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 Woodlot
and Community Forest Agreement Planning and Practices
Page Contents:
What are the changes
in December 2002?
The following graphic illustrates the transition
in the planning framework for woodlot licence holders. Details
on plans under the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA)
will be covered in future training programs (Spring 2003). Note:
Woodlot silviculture prescriptions approved before November
30, 1998 are not shown in this illustration--but will carry
on to free growing.
Click
here to view the Woodlot and CFA framework graphic. Link
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to this web page.
How Woodlot FDPs
are Affected
Woodlot FDPs are affected by amendments to
Section 19 of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia
Act.
All Woodlot FDPs that are in
effect when the amendments to the FPC come into force, and
are due to expire before April 1, 2005, are automatically extended
to April 1, 2005. A Woodlot FDP that is due to expire after
April 1, 2005, could remain in effect until the expiry date
specified in the FDP approval letter. For example, a Woodlot
FDP that is due to expire in 2010 could continue in effect until
2010. Woodlot FDPs that expired
within one year before these amendments coming into force, are
also automatically extended until April 1, 2005. The ability
to extend a Woodlot FDP for up to one year has been eliminated.
These extensions will allow woodlot licence
holders to continue to operate under their approved FDPs before
they need to prepare and obtain approval of a new Woodlot Licence
Plan under the Forest & Range Practices Act (FRPA).
Woodlot FDPs that have been automatically extended do not need
to be amended to meet the current requirements of the Forest
Practices Code of British Columbia Act and regulations,
and they can be amended to propose additional harvesting and
roads. Once the District Manager approves a new Woodlot Licence
Plan under FRPA, the approval automatically cancels any FDP
that may be in effect.
How Community
Forest Agreements FDPs are Affected
FDPs for Community Forest Agreements are
not automatically extended until April 1, 2005. A Community
Forest Agreement FDP will expire on the date specified in the
FDP approval letter, unless the FDP is extended for up to one
year. A Community Forest Agreement FDP that is extended does
not need to be amended to meet the current requirements of the
Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act and regulations.
Minor Operational
Plan Amendments
A new Section 42.1 of the Forest Practices
Code of British Columbia Act allows minor operational plan
amendments to be made without District Manager approval.
Section 24.1 of the Woodlot Licence Forest
Management Regulation (WLFMR) specifies a list of amendments
that can be made to an FDP, silviculture prescription or site
plan without requiring District Manager approval. A copy of
the amendment must be submitted to the District Manager. FDP
amendments not requiring District Manager approval are not required
to be advertised or undergo review and comment. An amendment
to WLFMR section 24(2) also eliminates the need for an RPF signature
and seal on an amendment to a Silviculture Prescription or Site
Plan that changes the areas of a harvested cutblock because
of a more accurate field traverse. Minor amendments resulting
in additional harvesting or road construction must be authorized
through a Cutting Permit or Road Permit.
Reduced FDP
Content Requirements
Sections 10 to 13 of the WLFMR amends the
content requirements for CFA and Woodlot FDPs-including amendments.
Examples of reduced FDP content include:
- elimination
of requirements associated with green-up and maximum cutblock
size;
- modification
of the requirement for a comprehensive strategy for wildlife
tree retention; and
- reduction
in the number of forest resource values that require measures
to protect.
Harvesting
of Bark Beetle Infested Timber
The term "harvesting of bark beetle
infested timber" has been redefined to include bark beetle-killed
timber from which beetles have left, in addition to trees that
are currently infested with larvae or adult bark beetles. This
change allows increased opportunity for FDP and Site Plan exemptions
for harvesting and road construction to deal with bark beetle
infestations on woodlots and CFAs.
Site Plans for
Woodlots and CFAs
Woodlot Licence and CFA holders must continue
to prepare site plans (under the WLFMR), and have them approved
by the District Manager. Once a Woodlot Licence Plan is approved
under the FRPA, site plans will not be required for new cutblocks
on woodlot licences. The District Manager can continue to grant
site plan exemptions based on WLFMR sections 14(1) and 22.01(2).
