Chief Forester's Standards for Seed Use
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Some preprepared Q&A's were entered on November 24, 2004. Please review these and other submissions below before entering a question. Use the keyword search to find Q&A's for specific topics.
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Nov 14, 2006 - Franco DiGiovanni - Ref#:1114165206
What is the "generally accepted scientific methodology" to determine pollen contamination?
  • Nov 14, 2006 - Brian Barber -
    Methods for determining pollen contamination are described in the following 2 publications.

    1. Methods for Estimating Gamete Contributions to Orchard Seed Crops and Vegetative Lots in British Columbia
    http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/pubs/Docs/Tr/Tr025.htm

    2.Protocols for rating seed orchard seedlots in British Columbia
    http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hre/pubs/pubs/0256.htm

    The first indicates that pollen contamination is only an issue for all coastal Douglas fir orchards and lodgepole pine orchards in Prince George. The second publication describes how these levels of contamination may be estimated. Further research is being also conducted on this topic.

    Please let me know if you require more information.
Feb 28, 2005 - Krista Copeland - Ref#:228135846
What is the reasoning behind section 5.1.8 (specifically b and c)?
  • Mar 16, 2005 - Brian Barber -
    Section 5.1.8 is intended to explicitly state the types of seedlot and vegetative lots that cannot be registered.

    5.1.8(b) means that seed cannot be collected from plantations other than research plantations comprised of parent trees, which have been identified in accordance with 5.3. In other words, one cannot register seed collected from stands that were established using operational seedlots - e.g. trees that were planted 30-50 years ago. The rationale is for this prohibition is uncertainty about the orgin of seed used to establish earlier plantations.

    5.1.8(c) means that seed collected from different sources cannot be mixed together to form one seedlot.

    Thanks for your questions Krista
Feb 28, 2005 - Krista Copeland - Ref#:228135612
How is seedlot ownership defined - by division or corporation? For example, if one division owns seed with a genetic worth of 5% or more (not in surplus) are other divisions of the same company required to use this seed?
  • Mar 21, 2005 - Brian Barber -
    The owner of a lot (or portion of a lot) is a person: an individual or corporation. The owner of a lot, for the purpose of the selection standards, is therefore the person or license holder (corporation) with the reforestation obligation under FRPA, not a division within a corporation.

    Divisions can place orders against seed declared reserved by other divisions of the same company on SPAR. Communication and coordination between divisions re corporate seed need and use is therefore prudent.
Feb 14, 2005 - Mark Faliszewski - Ref#:214112057
Under the Seed and Veg Material Guidebook, there is a restriction on the transfer of natural stand Fdi between the SA and TOD seed planning zones. I cannot find a similar restriction under the Chief Forester's Standards. Is this an intentional change?
  • Feb 14, 2005 - Brian Barber -
    The Guidebook restriction for transferring interior Douglas-fir (Fdi) between the SA and TOD and between the CT and QL seed planning zones (SPZ) was due to observed growth performance differences and disease problems between IDF and ICH biogeoclimatic (BGC)zones. The provision for transferring Fdi seed outside its SPZ of origin only if used within the same BGC zone addresses these concerns. So yes, this change was intentional.

    Tree Improvement Branch will summarize the differences between the transfer limits described in the guidebook and the standards in a document to be published before summer 2005.

    Thanks for your question Mark.
Jan 18, 2005 - Colin Beauchamp - Ref#:118132638
As a major licensee we operate our Forest Licence A18694 with two separate geographic branches, one in Kamloops and one in Vavenby. We also operate two completely separate planting operations. The wording of section 8.8 of the Chief Forester's Standards and a previous question & answer lead me to believe that the 95% compliance with sections 8.2 to 8.7 would be on the combined planting of all seedlings planted across FLA18694 in a given year. Is this the correct interpretation?
  • Jan 19, 2005 - Brian Barber -
    Yes, your interpretation is correct. Section 8.8 applies to all trees planted under a single licence.

    Most, if not all, of the requirements under FRPA apply to a single person or legal entity (i.e. a license holder) regardless of how that person or entity organizes its operations.

    Internal communications and coordination between divisions will be required with respect to estimating the % trees planted outside it transfer limits over the entire license. Licensees may also want to keep tabs of their results as they go - well in advance of entering them into RESULTS - so there are no surprises.

    To reduce cross-divisional risk, it would be best for all divisions to aim for 100%, utilizing the 5% for unexpected operational contingencies - which is the intent of this standard.

    Thank you for submitting your question.
Dec 20, 2004 - Don Purdy - Ref#:1220103200
What are the annual reporting requirements required to allow MoF to check on compliance re: the 95% seed transfer standards 8.8 & 8.9 ? Does Sec. 86(3)(c) of the Forest and Planning Practices Regulation (FPPR) cover this off? and is there a standard format of reporting?
  • Jan 5, 2005 - Brian Barber -
    Under 86(6) of the FPPR, the minister is expected to require licensees and timber sales managers to submit information required under 86(3)(c) - pertinent information about seeds - in the following form and manner for each cutblock: a) the lot registration number(s) of the trees (b) the number of trees planted per lot; and (c) the number of trees planted outside of their respective transfer limits by lot.

