Special Investigation – SIR/21
April 2008
RECOMMENDATIONS
- The Ministry of Environment should promptly establish deer winter range areas in the Chilliwack Forest District or amend the Section 7 notice to include the appropriate non‐contributing land base (NCLB) portion before harvesting removes further options.
- Given the observed harvest levels in the NCLB and the importance of some old growth management areas (OGMAs) in providing old forest areas of adequate size to contain interior forest habitat and support landscape connectivity, the Integrated Land Management Bureau should complete the legal establishment of the (currently) draft OGMAs in these two districts and reconsider its proposed provincial policy for ending spatial establishment of OGMAs in 2008.
Response to Recommendations
Complaint Investigation – IRC/135
March 2008
RECOMMENDATION
Government approve proposed new or updated strategic plans and the associated proposed FRPA objectives in areas where the harvest levels have increased to deal with the MPB epidemic.
Special Investigation – SIR/20
2008 - revised January 2009
RECOMMENDATIONS
- The current regulations and policies do not provide strategic direction to help determine when silvicultural systems and/or harvest approaches with high amounts of retention should be used. The Ministry of Forests and Range should provide strategic direction to guide licensees on appropriate approaches for high amounts of retention, based on clear strategic objectives for the full range of values over time, including timber species/values.
- In addition, the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) should provide guidance to members to ensure they are using appropriate professional diligence in the design of high retention silvicultural prescriptions on the coast.
- The Ministry of Forests and Range should require clear, achievable and measurable up-front targets for post-harvest retention levels. Stocking standards should require the use of residual basal area ranges with compliance limits at both the lower and upper end. Some characterization of vigour and economic viability should be used to allow trees to contribute to stocking. Ultimately, retention stocking standards must be designed so they can be audited for compliance, and monitored for effectiveness.
- The Ministry of Forests and Range should develop policy about ‘opportunity cuts’ with no expectations of future yield (and therefore no silvicultural system) which should be considered, for example, in areas constrained from harvest due to other objectives, such as slope stability concerns.
Response to Recommendations - Government
Response to Recommendation - ABCFP
