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The Mountain Pine Beetle Emergency Response: Canada-B.C. Implementation
Strategy outlines the Province of British Columbia's spending plan for the
$100 million contributed by the Government of Canada to help mitigate
impacts of the mountain pine beetle infestation.
Activity Updates
The 2006-2011 Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan serves as the cornerstone of
the B.C. government’s coordinated response to the MPB infestation. In the Action
Plan, the Province commits to actions that will mitigate the impacts of this
unprecedented attack on forest values, communities and the provincial economy in
the short term, and ensure sustainability in the long term. The program
addresses priority areas of interest of the federal government and includes the
following program areas:
Community
Stability and Diversification
Research & Development - Biophysical
A
Mountain Pine Beetle Stewardship Research Strategy
identifies the gaps in our knowledge related to Mountain
Pine Beetle stewardship issues. The strategy identifies
21 high priority knowledge gaps, as well as medium and
low priority gaps. The Chief Forester of British
Columbia, while recognizing that all the high priority
knowledge gaps are important, has identified eight high
priority gaps that should be addressed first if
resources are limited. These gaps are numbered 1, 2, 4,
7, 9, 10, 13, and 14 in the strategy document
A
Mountain Pine
Beetle Stewardship Research Strategy Implementation Framework was developed
in 2006. This is the second document that describes the current high priority
Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) stewardship knowledge gaps and identifies the key
activities to address these gaps. The overall goal of the MPB Stewardship
Research Implementation Framework (IF) is to document at a high-level, the
research activities needed to address the high priority stewardship knowledge
gaps, with focus on the Chief Forester’s highest priority gaps.
In 2007/08, thirty seven MPB projects (link to
Excel table) are being administered
under the FIA-Forest Science Program. Information on these and other projects
can be accessed through the FIA-Forest Science Program repository at
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hcp/fia/searchreports.htm
by selecting the Forest Science Program and entering the project number from the
list of projects.
Knowledge gaps identified in the two MPB Stewardship Research documents have
been considered by the FIA-FSP in the development of their research priorities.
The
Sustainability Program Eligibility Research Topics 2008/09 document
identifies MPB research topics and priorities that are eligible for funding
under this program.
Research & Development - Wood Products
Forest Innovation Investment – Mountain Pine Beetle
Inventory
The MPB inventory and monitoring initiative consists of air and ground survey
activities that gather information for determining current and future location
and extent of the infestation, current and future volume and value and
non-timber impacts across all affected management units. Data is collected to
support timber supply analysis as well as calibration of the MPB spread model,
provide site productivity information to support informed silviculture
investments, and to assess impacts on fish sensitive habitat, water quality and
wildlife. A summary of these activities can be found at
Forest Inventory and
Monitoring in Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) Areas and all current forest
inventory and timber supply analysis activities are found at
List of High Level MPB Related Forest Analysis
and Inventory Branch Initiatives.
The 2007 air photo acquisition has just ended with completion of two planned
blocks, Okanagan and Nadina, and this acquisition completes all Federally funded
air photo acquisition over the three-year program. A total of over 20 million ha
of high quality 1:20000 colour imagery has been processed and is available to
support operational and strategic forest management activities across all
impacted areas. A summary of all flying activities can be found at:
BMGS Air Photo
Program Page (all photography; all funding sources)
Federally funded Aerial Photography Acquisitions in 2007:
Federally Funded Aerial Photography Acquisitions in 2006:
Spread Control
The
Spread Control Overhead Team (SCOT) oversees operational and tactical
planning for mountain pine beetle suppression activities in B.C.’s Rocky
Mountain, Columbia, Headwaters and Peace forest districts. To slow the spread
of the MPB into Alberta and north of the Peace River in BC, spread control
treatments of more than 75% of the population will reduce populations to endemic
levels. Following aerial detection in the summer, and ground surveys in the
early fall and winter, trees are treated through single tree (fall and burn)
treatments. In 2005/06, over 74,000 trees were treated by fall and burn
treatments, following 4.1 million ha of aerial detection and 83,692 ha of ground
surveys. In 2006/07, aerial detection covered 7.68 million ha and 128,707 ha
were ground surveyed.
Additional Spread Control activities will be funded by
Natural Resources
Canada’s Mountain Pine Beetle Program.Fuel Management
Fuel management treatments of Mountain Pine Beetle affected timber will
help reduce the possibility of devastating wildfire losses such as those
experienced in the summer of 2003. The
Fuel Management Program is funded by the Ministry of Forests and Range,
and administered by the Union of BC Municipalities. Application for all UBCM
strategic wildfire funding opportunities can now be made through the
Fuel Management Information Website.
A partnership with
First Nations’ Emergency Services Society (FNESS) has been formed to
provide program delivery to First Nations communities. Fuel management
treatments where First Nations communities are at-risk will be delivered by
FNESS and includes resources and planning support to manage the fire risk
around
First Nations’ communities.
Parks and Protected Areas
Working under the guidance of the provincial
Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan 2006-2011, the Ministry of Environment
(MOE) has initiated a strategy to address the impacts and implication of the
mountain pine beetle (MPB) epidemic and related management activities.
MOE staff at headquarters and in regions are addressing areas within the MOE
mandate affected by MPB. The primary focus of MOE’s Parks and Protected Areas (PPA)
Mitigation activities will be associated with:
- Coordinating spread control activities in PPAs, in collaboration with
Ministry of Forests and Range control activities, especially in areas that
border Alberta;
- Coordinating fuel management activities in PPAs primarily in the
vicinity of communities, in collaboration with Ministry of Forests and
Range;
- Collecting information on PPA values to enable better informed land use
and resource management decisions; and
- Monitoring the effects of the epidemic and associated management on
environmental values within MOE mandate.
