Volume 1 - Resource Management
Chapter 2 - Silviculture

Policy 2.2 - Cone and Seed

Effective Date: 15-Aug-96
Updated: 15-Oct-97
Responsible Branch: Tree Improvement Program

Resource Management Volume Table of Contents | Amendment Log

Scope

This policy covers the collection, processing, registration, storage, preparation, and allocation of tree cones and seed. It applies both to the Ministry and to private agencies that wish to register tree seed with the Ministry (Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act, s.70(4)(c), 210(2)(c)).

Policy

All seed must be registered and stored by the Ministry at the Tree Seed Centre before being used to reforest Crown land.

Cone and seed services will be made available to all agencies involved in basic silviculture.

Seed of a provenance adapted to the area shall be used to reforest Crown land.

Cone and Seed Services

There is no charge for cone and seed services on Ministry collections. Cone and seed services for private agencies will be offered on a fee basis, as per the current fee schedule. The Director, Silviculture Branch, is responsible for processing, testing, and registering seeds, and withdrawing seed from storage.

If negligent in providing cone and seed services, the Ministry will attempt to replace any lost or damaged cones or seed with an equivalent amount from another seedlot of comparable quality and type. If replacements are not available, or if the Ministry and the seed owner cannot agree on a suitable seedlot, the Ministry will pay a cash settlement at current seed prices. The seed owner is responsible for obtaining additional private insurance coverage, if desired.

Training materials on the provision of cone and seed services will be distributed by Regional Managers to forest districts and licensees. Regional Managers will also audit forest districts to ensure that legislated responsibilities pertaining to cone and seed services are fulfilled. District Managers are responsible for auditing licensees in the same manner.

Cone and Seed Collection

No one except employees or agents of the Crown may collect cones or seeds from Crown land unless a Cone Collection Permit has been obtained from the District Manager.

District Managers will carry out cone crop surveys, and plan, provide training for, organize, and implement cone collection programs within approved budgets. Cone collections must be planned and implemented to meet the needs of Woodlot licensees and all sub-programs (including SBFEP, the Small Business Forest Enterprise Program). Cooperative multi-agency collections, involving the Ministry when appropriate, will be encouraged.

The Director, Silviculture Branch, will inform Regional Managers of projected Crown seed production from seed orchards, so that natural stand collection requirements can be determined. The Director will also inform Regional Managers of superior provenance areas (geographical sources or places of origin of cones or seed).

Regional Managers will plan and coordinate cone collections and seed purchases for the Ministry program, and in consultation with the Silviculture Branch, will determine whether to purchase seed for species not naturally occurring in B.C. (introduced seed).

District Managers will review annually the current Crown seed inventory to determine seed needs and surpluses, and cone collection quotas and budgets. This information will be forwarded to the Regional Manager.

Cone and Seed Quality

Acceptable standards of quality for tree cones and seeds will be established by the Director, Silviculture Branch.

Seed from superior natural stands is preferred and should be collected, distributed, and planted whenever possible. Seed which comes from a stand of less than ten trees is not suitable for silviculture, unless otherwise approved by the Ministry.

Cones delivered to the Tree Seed Centre should not contain, by volume, more than five percent (or ten percent for western red cedar, western hemlock, and yellow cedar):

  • empty cones
  • old cones
  • cones of other species
  • cones badly infected with insects or disease
  • other unacceptable non-cone material or debris

Seeds processed at a commercial facility should not have less than 97% purity or have a moisture content below 4.0% or in excess of 9.9%.

If the above standards for cones and seed are not met, the Tree Seed Centre may still accept the material if the additional effort required to bring it up to standards is considered reasonable. An additional fee may apply for this service. If, at the Ministry's sole discretion, unreasonable efforts are required, the Ministry has the right to refuse delivery of cones or seed.

Tree Seed Centre Processing

Processing involves extraction of seeds from cones, removing wings from seeds, cleaning and sorting, and culling empty and poor quality seeds.

Cones and seeds collected for the Ministry program, including the Ministry component of cooperative collections, must be processed at the Tree Seed Centre, unless approval has been granted by the Director, Silviculture Branch, to process them elsewhere.

Cones and seeds collected for the Licensee program may be processed at the Tree Seed Centre or at another commercial facility capable of processing them to the required quality standards, in preparation for storage at the Tree Seed Centre.

All cones processed at the Tree Seed Centre must be delivered in sacks which meet fabrication standards set by the Ministry. The Director, Silviculture Branch, will coordinate the acquisition of cone sacks for the Ministry program.

