Even though winter officially started less than a month ago, we all know it’s been winter in Alberta for a few months now. It’s been cold and snowy since some time in October! So what do forestry companies do in the winter months? It seems like it would be really difficult to get much logging done in the wintertime with all that snow! But many companies actually do most or all of their logging when the ground is covered in the cold, wet, white stuff.
It’s not like the old days when deep snow made moving logs more difficult.
Logging machinery is advanced enough to get through deep snow. In fact, logging can actually be better in wintertime, for a number of reasons.
Research shows that winter logging may help maintain plant biodiversity in forests. One reason for this is that the frozen ground and snow coverage minimize soil disturbance.
Here are some other reasons why winter is a good time for logging:
- Building roads is easier in the wintertime. It is less expensive because the road builders can simply scrape stumps off the ground instead of moving dirt. Also, loggers can often use existing seismic lines as roads by freezing them.
- A lot of areas can’t be accessed in the summer because of swamps.
- Loggers can actually use the snow to their advantage. They make “snow fills” by plowing a bunch of snow into a creek to make even ground.
- The ground is frozen in the wintertime which doesn’t allow for as much ground disturbance.
- Winter logging has less impact on wildlife because we are not disturbing them when they are rearing their young. Caribou, for example, need privacy in the late winter and early spring to ensure secure, quiet birthing areas for better success. Logging is often completed in the first half of winter to allow caribou the space they need.
- Logging is less pricey in the winter because access and transportation is easier on frozen roads.
- It can be easier to use machinery in winter because the machine operators don’t have to fight with mud and rain.
- Once harvested, logs can wait in a log yard to be processed all winter without deteriorating.
There are jobs to be done in the forest year round, wet or dry, +30 or -30. Whether you are looking for seasonal contract work or full-time permanent work, there are lots of ways that forestry jobs can meet your individual needs. Check out our Job Postings page for current openings all over Alberta.
And if you are one of those people who doesn’t like wintertime, maybe you can create an app for wintertime work!
