Cutblocks in the Silverdaisy area is an example of the "retention" cutting system,
where patches of trees are left to provide shelter and assist with natural regeneration

Location

The Silverdaisy is 5,746 hectares in size and is flanked by Skagit Valley Provincial Park to the south west, and by Manning Provincial Park to the north, south and east. As it is surrounded by parks, the area is sometimes called the “hole in the donut.” Although the area is outside park boundaries, it is bisected by the 10-kilometre the Silverdaisy Trail.

The Silverdaisy is subject to numerous mineral claims for gold and silver. Small-scale, high-grade underground mines have operated in this area since the 1930s, although there is no active mine in the area today. Exploration programs over the last 10 years indicate that significant mineral potential exists and a large mine may be possible.

In 1996, the majority of Skagit Valley Recreation Area, some 28,000 hectares, was declared as Class A Park under the Protected Areas Strategy for the Lower Mainland. The new park boundary excluded existing mineral claims, the Skagit Provincial Forest, some vacant Crown land and a small area of the original recreation area. The decision was intended to provide certainty to the mining and forest industries by allowing development activities to continue.

Silverdaisy is an area of Crown land about 5,700 hectares in size,
adjacent to Skagit Valley and Manning provincial parks.

Forest Activities and the Northern Spotted Owl

In May 1997, the province approved the Spotted Owl Management Plan (SOMP). A key component of the plan was to designate about 204,000 hectares of Crown land in the Chilliwack and Squamish Forest Districts as Special Resource Management Zones for the northern spotted owl. These zones balance spotted owl management and forest management by taking environmental, social, and economical concerns into account.

In addition to the zones, about 159,000 hectares of potentially suitable owl habitat are permanently protected in parks and protected areas. As well, there are eight spotted owl Matrix Activity Areas in B.C., where activities are managed similarly to those in the zones.

All forest operations within the zones must be consistent with the Forest Management Objectives contained within the SOMP. Specific on-the-ground guidelines are contained within Resource Management Plans (PMP) developed jointly by Ministry of Forests, Water, Land and Air Protection and forest licensees. As well, forestry operators must comply with all the provisions of the Forest Practices Code or the Forest and Range Practices Act.

A portion of the Silverdaisy falls within a Special Resource Management Zone (SRMZ). Within each zone, a minimum of 67% (about two-thirds) of suitable owl habitat must be maintained over the long term. The most suitable habitats for spotted owls have already been identified. The balance of the zone is then considered as Forest Management Area (FMA). Commercial harvesting is allowed to proceed since the required long-term owl habitat is already being maintained in other areas of the zone. Harvesting operations in the FMA must meet the requirements set out in the SOMP and RMP. For example, loggers must leave at least 40 of the biggest trees per hectare, with varied distribution patterns.

 
 

This map shows the location of cutblocks in Silverdaisy-Cayuse Flats.
These areas will be harvested using the retention system,
where patches of trees are left within each block.

Further information for the Northern Spotted Owls and their Management Plan, visit the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Lower Mainland Region website:

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/sry/fwh/wildlife/srmz.htm
 

Spotted Owl Detection

Field surveys to locate spotted owls have been conducted almost annually since the early 1990s. In the case of the Silverdaisy, no spotted owl has been detected. The nearest recent spotted owl detection is some 10 kilometres away from the approved harvest blocks.


Visual Landscape Management

Portions of the Silverdaisy can be seen from Highway 3, although the highway corridor itself is located within Manning Park. Prior to approval of harvesting, a full visual assessment was completed. The results showed that the harvesting will meet the recommended visual quality standards.

A computer generated image of the Cutblocks

Approved Harvesting

In January 2004, BC Timber Sales sold by auction a two-year timber sale licence to Ivis Wood Products Ltd. The licence totals about 60,000 cubic metres of timber, divided between 5 cutblocks. The blocks cover 105 hectares, while 89 hectares are to be retained as they are. The total revenue to the Province is $1.8 million. Based on previous studies of the economic results of forestry activities, the District estimates that this timber sale will support a total of 28 person years of direct employment and a further 56 person years of indirect, or spin-off, employment (based on factors used in the social economic analysis report from the Fraser Timber Supply Review 2).


Harvesting Status Update

As of May 20, Ivis Wood Products Ltd. has completed harvesting on two of the five cutblocks and is completing work on the third. Trees in the third block contained higher levels of decay (rot) than expected. Harvesting operations in this block is still on going.

Once harvesting activities are concluded, the areas must be reforested by law. This work will be conducted by BC Timber Sales.

This landing is where logs are sorted and loaded onto trucks.
Harvesting operations are still on going in this area.

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