OPERATIONAL AND SITE PLANNING REGULATION

PART 3 - FOREST DEVELOPMENT PLANS

Division 3 - Map and Information Requirements for all Forest Development Plans

B.C. Reg. 107/98 Deposited April 2, 1998
O.C. 0426/98 effective June 15, 1998 (Consolidated to December 12, 2003)

• OPERATIONAL PLANNING REGULATION
  • PART 1 - INTERPRETATION
  • PART 2 - ADMINISTRATION
  • PART 3 - FOREST DEVELOPMENT PLANS
    • Division 1 - Scope and General Content for Forest Development Plans
    • Division 2 - Mapping and Assessments
    • Division 3 - Map and Information Requirements for all Forest Development Plans
    • Division 4 - Forest Development Plan Contents for Categories of Cutblocks
    • Division 5 - Notice, Review and Comment
  • PART 4 - LOGGING PLANS
  • PART 4.1 - SITE PLANS
  • PART 5 - SILVICULTURE PRESCRIPTIONS
  • PART 6 - STAND MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTIONS
  • PART 7 - RANGE USE PLANS
  • PART 8 - RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT AREAS
  • PART 9 - COMMUNITY WATERSHEDS
  • PART 10 - GREEN-UP
  • PART 10.1 - UNGULATE WINTER RANGE, IDENTIFIED WILDLIFE AND FOREST ECOSYSTEM NETWORK

PART 3 - FOREST DEVELOPMENT PLANS

Division 3 - Map and Information Requirements for all Forest Development Plans

Map and information requirements for all forest development plans

18. (1) A person must ensure that a forest development plan includes the following information for the area under the plan:

(a) forest cover;

(b) the topography of the area, and the location of those streams, wetlands and lakes that are shown on forest cover maps or fish and fish habitat inventory maps or terrain resource inventory maps;

(c) for terrain stability

(i) one of the following:

(A) areas mapped on terrain stability hazard maps as having a moderate or high likelihood of landslides;

(B) if no terrain stability hazard mapping has been done, areas identified on reconnaissance terrain stability maps as having unstable or potentially unstable terrain;

(C) if no terrain stability hazard mapping or reconnaissance terrain stability mapping has been carried out, areas with a slope gradient greater than 60%, and

(ii) any areas identified by the district manager as having unstable or potentially unstable terrain;

(d) if required by the district manager, the operability line;

(e) the following known items:

(i) protected areas;

(ii) designated areas under Part 13 of the Forest Act;

(iii) wilderness areas;

(iv) sensitive areas established in accordance with the Act;

(v) wildlife habitat areas, but the location of the wildlife habitat area must not be shown if the designated environment official requires that the location of the wildlife habitat area is not to be included in operational plans, in which case only the name of the identified wildlife protected by the wildlife habitat area must be included;

(vi) forest ecosystem networks;

(vii) old growth management areas;

(viii) scenic areas;

(ix) ungulate winter ranges;

(x) community watersheds;

(xi) community water supply intakes and related water supply infrastructures;

(xii) fish streams;

(xiii) riparian class of streams, wetlands and lakes;

(xiv) lake class;

(f) the following public utilities on Crown land:

(i) transmission lines;

(ii) gas and oil pipelines;

(iii) railways;

(g) if mapping is required under section 12, the location of areas within a community watershed that have a high or very high soil erosion potential;

(h) the approximate location of

(i) construction of a road, including construction of a bridge or major culvert that is part of the road, if the road is a proposed forest service road or is proposed to be authorized by a road permit, and

(ii) construction of a bridge or major culvert proposed to be authorized by a cutting permit, or timber sale licence that does not provide for cutting permits, and

the year the work is proposed to take place if the timing is critical to the management of non-timber forest resources, and the riparian class of streams, wetlands and lakes that could directly impact on or be impacted by the proposed construction or replacement, if a riparian assessment is required under section 15;

(i) the location of a road that has been included on the most recently approved forest development plan, and whether the assessments under section 5 of the Forest Road Regulation have been completed for the road;

(j) the forest operations for which road construction or modification is required, for operations other than harvesting;

