Higher Level Plans: Policy and Procedures

5.0 Landscape Units and Objectives

5.1 Introduction

The following policy sections describe how to delineate landscape units and how to develop objectives. In outline, the steps are as follows:

Coordinate government agencies, forest regions and districts.
Delineate landscape unit boundaries using the outlined process. The boundaries are not legally established at this stage.
Assign biodiversity emphasis from the available options (higher, intermediate, lower). This step is preliminary to developing draft landscape unit objectives for biodiversity.
Develop a timetable to formally establish landscape units and objectives.
Develop draft landscape unit objectives.

Procedures then deal with legally establishing landscape units and objectives.

Landscape units are important for managing biodiversity at the landscape level. They provide a focus for integrating resource management activities with conservation measures. In general, the first priority is to develop brief and concise objectives, initially focussing on biodiversity and other resource values where appropriate. However, as more is learned about managing for other purposes at this level, landscape unit objectives may broaden to deal with any of the purposes permitted under section 2 of the Act.

Eventually, landscape unit objectives may vary substantially in their level of detail, depending on the information available, the range of resources being addressed and the priority placed on comprehensive landscape design for the landscape unit.

Legislative requirements presented at the beginnings of sections are referred to during the discussions of policy and procedures.

Policy defined: Policy deals with fundamental principles and matters that are considered before decisions are made. Policy helps decision-makers to structure their thoughts to reach a decision. Generally, policy is not binding on decision-makers, given the discretionary nature of their statutory powers. However, in cases such as landscape units and objectives, the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act authorizes the chief forester to provide direction to the district manager. In these cases, the policy direction must be followed (see Appendix 1).

Procedure defined: Procedures, on the other hand, deal with process. They define the steps to be followed before making or implementing a decision. In general, decision-makers and support staff should consistently follow the procedures presented here.

5.2 Legislative References

Section 1(1) of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act defines the concept of higher level plan to include:

(d) an objective for a landscape unit or sensitive area.

Section 4 of Part 2 of the Act lays out the legislative mandate for landscape units:

4.(1) To ensure that Crown land in a Provincial forest and private land in a tree farm licence or woodlot licence are managed and used in accordance with section 2 and the regulations, the district manager, by written order, may establish an area of land within the forest district as a landscape unit, and may vary the boundaries of the unit or cancel the unit, in accordance with

(a) the regulations, and
(b) any directions of the chief forester.

Section 105 of the Act deals with both the recreational and non-recreational use of landscape units.

5.3 Other References

Also see the Biodiversity Guidebook, which lays out a comprehensive approach for setting biodiversity objectives in a landscape unit.

5.4 The Basis for Chief Forester Direction

The Act, in sections 4(1) and 4(4), provides for the chief forester to give the district manager direction on establishing landscape units and landscape unit objectives. The following sections present direction from the chief forester as policy and procedures.

5.5 Landscape Units – Definition

5.5.1 Chief Forester Direction – Policy

Landscape units are areas of land and water used for long-term planning of resource management activities. They are important for designing strategies and patterns for landscape-level biodiversity and for managing other forest resources. Landscape units may be used to establish objectives for any purposes permitted under section 2 of the Act.

5.6 Relationship to Other Higher Level Plans

5.6.1 Legislative Reference

Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act (Part 2, Strategic Planning, Objectives and Standards)

4.(9) If an objective for a resource management zone is established or varied for an area that includes a landscape unit, to the extent that the objective for the landscape unit is inconsistent with the objective for the resource management zone, the objective for the resource management zone prevails.

5.6.2 Chief Forester Direction – Policy

Consistency with existing Cabinet-declared plans: Objectives for landscape units must be consistent with higher level plans declared by Cabinet or the ministers.

Consistency with existing RMZ: In accordance with section 4(9) of the Act, objectives for landscape units must be consistent with resource management zone objectives established by the chief forester.

Consistency with new Cabinet-declared higher level plans and RMZs: While the preparing of landscape unit objectives would be easier with a land and resource management plan or regional plan that has been declared a higher level plan, landscape units and objectives may be established without other higher level plans. However, a resource management zone objective or higher level plan declared by Cabinet or the ministers may come into effect after a landscape unit and objectives have been established. If the landscape unit objectives are inconsistent with them, these objectives must be amended within one year. Until the landscape unit objectives are amended, the resource management zone objectives or higher level plan declared by Cabinet will prevail.

Chief forester to provide direction: Recommendations in an approved land and resource management plan or higher level plan declared by Cabinet may concern landscape unit objectives. If so, the chief forester may give direction to the district manager about these recommendations.

Consistency with other higher level plans: Sensitive area objectives, 4(c) plans, TFL management plans and interpretive forest sites, recreation sites and recreation trails must be consistent with landscape unit objectives. However, if these plans produce more accurate data that warrant a variation to the landscape unit objectives, the district manager will consider varying the landscape unit objectives.

5.6.3 Chief Forester Direction - Procedures

Processes to coincide: If it is necessary to establish a sensitive area in a proposed landscape unit, the process to establish landscape units and objectives and sensitive areas and objectives for the same area should coincide whenever possible. This simplifies referrals, approvals and advertising (see Figure 4).

5.7 Links to Operational Plans

5.7.1 Chief Forester Direction - Policy

Requirements to be achievable: Staff preparing landscape unit objectives must ensure that the objectives, strategies and implementation dates are technically sound and achievable. Once a landscape unit and objectives are established, operational plans for the same area can only be approved if they are consistent with the landscape unit objectives.

Operational plans in effect: An operational plan in effect when landscape unit objectives are established is not affected by the higher level plan. The operational plan continues to guide operations on the ground and does not have to be amended. However, after landscape unit objectives are established, the next operational plan or amendment to the operational plan must be consistent with the objectives before the new operational plan can be approved.

Phase-in: To ensure that operational plan activity continues, staff must ensure that the landscape unit and objectives proposed for establishment as a higher level plan include phase-in provisions. These provisions should allow a smooth transition from existing operational plans to new operational plans that reflect the higher level plan. These phase-in provisions could set target dates for implementing individual objectives.

Timing: Staff also must ensure that the date the higher level plan comes into effect meshes smoothly with the development, review and approval cycle of the operational plan.

Operations affected by phase-in: Landscape unit objectives should normally be designed to permit the approval of landscape- or stand-level assessments conducted in an operational plan based on approval criteria in place before the landscape unit objectives are established. This will apply to assessments submitted within four months after the landscape unit objectives are established.

Basis for inconsistency: The district manager may establish landscape unit objectives that are inconsistent with the authorizations and assessments mentioned above if the manager considers it necessary to adequately manage an d conserve forest resources.

Involve agreement holders: The district manager and the designated environment official are responsible for preparing and approving landscape units and objectives for all appropriate Crown lands, including areas under a tree farm licence. However, agreement holders under the Forest Act or the Range Act normally should be involved during the development of the landscape unit and objectives. Consequently, they usually have ample time and opportunity to design forest practices ultimately consistent with the intent of the proposed higher level plan.

Advance notice: Agreement holders can be given advance notice before a formal notice of impending order is published.