Silviculture Working Group

The CRIT Silviculture Working Group (CSWG) was established in 2004 to address issues related to silvicultural systems and partial cut harvesting.  The CSWG is equally represented by members from both industry and government that have significant experience and/or interest in the practice of silviculture.  The CSWG deals with silviculture issues as directed by the broader CRIT such as FRPA related stocking standards and silvicultural systems.  The CSWG has developed their terms of reference, updated on March 30, 2009.

As a member of the CRIT Silviculture Working Group, Paul Barolet has written an article (Professional Networking under FRPA ) that describes CRIT, current CRIT issues and what CRIT and the Silviculture Working Group is doing to promote professional networking under FRPA. The article has been published in the Association of BC Professional Forester's BC Forest Professional magazine, September-October 2007 edition.

In May 2006 the CSWG released a document entitled “Silvicultural Systems and Partial Cut Harvesting Issues in the Coast Forest Region Discussion paper”.  The purpose of this paper is to review the issues, develop possible solutions and provide recommendations pertaining to silvicultural system issues. The CSWG has also developed FSP stocking standard guidance and messaging in 2006 and is developing a discussion paper related to FSP stocking standards.

Further to the Silvicultural Systems and Partial Cut Harvesting Issues in the Coast Forest Region Discussion paper, the CSWG has developed monitoring protocols that allow industry and government members to carry out joint field inspections against the key principles contained within the discussion paper. In 2006 through 2008, the CSWG has carried out joint industry and government field monitoring on cutblocks within various coastal districts. Each year a summary report of the results of monitoring is produced for CRIT. The results of this monitoring are summarized in the "Silvicultural System and Partial Cut Harvesting Issues in the Coast Forest Region 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 Monitoring Results" report.

A number of years ago the Coast Region Leadership Team (now Regional Management Team) challenged the CRIT to improve the application of silvicultural systems in areas with high levels of dispersed over-story retention. Significant progress has now been accomplished (as evidence of the information provided on this web page). A brief summary of accomplishments was provided to the Coast Region Leadership Team and the Chief Forester under covering memorandum to improve application of silvicultural systems in areas with high levels of dispersed over-story retention.

The Chief Forester has acknowledged that there is a variety of planning and practice issues associated with silvicultural system and partial harvesting applications within the Coast Forest Region and recognized the efforts of the CSWG to address these issues in his letter addressed to coastal licensees, industry associations and CRIT.

For questions or comments regarding these publications, please contact the CRIT secretary