    The latter information is additional to that required under the Code, but deemed absolutely necessary to determine compliance with seed transfer standards 8.8 and 8.9.

    This information will be recorded in RESULTS. From this, a report will be created that will identify all lots and the number of trees planted per lot (total and outside their respective transfer limits) by cutblock. The report will also identify the grand total of all trees planted and the percentage of all trees planted outside of their respective transfer limits by a licensee or timber sales manager during the reporting period (April 1 to March 31).

    From this report, a person should be able to tell at a glance if a licensee or timber sales managers met the 95% seed transfer standards, and identify those cutblocks and lots where the transfer limits were exceeded.
Dec 3, 2004 - Ref#:1203135011
I intend to plant 100,000 trees in May of 2005 and 4500 of these trees will be planted less than 50 meters above their seedlots' transfer limits. What rules apply to these trees, and what are my options?
  • Dec 3, 2004 - Brian Barber -
    If the block(s) to be planted were harvested when the Code was in effect, or are still subject to a forest development plant (as per s. 191 & 192 of FRPA), then one must comply with the seed use requirements prescribed under the Code and its regulations.

    Seed transfer requirements under the Code are described in section 38 of Timber Harvesting and Silviculture Practices Regulation (THSPR) and section 82 of the Woodlot Licence Forest Management Regulation (WLFMR).

    If this is the case, one could apply to the district manager, or delegate, for a variance to the seed transfer limits for the 4500 trees in accordance with section 2 of the THSPR, or section 82(2)(c) of the WLFMR, as the case may be.

    If the block(s) to be planted are subject to FRPA (e.g. identified in an approved Forest Stewardship Plan), then one must comply with the Chief Foresters' Standards for Seed Use when planting the trees. Section 8.8 of these standards allows a licensee to plant up to 5% of all trees planted beyond their respective transfer limits within a fiscal year.

    If this is the case, 4500 trees represents less than 5% of the total trees to be planted. No action, other than keeping and submitting the appropriate planting records, is required.

    Note: most blocks planted in 2005 will remain subject to the Code and its regulation.
Nov 30, 2004 - Jim Eunson - Ref#:1130164113
When entering a sowing request, I go to pick a SX seedlot and see that there are 3 seedlots that fit the transfer rules. The first seed lot has a GW value of 9. The second seed lot has a GW value of 13 and the third seed lot has a GW value of 25. From what I interpret from Section 7.3, as long as the GW value is above 5, I have the choice of any of the 3 seedlots.
  • Dec 2, 2004 - Brian Barber -
    In example provided, if the 3 spruce (Sx) seedlots are all deemed to be available, you would have the choice of selecting any one of them as they all have a genetic worth (GW) of 5 percent or greater.

    Although the standards prescribe a minimum selection standard, one could achieve one's reforestation objectives sooner and enhance forest productivity by selecting seed with the highest GW.
Nov 30, 2004 - James Eunson - Ref#:1130163021
Here is a scenario. I plant 4% of 1.5 million seedlings (60,000 seedlings) outside of their respective transfer limits all in one cut block that has a very high Site Index at the end of the planting season. If the block achieves the required Free Growing standards is there any reason why it would not qualify as Free Growing? Is there no limit by block for the number of seedlings planted outside of their transfer limits?
  • Dec 2, 2004 - Brian Barber -
    If the entire block (60,000 trees) was planted beyond the seedlot’s transfer limits and if the total number of trees planted outside their respective transfer limits under the license during a fiscal year did not exceed 5%, then the licensee would be in compliance with section 8.8 of the standards.

    However, regardless of section 8.8 or site index of the block, if the trees were transferred so far beyond their transfer limits that they would be at risk to insects, disease, frost, or snow damage, or growth loss, then the trees may not be considered a healthy free growing stand.
Nov 30, 2004 - Ref#:1130130930
What is the difference between lots from natural stands (appendix 3) and Lots from untested Parent trees (appendix 4), I am searching for a clear definition of "untested parent trees" than is given in the definitions and text. To me, an untested parent tree seems to indicate a tree from a natural stand, but according to the guidelines they are not the same. Also explain the difference in Transfer limits. More specifically why untested parent trees are not always bound by latitudinal and longtitudinal transfer restrictions. Thanks.
  • Jan 11, 2005 - Brian Barber -
    Lots from natural stands are collected from naturally regenerated forests. Lots from untested parent trees are most often collected from a seed orchard. Since progeny (seedlings) from untested parent trees have not been field tested, the transfer limits for untested parent tree lots are based on the natural stand transfer limits for the species and the natural stand seed planning zone (SPZ) from which the untested parent trees were selected.

    Lots from natural stands can be transferred to other SPZs if used within the same biogeoclimatic (BGC) zone, thus lat/long limits are used to restrict their north/south and east/west transfer. The use of untested parent tree lots is restricted to their SPZ of origin, thus lat/long transfer limits within its SPZ of origin are not necessary, with the exception of latitude transfer limits in the maritime and submaritime SPZs.

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