Policy 2.18 - Vegetation Management

Effective Date: 15-Feb-97
Responsible Branch: Forest Practices Branch

Resource Management Volume Table of Contents | Amendment Log

Scope

This policy is applicable to all vegetation management programs on Crown Forest Land, including Ministry and industry funded or administered activities (e.g., appraisal, industry outstanding, Ministry outstanding, and current areas; Small Business Forest Enterprise Program [SBFEP] and other provincial or federal funded programs). It covers the prescription, implementation, and monitoring of vegetation management activities.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that appropriate methods and techniques are used to manage forest vegetation on Crown land to achieve desired objectives.

Policy

It is the policy of the Ministry to:

• manage forest vegetation in order to meet the management objectives of the province as defined in an approved Silviculture Prescription, Treatment Prescription, and/or land use policy or plan. These objectives include achievement of free growing of new forests within specified time frames, recreation, forage, wildlife habitat, and forest road access.
• use vegetation management methods and techniques that are consistent with established objectives for soil conservation and other resource values
• consider vegetation management in the development of Silviculture Prescriptions and Treatment Prescriptions, and document the decision. Vegetation management must be integrated with other activities, including harvesting, site preparation, planting, brushing, and forest health. If it is likely that a free growing crop of trees will not be established because suitable and cost-effective vegetation management methods cannot be used, harvesting must be deferred.
• design vegetation management programs to prevent the establishment of excessive competing or problem vegetation by prescribing appropriate harvesting and reforestation techniques such as pre-harvest vegetation management activities, prompt site preparation, and planting with suitable seedlings and stock types
• approve Silviculture Prescriptions only if they include prompt and appropriate regeneration actions designed to prevent the establishment of excessive competing vegetation
• support the use of safe and approved vegetation management methods prescribed on a site-specific basis, including biological (e.g., livestock grazing), herbicide, mechanical, physical (e.g., manual cutting), and prescribed fire techniques
• seek and promote new methods and techniques for managing forest vegetation
• ensure that vegetation management decisions and prescription planning include evaluation of the impact on regeneration delay, consequences on harvesting in adjacent areas and timber supply, and impact on range and recreation resources. The evaluation should be done at the landscape or forest level as part of higher-level planning.
• choose and document the rationale for selecting the specific vegetation management method for a site. All treatment options (including no treatment) must be considered and evaluated before the treatment choice is made. Evaluation will be based on the effectiveness of available options for meeting prescription objectives, cost effectiveness, worker safety, impact on people, the environment, range and recreation resources. The full cost to achieve planned objectives (e.g., free growing status) for Ministry funded or administered projects must be within the limits set by the Ministry.
• conduct vegetation management research and operational trials, and monitor treatment effectiveness and impacts of vegetation management activities
• establish Vegetation Management Demonstration Areas to illustrate, for example, treatment or silvicultural effectiveness, treatment costs, and site impacts of vegetation management options
• ensure that all individuals responsible for conducting vegetation management activities, including prescription, supervision, and monitoring, are well trained
• develop and implement a Vegetation Management Strategy, including the use of brushing methods, cost effectiveness, safety concerns, opportunities for public consultation and review, consultation with First Nations, legal responsibilities, interaction with Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks (MELP), protection of other resources, method of habitat assessment, economic responsibilities, and financial limitations
• ensure local communities are advised of vegetation management activities proposed in their area
• conduct and report vegetation management activities in accordance with federal and provincial laws and regulations
• fully support the actions of Ministry personnel in the legitimate performance of their duties. At the same time, Ministry staff are expected to exercise reasonable care in the conduct of management operations.

Responsibilities, Director, Forest Practices Branch:

• to develop, monitor, and revise this policy in consultation with the appropriate branches, the regions, districts, and holders of major licences
• to develop and monitor vegetation management standards and guidelines pertaining to the Ministry of Forests
• to develop training materials and initiate or carry out training and extension for vegetation management to ensure effective implementation of this policy
• to develop methods and guidelines for estimating and evaluating the costs and benefits of vegetation management treatments in order to assist regions and districts in making vegetation management decisions
• to review and evaluate the costs and benefits of vegetation management treatments funded or administered by the Ministry to ensure that they are reasonable and consistent with guidelines
• to develop and implement forest and range vegetation management monitoring systems for use by the Ministry
• to develop and revise, in consultation with the regions and the Public Affairs Branch, a Ministry strategy for communicating vegetation management issues
• to communicate with regions, districts, and other branches and agencies on issues relating to forest and range vegetation management
• to provide ongoing support, including staff and budget allocation for Ministry vegetation management operational trials and extension, and to conduct trials, including investigation of new techniques for managing vegetation
• to assist the regions and districts in the preparation of appeals relating to vegetation management activities
• to develop guidelines for Forest Vegetation Management Demonstration Areas for use by the regions and districts for staff training and public education
• to meet regularly with the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks to discuss vegetation management activities and issues, including review and discussion of plans, procedures, guidelines, referral issues, and also plan, budget, and carry out vegetation management activities funded or administered by the two ministries
• to meet regularly with other resource agencies involved in vegetation management programs, including the forest industry, for development and implementation of vegetation management public communication strategy
• to provide guidelines regarding appropriate levels of forage production for use in the development of Silviculture Prescriptions and other plans
• to ensure range vegetation management prescriptions and activities are conducted
• to provide ongoing input into vegetation management research and extension directed towards forest range enhancement
• to participate in vegetation management trials and extension activities relating to forest range in conjunction with the appropriate branches, including Research Branch
• to communicate with the appropriate resource agencies to ensure the Ministry utilizes up-to-date vegetation management methods and knowledge pertaining to forest range
• to audit regions on vegetation management activities relating to forest range
• to audit regions to ensure compliance with this policy

