How to use this web site and where to find information:

Note: this page is updated with the December 13, 2004 (objectives matrix Ver: 3.1), February 24, 2005 (Ver: 3.2), March 2005 (Ver: 3.3), 2006 (Ver: 3.4), 2007 (Ver: 3.5), 2008 (Ver: 3.6), 2009 (Ver: 3.7) amendments to FRPA and regulations.

• The sign:indicates that new information has been added.
• The sign: indicates that this page or a section has been modified or updated on May 18, 2009.

SUMMARY OF HIERARCHY:

• Responsible Agency: the Ministry of Forests & Range (MoFR) is the mandated agency to address forage and associated plant communities values.
• Hierarchy of Direction: FRPA provides the foundation for directions, however other legal direction can augment or replace.
  • Currently* there are no other directions referring to forage and associated plant communities.
• Rationale for hierarchy of direction: This is the direction that reflects hierarchy (refine; replace; adds to; consistent with; or no conflicts) when more than one objective exists in a particular area for a particular element.
  • Currently* there are no conflicting objectives referring to forage and associated plant communities values.
• Area of Application: defined geographic extent, sub-set of planning area:
  • The forage and associated plant communities objectives apply to the entire SIFD area.
  • Currently* is one range agreement in the SIFD area.

BREAKDOWN OF DIRECTION:

I. Land Use Objectives:

• Legal objectives and strategies are contained within approved Higher Level Plans (HLP).
• Currently* the Vancouver Island Land Use Plan (VILUP) is the higher level plan in the SIFD,
• The Higher Level Plan Order signed on October 2000 establishes the legally binding objectives,
• Currently* there are no land use objectives referring to soils in the HLP for the SIFD.

II. Objectives in Regulations:

• These objectives are set in Sec. 149 of Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), Objectives Set By Government (OSBG) and apply province-wide, and are the most general type of objectives.
• Sec. 7 (RPPR), of Range Planning and Practices Regulation, sets the Objectives for forage:

"The objectives set by government for forage and associated plant communities are as follows:

(a) maintain or enhance healthy plant communities, including their vigor and cover;

(b) maintain or enhance forage quality and quantity for livestock and wildlife;

(c) recruit desirable plants, including through forage seeding;

(d) maintain a variety of age classes and structural characteristics within plant communities;

(e) maintain or improve litter;

(f) enable a range agreement holder, in the exercise of its grazing or haycutting rights granted by the government, to be vigorous, efficient and world competitive.

Intent: Objectives in regulations are intended to provide goalposts for managing and protecting FRPA values. Results and strategies in operational plans must address and be consistent with these objectives.

Changing Objectives: New or modified objectives in regulation are established through the legislative drafting and amendment process. Objectives in regulations cannot be changed or alternatives proposed at a local level.

III. Objectives Enabled by Regulations:

There are no provisions in the regulations (FPPR) for ministers to establish forage and associated plant related objectives.

IV. Grandparented Designations & Objectives:

Existing objectives established under the Forest Practices Code will be grandparented to FRPA as objectives enabled by regulations

• Currently* there are no grandparented designations and objectives referring to forage and associated plant communities for the SIFD.

V. Practice Requirements for forage and associated plant communities are:

Currently* there are no requirements ("default results or strategies") in the the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation (FPPR) for forage and associated plant communities,

Practice requirement are covered partially by the Minister of Forests who may establish range developments as a resource feature that must be protected:

• Sec. 70 (1) (FPPR) Resource features

  "An authorized person who carries out a primary forest activity must ensure that the primary forest activity does not damage or render ineffective a resource feature."

VI. Factors to Consider in Developing Results & Strategies:

There are no factors in regulation (FPPR) to consider in developing results and strategies for forage and associated plant communities.

