8.3 Program Descriptions

8.3.1 Harvesting

Program

The Harvesting Program has four functional areas.

Engineering is responsible for maintaining an effective and efficient forest access network. This road network, which in total length far exceeds the provincial highway system, includes:

• Forest Service roads, built for the ministry and maintained by the ministry or forest companies that use them
• operations roads, built and maintained by forest companies.

Property Services acquires the land base for Forest Service roads and sites to ensure legal, unhindered access or use for the ministry’s Harvesting, Silviculture, Protection, Recreation and Research Programs.

Timber Harvesting is responsible for administering the apportionment and commitment of allowable annual cut (AAC) for timber supply areas (TSAs) and tree farm licences (TFLs), and for issuing and administering timber harvesting agreements and permits for building roads and cutting timber. Staff approve harvesting plans and monitor harvesting activities to ensure compliance with provisions endorsed at all planning levels.

Valuation ensures that the Crown receives a fair return from the harvesting of its timber and that the stumpage burden is equitably distributed among licensees. Staff administer policy and procedures related to measurement and assessment, and billing for timber harvested on Crown land.

Major Achievements Since 1984 FRRA

Engineering

• provided engineering input to the Forest Practices Code
• revised the Engineering Manual, including a new chapter on monitoring licensees
• provided engineering input to the Watershed Rehabilitation Program
• developed standards and procedures for assessment surveys of abandoned forest roads
• built access roads for the SBFEP (since 1985)

Property Services

• amended Section 5 of the Ministry of Forests Act, giving the ministry limited power to dispose of land
• acquired the land base for 300 Forest Service sites for recreation, research and roads
• acquired right-of-way through 750 parcels of private property for approximately 400 Forest Service roads, at a cost of $7 million
• transferred parts of 34 Forest Service roads to the Ministry of Transportation and Highways to provide better service for the public; through transfer from the Ministry of Transportation and Highways, obtained parts of seven highways to facilitate greater industrial use

Timber Harvesting

• established a Small Business Forest Enterprise account to receive all revenues from program timber sales and to finance all program activity expenditures
• developed procedures and standards for monitoring harvesting activities on forest tenures
• amended the Forest Act to legislate cut control provisions on forest tenures

Valuation

• transferred responsibility for scaling and associated costs from government to industry (1985)
• made limited provisions for industry to transmit 10% of scale data electronically (1988)
• introduced log grading to B.C. Interior (1988)
• introduced new method for pricing timber (the comparative value pricing system)
• implemented major stumpage increases effective May 1, 1994, to help fund the Forest Renewal Plan
• introduced a “zero waste” policy, whereby all material left on the ground that should have been removed at time of harvest will be billed at full stumpage and charged against the licensee’s AAC (1990).

8.3.2 Research

Program

Research staff focus on applied research in environmental and biological sciences and on communicating results to clients — the public, forest resources sector and other government departments. Cooperative projects with other research agencies throughout the province are ongoing.

The Research Program includes silviculture research for forest renewal and timber production, as well as research on sustainable and integrated resource management. The latter is a study of ecosystems and the effects of resource management practices on soil, water and wildlife resources. It seeks to develop ways to better integrate human activities with ecological processes and wildlife species.

Major Achievements Since 1984 FRRA

• refined the province’s biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification system, the foundation for forest management decisions

• developed genetically improved trees with faster growth rates, superior wood quality and disease resistance

• made major advances in cost-effective technologies for seed procurement, nursery culture and conifer plantation establishment to support the province’s reforestation program, which expanded rapidly during the 1980s

• provided expert consulting advice on local and provincial land use issues (e.g., Carmanah Valley and Clayoquot Sound)

• developed ecologically sound alternatives to clearcutting and made advances in hardwood and mixed-wood management

• developed new knowledge on behavior, habitat requirements and distribution of wildlife species, with emphasis on maintaining adequate habitats across the landscape

• completed long-term studies of coastal deer and elk (the Integrated Wildlife Intensive Forestry Research Program), interior mule deer and coastal grizzly bears, to reduce conflict between forest management activities and wildlife habitat

• developed computer models to help evaluate silviculture options in managed stands and analyze timber supply

• improved understanding of the effects of harvesting on water quality, slope stability, fish habitat and stream processes (e.g., the Fish-Forestry Interaction Program)

• developed decision support tools to help resolve resource use conflicts between forest resource users

• initiated studies about physical and ecological processes in soils and about the environmental impacts of management practices such as harvesting and prescribed fire

• published six regional field guides for ecosystem identification and interpretation

• produced numerous research reports and landmark publications, including Plants of Northern British Columbia,[193] and Plants of Coastal British Columbia.[194]

8.3.3 Integrated Resource Management

Program

Resource Planning provides for multi-stakeholder involvement in planning integrated resource use. Through resource planning, social values and desires are translated into management strategies, objectives and guidelines for land and resources within defined geographic areas. Resource plans document management direction and aid decision-making.

Range Management has a mandate to protect and conserve Crown range ecosystems while meeting the needs of livestock, wildlife and other resources. Activities include treatments to enhance forage production and quality for the ranching industry and numerous wildlife species.

Recreation Management works to protect and manage recreation resources — including scenic landscapes and wilderness — and to maintain opportunities for public outdoor recreation throughout B.C.’s public forest lands. These lands include Crown forest lands and other Crown lands outside of parks and settled areas, such as non-municipal and rural settlements.

Corporate Policy and Planning, created during the 1991-92 fiscal year, assists the ministry executive and senior managers on current and emerging issues, aboriginal initiatives, ministry legislation and inter-ministry policy and planning.