The mandate for the mitigation of MPB impact on parks and park values arises
from Objective 2 and 4 of the provincial
Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan 2006-2011.
2) Maintain and protect worker and public health and safety.
Three specific tasks under this objective are:
- Carry out
fuel
management and implement wildfire mitigation activities where
necessary for public safety;
- Identify and monitor critical water supplies that may be impacted
by the infestation or forestry mitigation activities; and
- Monitor air quality and minimize the public health effects of
smoke from increased use of prescribed burning.
Work by MOE staff occurs primarily in PPAs to address wildland urban
interface fuel reduction. The objective is to plan for and implement measures
to reduce the fire hazard on PPA land and should a fire start within a PPA, to
reduce the risk of fire leaving the park and impacting private land or important
adjacent Crown values. Work has occurred at many parks, notably
Silver Star,
Manning
and Mt.
Robson.
4) Conserve the long-term forest values identified in land use plans.
Four specific tasks under this objective are :
- Carry out a detailed, qualitative assessment of the impacts to strategic
resource values.
- Ensure management of parks and protected areas incorporates an
assessment of the impacts of the epidemic on conservation values.
- Examine the opportunities and costs, including possible funding sources,
for techniques to restore non-timber values (e.g. wildlife habitat,
hydrological function).
Most strategic land use planning processes made recommendations for PPAs.
MOE staff are ensuring PPA management incorporates an assessment of the impacts
of the epidemic on conservation values and recreational use. PPAs which are
highly impacted may require a detailed study to categorize impacts and make
recommendations for mitigation. In all cases, the MOE are responding to
priority management issues identified in impact reports. Management needs
include public safety, risk to infrastructure, habitat restoration, recreation
management, fuel management and wildfire protection planning, and MPB spread
control.
Funding allocation is guided by criteria and analysis established in the
recently completed reports, Wildfire Threat Assessment for Parks and Protected
Areas and
Parks and Protected Areas Mountain Pine Beetle Assessment, in combination
with regionally identified threats and specific park assessments and plans.
Ecosystem Restoration
Working under the guidance of the provincial
Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan 2006-2011, the Ministry of Environment
(MOE) has initiated a strategy to address the impacts and implication of the
mountain pine beetle (MPB) epidemic and related management activities. MOE
staff at headquarters and in regions are addressing areas within the MOE mandate
affected by MPB. The primary focus of MOE’s activities are associated with:
- Developing and implementing the Ecosystem Restoration Program to restore
high priority values that are at a high risk from the effects of the MPB and
associated management;
- Predicting the impact of habitat change on habitat suitability for
selected species;
- Collecting information on fish, wildlife and their habitats, PPA values,
and water resources to enable better informed land use and resource
management decisions; and
- Monitoring the effects of the epidemic and associated management on
environmental values within the MOE mandate.
The mandate for the Ecological Restoration activities arises from Objective 4
- Restore the forest resources in areas affected by the epidemic.
Two specific tasks under this objective are:
Strategies and priorities for returning the most productive multiple-use
lands to productivity quickly and efficiently, particularly in areas that
provide for a variety of forest values (e.g. water, wildlife, cultural or
recreational, in addition to timber) are described in three regional
restoration strategies developed to help guide restoration activities.
Cariboo Strategic Regional Restoration Plan
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fia/documents/09-13-2006%20Cariboo%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf
Northern Interior Strategic Regional Restoration Plan
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fia/documents/09-13-2006%20Northern%20Interior%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf
Southern Interior Strategic Regional Restoration Plan
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fia/documents/09-13-2006%20Southern%20Interior%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf
- Restore forest ecosystem productivity.
A key function for the MOE is to restore values affected by forest
ecosystem functions adversely affected by the MPB epidemic or associated
management. Based on targeted ground assessments and surveys, a prioritized
plan for response has been formulated and several aspects are being
implemented. The plan assessed and evaluates methods to restore values;
encourages restoration efforts on the basis of funding available for
treatments, probability of effectiveness in meeting restoration objectives,
and cost effectiveness; and outlines monitoring requirements to gauge
success.
The MOE has a clear interest in ecosystem restoration, and will lead the
Ecosystem Restoration Program, while incorporating the interest of other
sectors. The MOE will need to extend and promote information on restoration
priorities and methods. The MOE will provide information on the opportunities
and costs, including possible funding sources, for techniques to restore
non-timber values (e.g. wildlife habitat, hydrological function), and acts on
behalf of government and communities’ interests.
Range Barrier Mitigation
The
purpose of this activity is to mitigate the negative effect of Mountain
Pine Beetle and Mountain Pine Beetle salvage harvesting on livestock
production by controlling livestock distribution and protecting
environmental values in affected communities. Mitigation projects will
replace natural range barriers and range developments lost or damaged
during timber salvage harvesting and associated road construction (not associated with forest licensee responsibilities under FRPA).
Remaining funds will investigate and develop new opportunities for
forage allocation. In addition:
-
the
project must be on Crown range;
-
the
project must be supported by the Range Branch, the District Range
Officer and the Range Act Agreement holder;
-
the
majority of the project must benefit the Crown range resource;
-
the projects must
address public and animal safety, provide a forage supply for
existing clients, protect natural resources and/or prevent trespass
of livestock.
The Ministry of Forests and Range will approve the MPB
mitigation projects and the
BC Cattlemen’s Association will administer the projects.
Details are provided in this document:
This document includes:
- Criteria
for funding
- Program purpose and
direction
- Process to apply
for funding
-
Projects to
mitigate the removal of natural range barriers
Please forward all project proposals, questions and concerns
to Andrew Pantel (Andrew.Pantel@gov.bc.ca,
250-565-4409).
Canada-BC MPB Program Contacts
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