VII. Exemptions: The Minister of Forests may grant an exceptions to the practice requirements in regulation for forage and associated plant communities under:

• Sec. 70 (1), Resource features
• Sec 91 (5), Minister may grant exemptions

VIII. Measures: The Act requires licensees to specify, in FSP:

• Measures to prevent the spread of invasive plants listed in Sec. 2 of the Invasive Plant Regulation
• Sec. 47 (FRPA) Invasive plants A person carrying out a forest practice or a range practice must carry out measures that are

  (a) specified in the applicable operational plan, or

  (b) authorized by the minister

  to prevent the introduction or spread of prescribed species of invasive plants.

• Measures to mitigate the impact of removing natural range barriers
• Sec. 48 (FRPA) Natural range barriers

  "(1) A person carrying out

  (a) a forest practice, or

  (b) a range practice

  that directly or indirectly removes or renders ineffective a natural range barrier must carry out measures that are

  (c) specified in an operational plan for the area, or

  (d) authorized by the minister

  to mitigate the removal or the ineffectiveness of the natural range barrier.

  (2) The minister, in writing, may exempt persons from the subsection (1). "

IX. Cumulative Impact: When establishing objectives, the appropriate minister, or delegate must consider the impact of the proposed objective on the provincial timber supply and cumulative impact on rights granted to timber, woodlot or range agreement holders.

Sec. 19, (FPPR) Division 2.1. Cumulative effect of multiple forest stewardship plans

For the purpose of section 9 [proportional objectives] of the Act, the minister may establish targets referred to in that section, if, where there are likely to be multiple forest stewardship plans within an area,

(a) one or more agreement holders may be unduly constrained in the specifying of results or strategies in the holder's plan unless targets are established under section 9 of the Act,

(b) the agreement holders within the area are unable to reach an agreement that would remove the constraints referred to in paragraph (a),

(c) an agreement holder subject to a constraint referred to in paragraph (a) requests the minister to act under section 9 of the Act, and

(d) the minister is satisfied that a fair and effective order can be made under this section."

X. New Objectives: Once a new objective has been in place for at least four months:

• New operational plans must contain results and strategies to address the new objective if applicable to the area under the plan
• Existing operational plans must be amended to address the new objective if applicable to the area under the plan
• The Government can reduce this four month period for some objectives.

Forage and Associated Plant Communities Related Resources:

• Forest Practices Branch Range Section web site

FRPA Resource Evaluation Program:

• For effectiveness evaluation related questions visit the FRPA Resource Evaluation Program web site
• For a collection of soils-related resources and other supporting materials visit the: FRPA Resource Evaluation Program web site forage section

Forage Conservation and Invasive Plants Links:

• Plant Communities and Habitat Indicators and Protocols
• http://www.coastalinvasiveplants.com/
  http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/weedguid/weedguid.htm
  http://www.invasiveplantcouncilbc.ca/
  http://www.weedsbc.ca/index.html
  http://www.weedcenter.org/

Resource Values Indicators Site:

• List of Resource Value Indicators

Other FRPA values: select form the list below:

• Objectives Matrix Introduction
• Objectives Set by Government for the FRPA Values
• Objectives Matrix FTP Site Content List
• Objectives Matrix FTP site

1. Soils
2. Timber including Forest Health
3. Wildlife
4. Fish
5. Water
6. Biodiversity
7. Cultural Heritage Resources
8. Resource Features
9. Recreation Resources
10. Visual Quality
11. Forage and Associated Plant Communities

Disclaimer: Please note that the government is under no obligation to develop or provide the objectives matrix to FRPA stakeholders. The matrix was developed to assist those who prepare operational plans with identifying objectives for which results and strategies must be developed within operational plans. The Ministry of Forests does not make any guarantees with respect to the accuracy, currency and reliability of the information contained within this objectives matrix.
It is the plan proponent's responsibility to ensure that all legal requirements are met.

The legislation extracts quoted in the text of this web site are for the users convenience only and they do not have legal status.
For the official legal text, please refer to the Queens Printer legal publications.