GENERAL AWARENESS TRAINING

BCTS SFM Commitments BC Timber Sales is committed to managing and administering forest management activities on our operations through effective measures that ensure sustainable forest management (SFM). The BCTS SFM Policy includes commitments to: Comply with legislation, regulations, policies and other requirements: Provide public participation opportunities to the public and Aboriginal Peoples; Confer with, respect and recognize Aboriginal title and rights, and treaties: Maintain a culture for health and safety of staff, clients and the public; Honour all international agreements and conventions to which Canada is a signatory; Improve knowledge of the forest and SFM and to monitor and incorporate advances in science and technology; Promote awareness of SFM to our clients and the public; Strive for excellence in forest management through continual improvement.

BCTS Sustainable Forest Management Plan  Encompass environmental, economic and social dimensions  Outlines the Principles and Objectives of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SF) Standard  Sets out BCTS Commitments and Actions to achieve conformance with the SFI Standard

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program  Continuous improvement was applied to refine the previous SFI Standard  System of principles, objectives and performance measures  Long-term protection of wildlife, plants, soil and water quality  SFI Program Participants must comply with the SFI Standard  Principles address economic, environmental, cultural and legal issues  Commitment to continuously improve SFM

 SFI Objectives are delivered through our EMS  Requires continuous improvement  EMS and SFI programs ensure that forest management activities and timber harvesting are well managed  SFI Program Participants must comply with all portions of the SFI Standard relevant to their operations, SFI Standard

 Applies to all forest lands in North America  Some of the applicable laws and regulations in BC and Canada include: BC Forest Act BC Forest and Range Practices Act Canadian Species at Risk Act  SFI program does not try to duplicate mandatory sustainable forestry legislation and processes  SFI Standard purposefully focuses on continual improvement SFI Standard

SFI Objectives Best Management Practices SFI Principles

SFI Principles In this section you will learn about the Principles for Sustainable Forestry.

Principles SFI Principles 1.Sustainable Forestry 2.Forest Productivity and Health 3.Protection of Water Resources 4.Protection of Biological Diversity 5.Aesthetics and Recreation 6.Protection of Special Sites 7.Responsible Fibre Sourcing Practices

Principles SFI Principles 8.Avoidance of Controversial Fibre Sources 9.Legal Compliance 10.Research 11.Training and Education 12.Public Involvement 13.Transparency (of audit findings) 14.Continual Improvement

SFI Objectives In this section you will learn about the Objectives for Sustainable Forestry.

Objectives for Sustainable Forestry SFI Objectives Some Program Participants own forestland, others own forestland and manufacturing facilities, and still others own manufacturing facilities only SFI Program Participants must comply with all portions of the standard that are relevant to their operations

Objectives for Sustainable Forestry SFI Objectives SFIS objectives 1-7 provide measures for forest land management. SFIS objectives 8 – 13 provides measures for fibre sourcing. These objectives do not apply to BCTS SFIS objectives provide measures for research, training, legal compliance, public and landowner involvement, communication and public reporting, management review, and continual improvement.

Objective 1: Forest Management Planning SFI Objectives To broaden implementation of sustainable forestry by ensuring long-term forest productivity and yield based on the use of the best scientific information available.

Objective 2: Forest Productivity SFI Objectives To ensure long-term forest productivity, carbon storage, and conservation of forest resources through prompt reforestation, soil conservation, afforestation, and other measures.

Objective 3: Protection and Maintenance of Water Resource SFI Objectives To protect water quality in rivers, streams, lakes, and other water bodies

Objective 4: Conservation of Biological Diversity including Forests of Exceptional Conservation Value SFI Objectives To manage the quality and distribution of wildlife habitats and contribute to the conservation of biological diversity by developing and implementing stand and landscape level measures that promote habitat diversity and the conservation of forest plants and animals, including aquatic species.

Objective 5: Management of Visual Quality and Recreational Benefits SFI Objectives To manage the visual impact of forest operations and provide recreational opportunities for the public.

Objective 6: Protection of Special Sites SFI Objectives To manage lands that are ecologically, geologically or culturally important in a manner that takes into account their unique qualities.

Objective 7: Efficient Use of Forest Resource SFI Objectives To promote the efficient use of forest resources

Objectives 8-13: Fibre Sourcing Objectives SFI Objectives Relate to wood procurement activities by SFI Program Participants Not Applicable to BCTS

Objective 14: Legal and Regulatory Compliance SFI Objectives Compliance with applicable federal, provincial and local laws and regulations.

Objective 15: Forest Research, Science and Technology SFI Objectives To support forestry research, science and technology upon which sustainable forest management decisions are based

Objective 16: Training and Education SFI Objectives To improve the implementation of sustainable forestry practices through appropriate training and education programs.

Objective 17: Community Involvement in the Practice of Sustainable Forestry SFI Objectives To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry by encouraging the public and forestry community to participate in commitment to sustainable forestry, and publicly report progress

Objective 18: Public Land Management Responsibilities SFI Objectives To promote and implement sustainable forest management on public lands

Objective 19: Communications and Public Reporting SFI Objectives To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry by documenting progress and opportunities for improvement

Objective 20: Management Review and Continual Improvement SFI Objectives To promote continual improvement in the practice of sustainable forestry, and to monitor, measure, and report performance in achieving the commitment to sustainable forestry

Best Management Practices In this section you will learn about the BCTS Best Management Practices (BMPs) that are currently available.

BCTS is certified to the ISO Environmental Management System (EMS) standard. BCTS SFI Best Management Practices (BMPs) include EMS Operational Controls, such as: Environmental Operating Procedures (EOPs) Environmental Field Procedures (EFPs) Forms and Checklists Environmental Emergency Response Plans (eERPs) Local Operational Controls Adherence to BCTS SFI BMPs will ensure activities are conducted in a manner that is consistent with the BCTS SFM and Environmental Policies. BCTS SFI BMPs

EOPs and EFPs provide workers with Best Management Practices to be followed for the following types of activities: EOPs Planning, LP Operations, BCTS Projects, LWCP Planning and Operations, Incident Reports. EFPs General, Project Supervision, Development and Planning, Roads, Bridges and Culverts, Harvesting, Fuel Handling, Dryland Sort, Marine Log Handling Facilities EOPs and EFPs are located on the BCTS EMS Websites maintained by Business Areas (BAs) : BCTS SFI BMPs

In addition to EOPs and EFPs, BCTS BAs have developed additional Best Management Practices that apply locally: Examples include: Standard Operating Procedures, Heavy Rainfall Shutdown (Skeena BA) Water Disruption Emergency Response Plan for Community and Domestic Consumptive Use Watersheds for BCTS Client Use (Kootenay BA) Ground Based Harvesting Guidelines (Strait of Georgia BA) For a complete list of BCTS Provincial and local EMS /SFM-related BMPs, see the BCTS BA Certification web pages BCTS SFI BMPs

Summary  One of the significant objectives is to show continuous improvement throughout all of the aspects of the program  Training sessions in both the EMS and SFI programs ensure staff, licensees and contractors are kept up-to-date  Ensures that our forest management activities and the timber we sell will have undergone stringent oversight  Adherence to BCTS SFI BMPs will ensure activities are conducted in a manner that is consistent with the BCTS SFM and Environmental Policies.

You have now completed the Sustainable Forestry Initiative General Awareness Training Sustainable Forestry Initiative General Awareness Training Congratulations!