Volume 1 - Resource Management
Chapter 2 - Silviculture

Policy 2.22 - Backlog Management

Effective Date: 30-Apr-96
Updated: 15-Oct-97
Responsible Branch: Forest Practices Branch

Resource Management Volume Table of Contents | Amendment Log

Scope

This policy is applicable to all backlog and impeded areas on Crown land. It covers both Ministry and industry outstanding funded activities, including site preparation, site rehabilitation, planting, silviculture surveys, brushing, and spacing.

While this policy must be considered in the development of a district's backlog management strategy, the relative priority assigned to the assessment and treatment of backlog and impeded areas will be established through the business plan process.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to:

  • provide a framework for ranking the treatment of backlog and impeded areas while ensuring that current land use and other resource values are recognized
  • ensure that backlog areas are:
    a) brought to free-growing status to achieve a free-growing or otherwise acceptable stand. It is recognized that certain areas will never reach the current free-growing standards under present economic or biological constraints, and that further investments cannot be justified or may not be appropriate.
    b) proclaimed satisfactorily restocked with no further treatments required; or,
    c) in the case of untreatable, not satisfactorily restocked (NSR) areas, the NSR label is replaced with an accurate inventory label where the NSR area is untreatable for social, economic, or environmental reasons, or the stocking is appropriate in view of the need to achieve non-timber resource objectives (e.g., fisheries, wildlife, range, or recreation)
  • ensure that investments on impeded areas (pre-October 1, 1987 satisfactorily restocked) are maintained to achieve desired objectives and obligations

Definitions

For the purposes of this policy:

  • "backlog area" means an area
    a) from which the timber was harvested, damaged, or destroyed before October 1, 1987; and,
    b) that in the District Manager's opinion, is insufficiently stocked with healthy, well-spaced trees of a commercially acceptable species
  • "impeded area" means an area
    a) from which the timber was harvested, damaged, or destroyed before October 1, 1987; and,
    b) that in the District Manager's opinion, is satisfactorily restocked with healthy, well-spaced trees of a commercially acceptable species, but not free-growing
  • "not satisfactorily restocked (NSR)" means productive forest land that has been denuded and has not been regenerated to the desired stocking standards for the opening
  • "satisfactorily restocked (SR)" means productive forest land that has been denuded and has been regenerated to the desired stocking standards for the opening
  • "obligation" means those specific activities that the District Manager and the holder of a major licence or woodlot licence agree to conduct on backlog or impeded areas. The District Manager is responsible for backlog or impeded areas harvested under the Small Business Enterprise Program (SBEP).
  • "free-growing stand" means a stand of healthy trees of a commercially valuable species, the growth of which is not impeded by competition from plants, shrubs, or other trees

Policy

It is the policy of the Ministry to:

  • review the current status of each backlog or impeded area to establish whether the area
    a) requires further treatments, including surveys; or,
    b) will not be further treated; or,
    c) requires assessment for other resource values
  • provide an accurate inventory label for those areas that will not be further treated
  • rank backlog and impeded areas for treatments in general, based on the following ranking:
    1. impeded areas (SR- pre-October 1, 1987)
    2. backlog areas- January 1, 1982 to October 1, 1987
    3. backlog areas- pre-January 1, 1982
      • good and medium sites first
      • poor and low sites second

Refer to Appendix A for detailed ranking.

  • consider all treatment options, including no treatment, before the treatment choice is made. Evaluation will be based on the effectiveness of available options for meeting prescription objectives, considering higher level plans, cost effectiveness, worker safety, impact on people, the environment, range, and recreation resources. The final choice must be documented.
  • use methods and techniques for each activity that will maintain or enhance the natural productivity of forest sites
  • prescribe a course of action for each site
  • ensure silviculture activities required under obligations are accomplished in a timely manner
  • regularly and consistently monitor progress and results
  • review, on an annual basis, progress towards achieving obligations as originally agreed. Obligations may be revised, based on progress.
  • inform licensees of their status with respect to their obligations on an annual basis
  • conduct research and operational trials on the effectiveness and impacts of pre-October 1, 1987 management activities

Responsibilities

Director, Silviculture 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 a backlog area status report and maintain statistics on an annual basis
  • to develop backlog and impeded area management guidelines
  • to develop methods for estimating and evaluating the costs and benefits of pre-October 1, 1987 management treatments in order to assist regions and districts in making management decisions
  • to review and evaluate the costs and benefits of treatments, including the impact on timber supply
  • to develop and implement monitoring systems for use by the Ministry
  • to communicate with regions, districts, and other branches and agencies on relating to backlog and impeded area management
  • to provide ongoing support, including staff and budget allocation for Ministry operational trials and extension, and to conduct trials, including investigation of new techniques
  • to develop training materials and initiate or carry out training and extension to ensure effective implementation of this policy
  • to audit regions and districts to ensure compliance with this policy

Director, Research Branch

  • to assist the Director of Silviculture Practices Branch in the development and delivery of training materials and courses
  • to provide ongoing support, including staff and budget allocation for research and extension directed towards operational needs of the Ministry
  • to assist the Director of Silviculture Practices Branch in the development of 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 methods and knowledge
  • to communicate research results to Silviculture Practices Branch, regions, and districts

Regional Manager

  • to develop and implement regional guidelines and procedures to ensure consistent application within the context of this provincial policy
  • to monitor the progress of achieving the objectives of this policy
  • to plan and conduct trials in conjunction with the districts using Ministry-approved procedures and guidelines
  • to assist districts with the development of treatment options and prescriptions, including cost-benefit analysis according to provincial guidelines. The cost-benefit analysis should include cost estimates for all activities (e.g., site preparation, site rehabilitation, planting, surveys, brushing, and spacing).
  • to monitor district activities associated with backlog and impeded area management

District Manager

  • to establish the current status of each backlog and impeded area
  • to advise licensees of their status with respect to their obligations on an annual basis
  • in the absence of agreements on backlog area obligations, the District Manager must assign responsibilities to the Ministry or licensee on a block-by-block basis
  • to ensure silviculture information systems are kept current
  • to ensure silviculture activities on backlog and impeded areas are included in a Five-Year Silviculture Plan and the Five-Year Silviculture Program Update
  • to prepare a backlog silviculture prescription for activities on a backlog area or a treatment prescription for activities on an impeded area prior to carrying out those activities
  • to approve a backlog silviculture prescription for activities on a backlog area or a treatment prescription for activities on an impeded area before the holder of a major licence or woodlot licence carries out those activities
  • to ensure that personnel involved with prescribing a course of action or preparing prescriptions are well qualified and experienced
  • to ensure that all treatment activity options are considered and evaluated before a treatment choice is made, and to document the final choice
  • to ensure that treatment costs of activities to achieve free growing are reasonable and within any cost guidelines provided by the Regional Manager
  • to conduct trials on backlog and impeded areas
  • to monitor activities to evaluate treatment success and ensure adherence to legislation, policies, and procedures relating to silviculture, range, and recreation resources
  • to solicit input from the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks with regard to whether backlog and impeded areas require assessment for other non-timber values
  • to ensure that where required, the results of assessments of other resource values are considered in classifying, ranking , and prescribing the appropriate course of action for each site

References

Appendix A, Treatment Priority Guidelines for Impeded and Backlog Areas