The Director, Silviculture Branch, will determine current Ministry costs of processing, testing, and storing seed, and the value of the end product.

Registration Requirements

Only seed that the Ministry deems suitable for basic silviculture will be eligible for registration and inclusion in the Tree Seed Register and Inventory System. Suitability will be determined by the District Manager in consultation with the Regional Manager and the Director, Silviculture Branch.

The Director, Silviculture Branch, will establish the information requirements for registration of both native and introduced seed, and will maintain and provide accurate and current seedlot information for the Tree Seed Register and Inventory System.

Cones and processed seed delivered to the Tree Seed Centre must be accompanied by a Cone Collection Report or Seed Orchard Cone Collection Report, correctly completed. This serves as the basis for registration. Alternatively, for processed seed, sufficient information must be supplied to complete either report.

Private agencies wishing to have cones or seed processed or registered at the Tree Seed Centre must submit a correctly completed Cone/Seed Services form.

Registration Guidelines

Species codes used for registration of seedlots must be consistent with the Ministry policy manual. However, codes for spruce seedlots collected within B.C. are limited to the following

  • SS (Sitka spruce)
  • SX (interior spruce)
  • SB (black spruce)
  • SE (Engelmann spruce)
  • SXS (Sitka hybrid)
  • SW (white spruce)

Seed from a cooperative, multi-agency collection may be registered as one seedlot against a single cooperative name, or as separate seedlots for each of the agencies involved. When one cooperative name is used, the agencies involved are responsible for administering any agreement for allocation of the seedlot.

Registered seedlots may be combined to create a single new registered seedlot, with the approval of the Regional Manager. The Director, Silviculture Branch, will establish criteria for combining registered seedlots.

Provincial Tree Seed Program

Owners of private land are encouraged to participate in the Provincial Tree Seed Registration Program.

The Director, Silviculture Branch, will coordinate and participate in joint industry/Ministry programs, committees, and workshops for the Provincial Tree Seed Program. Regional Managers will also participate in the Program.

Regional Managers are responsible for issuing Tree Seed Dealer's Licences. Regional and District Managers are responsible for distributing Tree Seed Register & Inventory System reports, and other requested forms.

Seed Storage

Seed that is not eligible for registration may be stored at the Tree Seed Centre at the Silviculture Branch Director's discretion, but with an unregistered status.

Allocation

Agencies with registered seedlots will be given first consideration when Crown seed is allocated for either Ministry or licensee programs. However, the Ministry reserves the right to allocate the seed to other agencies if their need is deemed to be greater.

The Director, Silviculture Branch, is responsible for allocating among the regions Crown seed from seed orchards. Regional Managers, in consultation with District Managers and licensees, will allocate the seed for use in the Ministry and licensee programs. District Managers must ensure that there is sufficient seed from an adapted provenance for each prescription.

Regional Managers, in consultation with the Tree Seed Centre, will direct the delivery of cones for the Ministry program.

Seed collected from natural stands or plantations prior to 1988 will be evenly allocated for use in both Ministry and licensee programs, even if local shortages exist. After 1993, licensees (except for woodlot licensees) will be responsible for acquiring their seed from sources other than the Crown seed collected prior to 1988. After 1993, woodlot licensees may either acquire their own seed or use Crown seed on a long-term basis.

Crown seed may be provided for research and public relations purposes.

To obtain seed for nursery sowing in both Ministry and licensee programs, agencies must submit a Sowing Request form (FS 332) to the District or Regional Manager. Regional Managers will coordinate sowing request submissions for the region. The Director, Silviculture Branch, will notify seed owners of all sowing requests made against their seedlots.

The Director, Silviculture Branch, will establish seed transfer guidelines, and revise them when necessary.

Cone and Seed Costs

Licensees are responsible for the costs of cones and seed acquired for the licensee program.

Crown seed allocated to licensees will be sold at prices set out in the current Seed Price Schedule. The Ministry may also trade seed with agencies on a mutually agreed basis. No seed will be loaned.

Seed Transfer

Whenever possible, only the seed of required and approved species of trees should be used for planting on Crown land.

The seed must be adapted to the geographical area and elevation where it is being planted. The Director, Research Branch, will establish the maximum geographic and elevation distances that seed can be moved from its point of natural origin without jeopardizing plantation productivity.

The Director, Research Branch, will also provide cone and seed research support, and information on the origin of superior provenances and recommended areas of seed use.

References