured with the $2,500 Minister’s Award for Innovation and Excellence in Woodlot Management for the south area, recognizing the keen focus they have had on integrated resource management and healthy forests.
This focus on forest stewardship began when they took over the woodlot licence from their father, Don Davidson, in the early 1970s.
Examples of their care for the land include practicing selection harvesting, particularly of lodgepole pine, that has left behind a fully stocked stand of two-to-four-metre Douglas-fir for the next crop.
Those driving by the woodlot are not likely to realize that it has been selectively logged several times because of the Davidson’s attention to aesthetics.
Their salvage logging of blowdown has helped prevent any outbreaks of Douglas-fir bark beetle and reduced wildfire risk for their woodlot and surrounding area north of Rock Creek. They have also been proactive in dealing with small pockets of root rot on their woodlot.
The Davidson’s love of land and everything in it is best exhibited by their actions to nurture all living things on their woodlot, from the hand-made brush piles they leave for squirrels and mice to live in, to the logging debris pile they deferred from burning because a bear had taken up hibernation in it.
The Davidson’s woodlot contributions extend to the community as well, from making sure the right log goes to the best processing plant, to preserving numerous small campsites that hunters use in the fall. This is in addition to hosting tours of their woodlot and their thorough involvement with their local Boundary Woodlot Association.
DaviThe awards are funded by the Province of British Columbia and administered by the Federation of BC Woodlot Associations. Each year, the awards recognize a woodlot licensee representing each of the coast, south and north areas, along with an overall top performer. Award winners are nominated through official submissions from their fellow woodlot operators.