Another autumn and another smoke show from the forest industry! After years of punishing fires and smoke, the last thing I want to see is a bunch more cancerous smoke billowing at me from North Sentinel Forestry Road. After listening to loud modern logging these past few years and their ecosystem “modifications” it is plain to see the forest industry is a dinosaur living in the past while poisoning us in the 21st century. All these carbon taxes and green virtuous governments across Canada and all we get is to choke on more smoke fumes.
Here are two alternatives to burning slash piles like cavemen.
First, combining chipping with mycology (the study of fungi) can be an innovative and sustainable approach for managing wood slash piles. The wood slash is chipped into smaller pieces, which are easier to manage and process. Haul the slash off the landings to a mycology processing facility or do the chipping onsite.
Introduce wood-degrading fungi to the chipped material. These fungi, such as Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom), Shiitake, Trametes versicolor (turkey tail), brown rot fungi and Laccaria species can break down the wood into organic matter more rapidly. Once the wood chips are inoculated with the fungi, they can be used as a substrate for growing edible or medicinal mushrooms. This is a sustainable and productive way to utilize the wood waste.
Second, use inoculated wood chips for soil improvement and tree growth to enhance soil fertility, eliminate wood smoke, promote healthy tree growth and reduce waste.
Wood-degrading fungi break down the material, converting it into organic matter and nutrients that benefit the soil. Spread the inoculated wood chips on the forest floor, creating a mulch layer. As the fungi decompose the wood, it releases nutrients into the soil, improving its fertility.
Nick Chatten
Crescent Valley