Economics and Trade, also created in 1991-92, directs and analyzes policies in resource economics, industry economics, forest resource revenue, forest products trade and log exports.

Together, these functional areas integrate the management of Crown timber, range and recreation resources, develop corporate policies and coordinate forest planning processes, and undertake economic analysis to assess and design forest management policies.

In carrying out these tasks, program staff:

• ensure sound stewardship of forests and rangelands

• prepare integrated resource plans

• prepare resource analyses such as timber supply and demand, alternative forest management practices and benefit/cost, many of which support the chief forester in determining harvest levels

• set forest practice standards to achieve IRM objectives

• communicate objectives and management priorities to resource agencies, forest and ranching industries, the outdoor recreation community and the public

• administer range tenures for forage (livestock use) and negotiate a fair price for Crown forage

• protect recreation resources on forests and rangelands, including landscape aesthetics and wilderness

• manage and regulate public recreation use on Crown forest lands

• provide recreation sites, interpretive forest sites and recreation trails throughout the province for public use

• coordinate the ministry’s corporate planning, legislative activity and policy development

• address aboriginal land claims

• promote aboriginal involvement in the forest sector

• foster development of Crown forests and forest industry and manage forest-related trade matters

• analyze the environmental, social and economic impacts of various resource management and land use activities.

Major Achievements Since 1984 FRRA

Resource Planning

• introduced Land and Resource Management Planning at the subregional level to promote multi-stakeholder, integrated resource planning (1991)

• developed inter-ministry organizational structures that increase inter-ministry cooperation by participating in the new Land Use Coordination Office and Commission on Resources and Environment (CORE)

• developed provincial policy direction for land use planning through participation in processes such as Parks and Wilderness for the ‘90s, the Forest Resources Commission and CORE

• developed landscape-level planning (total resource planning)[195]

• initiated Timber Supply Review — a three-year review of timber supplies in British Columbia’s TSAs and TFLs

• participated in development of the Forest Practices Code, which will establish minimum standards for forest practices throughout the province

Range Management

• established range staff in many forest regions and districts, including a provincial weed control position in Kamloops

• replaced the Grazing Manual with a more comprehensive Range Manual

• conducted an extensive program review involving the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks and major client groups such as the Cattlemen’s Association, Guide Outfitters Association and the B.C. Wildlife Federation

• prepared a strategic plan for the Range Program, and developed business and personnel performance plans covering most aspects of its legislated mandate

• released 12 biological control agents (seven seed-head and five root feeders) to control two knapweed species in the Interior

• produced a field guide to biological control of weeds in B.C.

• received approval of 10 policies related to the allocation and administration of range tenures

• initiated a Range Reference Area Program as part of long-term monitoring of range conditions

• introduced comprehensive data management systems for mapping and administering range resources and tenures

Recreation Management

• completed a preliminary provincial recreation inventory (1983-84)

• announced a recreation corridor policy, a joint Ministry of Forests, B.C. Parks and Outdoor Recreation Council initiative (1984-85)

• developed procedures for integrating recreation in TSAs, TFLs and Local Resource Use Plans and developed a position paper on wilderness-type recreation (1984-85)

• added visual landscape staff to most regions (1985-86)

• completed the Recreation Manual (1985-86)

• began to enter recreation inventory in computerized forest inventory (1986-87)

• amended Forest Act to formally recognize wilderness and designated three wilderness areas (1987-88)

• released wilderness policy and developed initial wilderness system plan (1989-90)

• produced visual landscape analysis studies, for example Barkerville and Robson Bight (1989-90)

• participated in Parks and Wilderness for the ‘90s and associated public meetings held throughout B.C. (1990-91)

• prepared a proposed policy framework for demonstration or interpretive forests (1990-91)

• completely revised the Recreation Manual (1991)

• completed outdoor recreation survey report (1991-92)

• published undeveloped watershed inventories for B.C. and Vancouver Island (1991-92)

• released inventory on status of wilderness in B.C. (1991-92)

• developed visual landscape management guidelines (1991-92)

• amended Forest Act to improve recreation management and protection (1992-93)

• completed interagency B.C. resident wilderness survey (1992-93)

• assisted in developing and implementing Protected Areas Strategy (1992-93)

Corporate Policy and Planning

• conducted background research on issues, including regulation of private land, tree spiking and range management (1989-90)

• helped initiate and guide the Old Growth Strategy (1989-90)

• coordinated ministry presentation to and liaised with the Forest Resources Commission (1989-90)

• coordinated ministry’s legislative program, including Forest Act amendments (1990-91)

• initiated corporate planning process (1990-91)

• coordinated ministry contribution to and review of sustainable development initiatives, including Environment 2001, the federal government’s Green Plan and reports by the B.C. Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (1990-91)

• prepared the Five Year Forest and Range Resource Program for 1990-95 (1990-91) and for 1991-96 (1991-92)

• coordinated the Native Task Force on Forestry (1991-92)

• coordinated ministry response to inter-agency initiatives (1991-92)

• prepared and coordinated ministry’s legislative program, including amendments to Range Act and Forest Act (1991-92)

• developed the Aboriginal Forestry Advisory Program (1993-94)

Economics and Trade [196]

• reviewed trade issues affecting the forest products industry

• prepared socioeconomic assessments of possible changes in harvest levels resulting from the Timber Supply Review

• published and distributed a directory of wood-processing plants in the province

• funded forest products research

• reviewed proposals for new forest tenures

• coordinated economics research projects, including the Economic and Social Analyses Program of FRDA II

• managed the province’s interests in the Canada–United States softwood lumber trade dispute.