Author Description

The black army cutworm (BAC) recently became a pest in newly established coniferous plantations throughout the central interior of the province. Reforestation efforts have been steadily increasing, with emphasis placed on the planting of backlog areas (harvested more than 3 years ago) which at present are "not satisfactorily stocked" (NSR). Because of the large amount of NSR land, the consistent association of BAC infestations with recent broadcast burning, and the high proportion of broadcast burned sites with a recorded history of BAC populations, a problem analysis was undertaken. This report presents the results of that analysis, conducted through a literature review of scientific reports and history records of both the Canadian Forestry Service and the B.C. Forest Service; resurveying of 4 plantations damaged by the BAC; and interviewing of all personnel actively engaged in BAC research within the province.