Responsibilities, Director, Research Branch

• to assist the Director of Forest Practices Branch in the development and delivery of training materials and courses on vegetation management
• to provide ongoing support, including staff and budget allocation for vegetation management research and extension directed towards operational needs of the Ministry
• to assist the Director of Forest Practices Branch in the development of vegetation management operational trial and monitoring systems, and in conducting operational trials
• to communicate with the other research agencies to ensure the Ministry utilizes up-to-date vegetation management methods and knowledge
• to communicate research results to Forest Practices Branch and regions

Responsibilities, Director, Revenue Branch

• to ensure that silviculture cost appraisal estimates accurately reflect the predicted brushing cost for the silviculture regime

Responsibilities, Regional Manager

• to develop or assist in the development and delivery of training materials on vegetation management
• to develop and implement regional guidelines and procedures to ensure consistent application within the context of this provincial policy
• to monitor and document crop tree response to operational treatments using Ministry-approved procedures
• to plan and conduct vegetation management trials in conjunction with the districts using Ministry-approved procedures and guidelines
• to establish, in co-operation with the districts, Forest Vegetation Management Demonstration Areas within the region using Ministry-approved guidelines
• for all Ministry funded or administered projects, to prepare in consultation with districts, cost-benefit analysis or business plans for establishing free growing stands according to provincial guidelines for each of the major areas or ecosystems within the region. This is to ensure that individual costs and the total cost estimates to reach free growing targets are reasonable. The cost-benefit analysis or business plan should include single-entry vegetation management costs and cost estimates for all activities (e.g., site preparation, planting, and brushing) required to establish a free growing stand.
• to ensure that any vegetation management strategy developed by the region or districts conforms to the overall Provincial Vegetation Management Strategy. Any policy or strategy developed within the region which impacts other regions must be reviewed with the Director, Forest Practices Branch.
• to regularly meet with representatives of Environment, Lands and Parks to discuss vegetation management activities and issues, including review and discussion of vegetation management strategies, plans, procedures, guidelines, and referral issues, and also plan and carry out activities funded by the two ministries
• to meet regularly with other resource agencies involved in vegetation management programs, including the forest industry, to discuss the development of vegetation management public communication strategy
• to audit district vegetation management activities, including the assessment of free growing stands

Responsibilities, District Manager

For vegetation management activities on all Crown land, the District Manager will:

• ensure that the Ministry of Forests and the holders of major forest licences consider vegetation management in the development of Silviculture Prescriptions and Treatment Prescriptions, with the necessary referrals made to the appropriate agencies
• ensure that the Ministry of Forests and the holders of major forest licences report vegetation management activities appropriately as required by provincial laws or Ministry policy
• approve only the Silviculture Prescriptions which have prompt and appropriate early regeneration actions
• ensure that harvesting is deferred where appropriate vegetation management methods cannot be used to establish a free growing stand within the required time periods

For all Ministry funded or administered vegetation management activities on Crown land, the District Manager will:

• ensure that pre-treatment surveys for vegetation management are carried out by qualified personnel
• ensure that personnel involved with vegetation management prescriptions are aware of the current knowledge on efficacy, environmental impacts, safety, and cost effectiveness of the different vegetation management methods
• ensure that during vegetation management prescriptions all treatment options are considered, evaluated, and documented before a treatment choice is made. The selected option must be able to achieve clearly defined objectives in a cost-effective manner with no unreasonable impact on the environment.
• ensure that single-entry vegetation management treatment costs and cost estimates of vegetation management activities to free growing are reasonable and within the cost guidelines provided by the Regional Manager. A special case must be prepared for any costs beyond the approved limits for review by the Regional Manager.
• conduct operational vegetation management trials
• conduct public education and communication activities regarding vegetation management activities in consultation and coordination with other agencies directly involved in vegetation management programs, including the forest industry
• ensure that local communities are advised of vegetation management activities proposed in the district
• ensure that all proposed vegetation management activities are referred to affected agencies for comment prior to implementation
• advise the Regional Manager of any intention to develop local vegetation management policies or strategies so that their potential implications can be evaluated at the regional and provincial levels
• ensure that the consequences of vegetation management on timber supply are also considered and evaluated when developing a vegetation management strategy
• ensure that where equipment testing, calibration, and approval are required by Government or Ministry policy, only the equipment which satisfies the necessary requirements is used
• ensure that vegetation management activities are implemented using safe and appropriate tools in a timely, cost-effective manner to meet free growing objectives
• ensure that all individuals responsible for conducting or supervising any vegetation management projects are well trained and experienced in the use of the specific management technique being used
• monitor vegetation management activities to evaluate treatment success and ensure adherence to policies and procedures relating to silviculture, range, and recreation resources

• Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act, s. 22, 25, 40, 41
• Operational Planning Regulation
• Silviculture Practices Regulation

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