(k) Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 466/2003, effective December 12, 2003]

(l) with respect to an existing road that both provides access to the area, and is required by the Act to be maintained by the person, the following information:

(i) its approximate location;

(ii) whether it is intended to be for seasonal use only;

(iii) a description or map of how it links up with a public road system, processing plant or log dump;

(m) a list or map notation indicating the roads that must be maintained by the person under

(i) section 63 (1) of the Act, because the person has a road permit for the road,

(ii) section 63 (5) or (7) of the Act because the district manager requires the person to maintain the road, or

(iii) section 63 (6) of the Act because the person is the government;

(n) the following road deactivation operations that have been, or are to be conducted by the person on the area under the plan:

(i) roads that were deactivated in the previous year, and any other deactivated roads that the person chooses to include;

(ii) roads that are to be deactivated, and the year the work is proposed to take place, if the timing is critical to the management of non-timber forest resources;

(o) the known location of roads that are proposed by other persons;

(p) the known location of temporary or permanent barricades to restrict vehicle access;

(q) the approximate size, shape and location of cutblocks proposed to achieve category A status if the proposed forest development plan is approved;

(r) the approximate location of a cutblock that has been included as an approved category A cutblock on the most recently approved forest development plan, and for the cutblock

(i) whether the assessments under sections 16 and 17 and under section 36.1 or 37 have been completed, and

(ii) whether a cutting permit has been approved;

(s) the location of cutblocks that have been harvested, but are not yet greened-up and that are adjacent to cutblocks referred to in paragraph (q) or (r);

(t) if significant risks to forest resources are recorded or disclosed by the forest health assessment required under section 13, measures to reduce those risks, that do not, themselves, cause new or significantly increased risks;

(u) the general objectives respecting the target levels of retention for coarse woody debris and wildlife trees;

(v) the general objectives for riparian management zones, including the range of basal area retention by riparian class;

(w) the known objectives for known ungulate winter ranges;

(x) for community watersheds, the known water quality objectives;

(y) a statement

(i) that the forest development plan is consistent with the results and recommendations of a watershed assessment required under section 14, or

(ii) if the forest development plan is inconsistent with the results and recommendations of the watershed assessment, that explains the reason for the inconsistency and the reason the person believes it should be approved in spite of the inconsistency.

(2) Despite subsection (1) a person is not required to include the information specified in that subsection for an area within a forest development plan where only minor salvage operations will be carried out, unless the district manager, by written notice, requires some or all of that information, in which case the person must comply with the requirements in that notice.

(3) A person is not required to include the information specified in subsection (1) for an area that is subject to an exemption under section 4 (1) of the Bark Beetle Regulation unless the district manager, by written notice, requires some or all of that information, in which case the person must comply with the requirements of that notice.

(4) For an area referred to in subsection (3), a person must ensure that a forest development plan includes all of the following:

(a) measures that will be taken to control bark beetles;

(b) a map showing areas within which roads may be constructed;

(c) the general objectives respecting the target levels of retention, including volume and piece size for coarse woody debris and wildlife trees;

(d) the general objectives for riparian management zones, including the range of basal area retention by riparian class;

(e) the known objectives for known ungulate winter range;

(f) for community watersheds, the known water quality objectives;

(g) the site condition that must exist, if any, after a harvest or site treatment to accommodate forest resources, and resource features;

(h) actions, if any, that are necessary to adequately manage and conserve archaeological sites.

Stocking requirements for areas under a site plan

18.1 (1) In this section, "stocking requirements" means

(a) for areas that will be managed as even-aged stands, all of the following:

(i) the preferred and acceptable species of trees;

(ii) the minimum allowable horizontal distance between trees of the preferred and acceptable species required for the trees to be considered to be well spaced;

(iii) the target number of healthy, well spaced trees of the preferred and acceptable species per hectare;

(iv) the minimum number of healthy, well spaced trees of the preferred and acceptable species required per hectare;

(v) the minimum number of healthy, well spaced trees of the preferred species required per hectare;

