STILLWATER PILOT PROJECT REGULATION

B.C. Reg. 96/01, Deposited April 5, 2001
O.C. 0427/01, effective April 5, 2001
consolidated to August 5, 2003

PART 7 - FOREST STEWARDSHIP PLAN CONTENT

Signature required for forest stewardship plan

57. The forest stewardship plan must be

(a) signed and sealed by a professional forester, and

(b) signed by an authorized representative of the licensee.

Management strategies for resource value goals

58. The forest stewardship plan must contain management strategies for each of the resource value goals in Division 1 of Part 2.

Management strategies and measurable targets for forest stewardship zones

59. (1) For each of the forest stewardship zones, the forest stewardship plan must set out all of the following:

(a) regeneration strategies;

(b) strategies and measurable targets for salvage;

(c) minimum patch size for retention patches;

(d) minimum distribution requirements for stand level retention.

(2) For each of the recreation and tourism zones, the forest stewardship plan must identify management zones that provide for specific restrictions on harvesting and other forest practices allowed in those management zones.

Management of recreational trails

60. (1) The forest stewardship plan must identify a management zone, a reserve zone or a combination of management and reserve zones for the following recreational trails:

(a) the connecting portages and lakes along the Powell River Canoe Route;

(b) the Sunshine Coast Trail including Rainy Day Lake, Lewis Lake and Lost Lake;

(c) the 2 access trails to Emma Lake;

(d) the Giavanno Lake to Fiddlehead Farm Trail;

(e) the access trail to Mount Diadem;

(f) the J Branch access trail to Freda Mountain;

(g) the S Branch access trail to the South Powell Divide;

(h) the D Branch access trail to Centre Lakes;

(i) the Goat Lake II access trail to Triple Peaks;

(j) Frog Pond Lake and the access trail due south to Powell Lake.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) the forest stewardship plan must set out the following:

(a) minimum widths for the reserve zones and management zones;

(b) specific restrictions on harvesting and forest practices allowed in the management zones adjacent to the recreational trails.

(3) If a recreational trail referred to in subsection (1) runs through or is part of any of the forest stewardship zones, the retention provided for in a management zone, reserve zone or combination of management and reserve zones is included as part of the minimum stand retention requirements specified in Division 2 of Part 2 for the forest stewardship zone that the recreational trail runs through or is part of.

Management strategies and measurable targets for achieving equivalent protection

61. (1) In addition to the strategies and targets required in section 59, the forest stewardship plan must establish strategies and measurable targets to ensure a level of protection at least equal to the level required under the Act and regulations for all of the following forest resources and resource features:

(a) soil;

(b) water;

(c) biological diversity;

(d) fish and wildlife;

(e) recreation;

(f) cultural heritage resources;

(g) forest health;

(h) timber.

(2) The strategies and measurable targets established under subsection (1) must include the following:

(a) for soil:

(i) targets for maximum allowable site loss due to permanent access structures;

(ii) targets for maximum allowable soil disturbance within any portion of the net area to be reforested;

(iii) targets for the extent to which soil disturbance limits may be temporarily exceeded to construct temporary access structures;

(iv) targets for the maximum allowable time to complete the rehabilitation of temporary access structures;

(v) a statement that, where soil compaction has occurred during harvesting, the site will be rehabilitated before regeneration;

(vi) targets for the maximum allowable time to re-vegetate erodable soil surfaces during harvesting and road construction and deactivation;

(vii) targets for the minimum allowable time to re-vegetate operationally induced landslides;

(b) for water:

(i) strategies to maintain natural stream flow patterns;

(ii) strategies for yarding, according to stream class;

(iii) the minimum range of basal area retention for each riparian class of stream, wetland and lake;

(iv) strategies to maintain stream bank stability;

(v) strategies for addressing the licensee's operations within community watersheds;

(c) for biological diversity:

(i) harvesting strategies, including the silvicultural system to be employed, consistent with desired future forest condition for each forest stewardship zone;

(ii) regeneration strategies consistent with management emphasis and desired future forest condition for each forest stewardship zone;

(iii) the timeline to achieve 100% minimum variable retention or other partial harvesting system targets;

(iv) minimum retention targets for coarse woody debris in stands of old growth timber and second growth timber;

(d) for fish and wildlife:

(i) timing windows for helicopter harvesting within specified distances from mountain goat winter ranges, marbled murrelet nests and heron rookeries and any other fish or wildlife that are identified under Part 10 of the Operational and Site Planning Regulation;

(ii) timing windows and measures for harvesting and road construction, modification and deactivation activities in and around fish streams and fish stream crossings;

(iii) access management strategies;

(e) for recreation:

(i) strategies to identify recreation features and opportunities;

(ii) access management strategies;

(iii) strategies for permanent and temporary deactivation;

(f) for cultural heritage, necessary strategies to identify, document and manage cultural heritage resources;

(g) for forest health, management strategies for fire prevention and suppression, insects, disease and windthrow;

(h) for timber:

(i) minimum utilization standards for alder;

(ii) strategies for minor salvage;

(iii) strategies for reforestation;

(iv) stand management strategies;

(v) targets for maximum cutblock size and adjacency requirements;

(vi) targets consistent with the adoption of Vancouver Forest Region Free Growing Stocking Standards for

(A) species selection,

(B) stocking standards,

(C) regeneration dates, and

(D) free growing standards.

Requirements with respect to road activities

62. The forest stewardship plan must establish the following with respect to road construction, modification and deactivation activities to ensure a level of protection for forest resources and resource features at least equal to the level required under the Act and regulations:

(a) requirements for selecting and locating access structures including strategies to protect and conserve the soil and water resources, specifically addressing timing windows and construction measures in and about streams and fish and wildlife habitat;

(b) road layout and design specifications;

(c) drainage design objectives;

(d) requirements for design of bridges and culverts;

(e) objectives for revegetation of exposed mineral soil subject to erosion;

(f) strategies for inspection, evaluation and maintenance of roads, bridges and major culverts;

(g) deactivation objectives and standards;

(h) measures to ensure that crossings of fish streams will provide safe passage for fish.

Map requirements for a forest stewardship plan

63. (1) The licensee must ensure that a forest stewardship plan includes the following information:

(a) forest stewardship zones;

(b) forest cover;

(c) 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;

(d) one of the following:

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

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

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

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

(f) an operability line depicting either the physical or economic limit of harvesting operability on the land base;

(g) 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 need not be shown if the district manager or designated environment official makes it known that the location of the wildlife habitat area is not to be included in forest stewardship 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) specific areas of concern;

(x) ungulate winter ranges;

(xi) community watersheds;

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

(xiii) fish streams;

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

(h) the following public utilities on Crown land:

(i) transmission lines;

(ii) gas and oil pipelines;

(iii) railways;

(i) if mapping is required under section 18 (1), the location of areas within a community watershed that have a high or very high soil erosion potential.

(2) Despite subsection (1) the licensee is not required to include the information specified in that subsection for an area within a forest stewardship plan in which 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 licensee must comply with the requirements in that notice.