The new requirements for (non-approved) site plans for major
licencees do not apply to woodlots or CFAs.
Backlog
Silviculture Prescriptions Eliminated
The definition of a "backlog area"
has been repealed. Backlog silviculture prescriptions are no
longer required and existing backlog silviculture prescriptions
are no longer in effect.
Road Requirements
for Woodlots and CFAs
Woodlot licencees do not need to prepare
road layout and designs unless District Manager approval is
required under WLFMR 43(3). Road layout and design approval
is required in the same situations as for major licencees -
when the road is proposed to be located:
- in a
riparian reserve zone or riparian management zone, (other
than at a crossing);
- within
100m upslope of a known licensed community water supply intake;
or
- on unstable
or potentially unstable terrain where design measures will
not result in the least likelihood of a landslide.
Section 41.1(2) of the WLFMR exempts woodlot
and CFA holders from the new requirement of Section 60(3) of
the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act to
make road layout and designs publicly available.
Sections 44 to 57 of the WLFMR have been
repealed and replaced with wording the parallels sections 4
to17 of the Forest Road Regulation.
Practice
Requirements in Woodlots and CFAs
Amendments to section 35 of the WLFMR eliminate
the requirement for agreement of a Designated Environment Official
before harvesting, felling, or modifying trees in a Riparian
Reserve Zone.
A new section 62.01 of the WLFMR provides
authority to construct excavated or bladed trails on areas covered
by both a Site Plan and a Cutting Permit as long the requirements
of WLFMR sections 13.1 and 60 to 62 are met and constructing
the trail does not result in the maximum limit for soil disturbance
being exceeded.
An amendment to section 68 of the WLFMR eliminates
the requirement to be authorized by the District Manager before
constructing a temporary stream crossing. All other requirements
with respect to temporary stream crossings continue to apply.
Section 81(12) of the WLFMR contains the
new description of what constitutes a countable conifer for
purposes of maximum density (same as the new criteria that apply
to major licencee s).
Section 88 of the WLFMR has been amended
so that regeneration assessments are no longer mandatory by
the regeneration date. The District Manager can require a Silviculture
Survey if satisfied that regeneration date stocking has not
been established or maintained. A Woodlot or CFA holder can
be exempted from the requirement to complete a Free Growing
Survey if the District Manager is satisfied that a Free Growing
Stand has been established on an area and the licencee provides
a Map with required silviculture and inventory information.
Sections 88.1 and 88.2 have been added to
the WLFMR to create new provisions associated with making free
growing declarations under Section 162. 1 of the Forest Practices
Code of British Columbia Act and the district manager providing
relief or funding under Section 162.2 of the Forest Practices
Code of British Columbia Act if an area with an obligation
to establish a free growing stand of trees is damaged (e.g.
by a wildfire).
Applicable
Legislation
Appendix A (
269 Kb) summarizes the amendments to the Forest
Practices Code of British Columbia Act that impact planning
and practices for woodlots and CFAs.
The applicable regulation for Woodlots is
the Woodlot Licence Forest Management Regulation (WLFMR). The
WLFMR has been amended--new, repealed and amended sections are
listed in Appendix
B (
388 Kb) of this Primer.
The Operational and Site Planning Regulation,
Forest Road Regulation and Timber Harvesting and Silviculture
Practices Regulation do not apply to Woodlot or CFA holders.
Downloads
Recorded Presentations
Audio and slide presentations were made to
provide information to session participants from subject matter
experts. For
more information about the format and use of these files, click
here. (A new browser window will be opened: close that window
to return to this page).
We have provided the Powerpoint overheads,
a transcription of the session, a PDF file of the overhead handouts
(3 slides per page), and the full presentation with audio.
- Woodlots
and Community Forest Agreements
Written Materials
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