Timber

The Ministry of Forests and Range has initiated a Forest and Range Evaluation Program (FREP) to assess the impacts of Forest and Range Practices Act legislation, standards, policy and practices on 11 key resource values in the province. Timber is one of the key resource values that affects most if not all the other values.

The health, productivity and diversity of our future forests depend on replacing harvested stands with new growth stands of the same or improved species mix and genetic diversity. The focus of the Timber Resource Value Team is to set benchmarks and monitor maintaining the harvesting and regeneration of our productive forest lands to address the three questions below.

Overarching Timber Resource Value Questions

1. What are the impacts of FRPA legislation, standards, policy and practices on species and genetic diversity of forest stands at free growing, relative to stands harvested prior to and after December, 2005?
2. What are the impacts of FRPA legislation, standards, policy and practices on forest productivity (merchantable timber volume, value, and availability) of forest stands at free growing, relative to stands harvested prior to and after December, 2005?
3. What are the impacts of FRPA legislation, standards, policy and practices on forest health of forest stands at free growing, relative to stands harvested prior to and after December, 2005?

Phase One

In order to determine the impact of FRPA on species and genetic diversity, forest productivity (merchantable timber volume, value, and availability), and forest health, Phase 1 of a two-phase program will establish benchmarks of current standards and practices established under the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act (the Code) for comparison. Sufficient data is available on species, species mix, genetic worth, stocking standards, and forest health conditions from October, 1987 to December, 2003 to facilitate the establishment of key benchmarks.

Three questions posed in Phase 1 are:

1. What has been the impact of FPC on the tree species composition and levels of genetic diversity of forest stands harvested and regenerated prior to December, 2005, using October, 1987 to December 2003 as a benchmark, looking both at the:
   • Forest Stand Level, and
   • Landscape Level (TSA, SPZ/SPU, Region and Province)?
2. What has been the impact of FPC on forest productivity (merchantable timber volume, value, and availability) of forest stands harvested and regenerated prior to December, 2005, using October, 1987 to December 2003 as a benchmark, looking both at the:
   • Forest Stand Level), and
   • Landscape Level (TSA, SPZ/SPU, Region and Province)?
3. What has been the impact of FPC on the health of forest stands harvested and regenerated prior to December, 2005, using October, 1987 to December, 2003 as a benchmark, looking both at the:
   • Forest Stand Level), and
   • Landscape Level (TSA, SPZ/SPU, Region and Province)?

Specific project questions to answer above questions will be based on:

• Resource stewardship;
• TSR assumptions;
• Criteria and indicators; and
• Impact to/ integration with other FRPA values (e.g., biodiversity).

Phase Two

Phase 1 will establish comparative benchmarks for comparison of Best Management practices (BMPs) established under the FPC with BMPs established under FRPA. Phase 2 of the program will conduct evaluations to assess the impacts of FRPA legislation, standards, policy and practices on:

• species, species composition, genetic diversity,
• use of genetically improved seed, natural vs artificial reforestation,
• forest productivity (merchantable timber volume, value, and timber availability), and
• forest health

...of forest stands at free growing, relative to stands harvested on or after December, 2005.

Resources

The following are Timber related resources:

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