1 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009 Forest and Range Practices ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices

2 Panel Members Sandy Currie, Technical Advisor Timber Harvesting Practices – Forest Practices Branch Rick Monchak, Operations Forester TFL Forest Ltd. Lloyd Davies, Visual Resource Specialist Coastal Forest Region Justin Kumagai, Resident Engineer Western Forest Products Ltd.

3 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Overview Duties of a forest professional FRPA values Functional architecture of FRPA Visual Quality Management Silviculture Roads Discussion

4 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Duties of a Forest Professional? I.Advocate and practice good stewardship of forest resources II.Balance the many diverse values of society III.Apply sound ecological principles to forest management

5 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices FRPA Values Soils Timber Fish Wildlife Biodiversity Water Resource Features Recreation Resources Visual Quality Cultural Heritage Resources

6 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices The Rules – practice requirements Plan requirements –FSPs and Site Plans –Results and strategies to achieve OSBG Practice requirements in FRPA FPPR regulations –Apply regardless of what is in the FSP

7 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices The Rules – practice requirements Licence and contract obligations Professional obligations Other Legislation...

8 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices The Rules – practice requirements Other legislation –WorkSafe BC, OH&S: –Part 26 - example, road design, steep grades and bridges –Part 4 - terrain stability assessments –Part 20 (20.78) - “excavations” PEng reports for slopes greater than 3H:1V These currently do, or will, require professional assessments.

9 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Forest and Range Practices Visual Quality Management

10 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Managing for Visual Quality Not this! Forestry activities that are out of character with the landscape. Is about Forestry activities that fit the landscape 34 ha 29 ha

11 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Managing for Visual Quality – Overview Visual Landscape Inventory Scenic Areas Visual Quality Objectives

12 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices FRPA Requirements A FSP must specify intended results/strategies, in relation to OSBG for visual quality or for VQOs. Results or strategies for VQOs/OSBG may be certified by a professional, signifying that the results and strategies meet the content and approval tests. The holder of a FSP must ensure that the intended results specified in the plan are achieved, or the strategies are carried out. The FSP must be consistent with OSBG for visual quality and with VQOs.

13 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Relevance to the professional The professional should: Ensure that the most up-to-date and accurate information available, is being used to prescribe R/S. Prepare Results or Strategies that are measurable or verifiable and be sufficient to allow achievement of VQOs. Should ensure visual design concepts and principles are applied to on the ground operations. Should carryout some level of visual impact assessment at the site plan stage to know that the R/S prescribed will be consistent with VQOs.

14 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Forest and Range Practices Silviculture

15 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Silviculture FRPA –Freedom to manage –Results oriented FRPA –Stocking standards

16 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Silviculture Stocking standards: Developed by professionals and approved within the FSP Designed with consideration of the objectives for a site

17 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Silviculture Stocking standards: Could and should be developed for a variety of objectives. For example: stocking standards for an area being managed as deer winter range could have different desired species and density outcomes than an area being managed for timber.

18 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Silviculture Stocking standards: FRPA assigns an obligation to reforest for areas harvested on Crown land. The obligation is met when the criteria for the applicable stocking standard has been met.

19 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Silviculture Stocking standards: Tree species deployment across the landscape is a current concern in some ecosystems. Professional should develop plans and consider strategies that will guide management of tree species within stands and at the landscape level.

20 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Silviculture It’s important to know what may alter your plans

21 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Seed Use Goal is to maintain: –Identity –Adaptability –Diversity –Productivity (of province’s tree gene resources) Control of collections Transfer guidelines –FPC variance –FRPA CF standards (5%)

22 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Forest and Range Practices Forest Roads

23 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Forest Roads What are Forest Road Practices? Planning, Layout and Design Construction Maintenance Deactivation

24 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Forest Roads What is a Forest Road? Structure that provides access Safely In an environmentally sound manner Key success factors: Understand the reason for access Understand mother nature –ground materials –water –gravity Know your limits 90% are state of the art 10% require specialist knowledge

25 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Forest Roads Know where to find information Know where to go for help

26 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Forest Roads

27 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Making it work How are you going to make it work as a professional? What do you need to be prepared for? Mother Nature Human Nature

28 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Making it work Just have good answers to some key questions, like...

29 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Some Questions to Answer What are you trying to accomplish? Who are you doing it for? What are the implications? Do you need or have approvals? How do you know if it will be a problem or not? Risk management.

30 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Some Questions to Answer Who can you turn to for help? What if you make a mistake? How to deal with a problem you encounter? Are there systems in place to manage it?...

31 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Tools for Success Be confident in your abilities. Make informed decisions. Know when and where to go for help: –BMPs (aka guidebooks) –The forestry team –Consultants

32 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Forest and Range Practices Questions?

33 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Discussion Questions You arrive in an active harvest area and notice a previously-unrecorded cultural heritage resource feature you think might qualify as a significant resource feature. What do you do?

34 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Discussion Questions What things would you consider in determining whether to use “default” practice requirements as stated in the regulation, or to craft your own alternatives? What types of information, if any, might you have to provide in order to help the district manager determine that your alternative results/strategies are measurable or verifiable? Does it matter if the “standard” ministry method of measuring differs from the methodology you might use?

35 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Discussion Questions What is the difference in visual requirements between a Woodlot Licence Plan and Forest Stewardship Plan? (R/S not required. Forest activities must be consistent with objective) How might a District Manager determine if R/S are consistent with the VQO? (Effectiveness Evaluation)

36 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Discussion Questions How might the requirement to “not damage or render ineffective” a resource feature result in different practices for different types of features? Could the practices be different in different parts of the province? For example, what might you do to protect a bear den, an area of Karst topography, or a rock-climbing feature?

37 ABCFP Policy Review Seminar 2009: Forest and Range Practices Discussion questions: Practices At what stage in the FSP planning process would the professional determine if the prescribed result & strategies will be consistent with the VQO? (Site Plan) How might the professional determine if they are are consistent? (Visual Impact Assessment) If the prescribed R/S will not result in consistency with the established VQO what are your options? (Modify the result or strategy to be consistent) (Apply for an exemption from preparing a R/S that is consistent)