(vi) the maximum number of coniferous trees allowed per hectare in a free growing stand;

(vii) the maximum and minimum number of healthy, coniferous trees allowed per hectare in a free growing stand after a spacing treatment has been carried out;

(viii) the required standards that must be met by a healthy, well spaced tree of a preferred or acceptable species in a free growing stand, including

(A) the minimum height, and

(B) the height of the tree relative to competing vegetation within a radius of one metre of the tree trunk;

(ix) Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 292/2003, effective August 5, 2003]

(x) for partial cutting, the minimum characteristics of any leave trees, if the trees will remain for the purposes of stocking or promoting regeneration of the site, and

(b) for areas that will be managed as uneven-aged stands, all of the following:

(i) leave tree standards for each layer of trees to be retained;

(ii) preferred and acceptable species to be retained;

(iii) minimum basal area and or minimum density to be retained;

(iv) minimum leave tree characteristics including form, health and vigour;

(v) applicable regeneration standards, if any;

(vi) Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 466/2003, effective December 12, 2003]

(2) Before a holder of an agreement under the Forest Act harvests timber from an area in which

(a) a site plan is required under section 21.1 of the Act, and

(b) the person required to prepare the site plan has not been exempted from that requirement,

the person who is required to prepare the forest development plan for the area must ensure that the forest development plan contains all of the following for the area:

(c) the stocking requirements;

(d) the minimum allowable horizontal distance;

(e) the regeneration date;

(f) the earliest free growing assessment date;

(g) the free growing date.

(3) For the purposes of section 69.1 (4) and (5) of the Act, the prescribed stocking standards are the stocking requirements referred to in subsection (2) (c) that is approved by the district manager.

(4) For the purposes of the definition of "well spaced trees" in section 69.1 (1) of the Act, the prescribed minimum allowable horizontal distance is the distance referred to in subsection (2) (d) that is approved by the district manager.

(5) For the purposes of the definition of "regeneration date" in section 69.1 (1) of the Act, the prescribed date is the regeneration date referred to in subsection (2) (e) as measured from the commencement date.

(6) For the purposes of the definition of "free growing date" in section 69.1 (1) of the Act, the prescribed date is the free growing date referred to in subsection (2) (g) as measured from the commencement date.

(7) The district manager may only approve

(a) the stocking requirements referred to in subsection (2) (c),

(b) the minimum allowable horizontal distance referred to in subsection (2) (d),

(c) the regeneration date referred to in subsection (2) (e), or

(d) the free growing date referred to in subsection (2) (g)

if the district manager is satisfied that the information is consistent with

(e) any higher level plan for the area,

(f) establishing a healthy, ecologically suitable stand of trees that is commercially valuable, and

(g) the current and future timber supply for the area.

 

Post harvest stand structure for areas without regeneration objectives

18.2 Despite section 18.1, before a holder of an agreement under the Forest Act harvests timber from an area in which

(a) a site plan is required under section 21.1 of the Act,

(b) the person required to prepare the site plan has not been exempted from that requirement, and

(c) the proposed harvesting on the area is limited to

(i) commercial thinning,

(ii) harvesting of poles,

(iii) sanitation treatments, or

(iv) intermediate cuttings, other than referred to in subparagraphs (i) to (iii), that do not have regeneration objectives

the person who is required to prepare the forest development plan for the area must ensure that the forest development plan contains all of the following for the area:

(d) the preferred and acceptable species to be retained;

(e) the minimum basal area or minimum density to be retained;

(f) the minimum leave tree characteristics including form, health and vigour.

 

Optional content for a forest development plan

18.3 (1) A person required to prepare a forest development plan or an amendment may include information in respect of the requirements of sections 16, 30, 31 or 32 of the Timber Harvesting and Silviculture Practices Regulation.

(2) If the information referred to in subsection (1) is contained in a forest development plan or amendment that is

(a) given effect under section 40 of the Act, or

(b) approved under section 41 of the Act,

the information is an applicable performance standard under the Timber Harvesting and Silviculture Practices Regulation.

 

Repealed

18.4 Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 292/2003, effective August 5, 2003]

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