Volume 1 - Resource Management
Chapter 2 - Silviculture

Policy 2.19 - Silviculture Treatment and Reporting

Effective Date: 01-Dec-94
Responsible Branch: Silviculture Branch

Resource Management Volume Table of Contents | Amendment Log

Scope

This policy covers the reporting of Ministry funded silviculture activities carried out on forest lands that were harvested or naturally disturbed prior to October 1, 1987 that are stocked but not free growing.

Purpose

The Ministry will ensure that all planned and completed silviculture treatments on forest land are included in the approved 5 year silviculture plan. In addition, treatment prescriptions are to be completed for all planned silviculture treatments.

Definitions

For the purposes of this policy:

  • "5 year silviculture plan" means an operational plan as defined by the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act, Operational Planning Regulation, and 5 Year Silviculture Plan Guide Book
  • "free growing stand" is as defined by the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act
  • "silviculture treatments" means any planned silviculture activities that do not require by statutes an approved Silviculture Prescription, Backlog Silviculture Prescription, or Stand Management Prescription. These activities may include, but are not limited to, brushing or maximum density spacing that may be carried out on forest land harvested or disturbed prior to October 1, 1987 that is stocked but not free growing.
  • "treatment prescription" means a prescription prepared in accordance with the Silviculture Prescription Guide Book or Stand Management Prescription Guide Book
  • "planned" means those planned silviculture activities commencing from the date of submission of the plan and are expected to be carried out over the next five-year period if the approval of the 5 year silviculture plan is obtained by the Regional or District Manager
  • "completed" means those silviculture activities completed in the year ending the preceding March 31

Policy

Silviculture Treatments on
Pre Oct. 1, 1987 areas

The Ministry will ensure that:

  • compliance with this policy is consistent with the transition provisions provided for in the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act for the 5 year silviculture plan
  • prior to commencement of the proposed treatment, a treatment prescription is completed in accordance with the Silviculture Prescription Guide Book or Stand Management Prescription Guide Book
  • prior to a silviculture treatment being conducted on an area harvested prior to October 1, 1987 that is stocked but not free growing, the type of treatment and the geographic location is described in the 5 year Silviculture Plan
  • prior to the commencement of a silviculture treatment, the silviculture treatment has been approved within the 5 year silviculture plan
  • if the silviculture treatments are planned to be carried out in the first two years of the 5 year silviculture plan, then the location of the proposed treatments is indicated on the plan map
  • if a silviculture treatment was approved 3 years or more prior to a 5 year silviculture plan being in place but not carried out, the District Manager reviews the proposed treatment to ensure it meets current Ministry standards and policy requirements
  • silviculture treatments completed in the previous year from the date of submission are reported in the 5 year silviculture plan and, as a minimum, describe the treatment type, location, map reference, hectares completed, and identification of the agency conducting the operation (licensee or Crown)
  • all stands that were disturbed prior to October 1, 1987 that have not yet been declared free growing are assessed with the current Ministry standards at the time of the survey

Amendments

If the type or year of the silviculture treatment is amended, the 5 year silviculture plan must be amended prior to commencement of the silviculture treatment.

If the District Manager determines that a proposed amendment to the silviculture treatment scheduled within the 5 year silviculture plan materially or adversely affects the public, the District Manager will advertise the amended 5 year silviculture plan in accordance Section 4 of the Operational Planning Regulation.

Exemption

If a proposed silviculture treatment is for an area 1 hectare or less, the District Manager may exempt the area from the requirements of this policy.

The District Manager may exempt the licensee or the Crown from some or all of the requirements of a treatment prescription.

Records Management and Documentation

Documentation of the silviculture treatment must be retained on Silviculture Opening Files.

The corporate data base must be updated (ISIS) with planned or completed silviculture treatments.

If a silviculture treatment has been exempted from the requirements of this policy, then the reason for the exemption must be documented and kept on the appropriate opening file.

References