Policy 2.5 - Silviculture Trials

Effective Date: 01-Apr-93
Responsible Branch: Silviculture Branch

Resource Management Volume Table of Contents | Amendment Log

Scope

This policy covers the coordinating and documenting of silviculture trials.

Policy

Silviculture trials and field tests are short-term projects undertaken to solve operational problems, investigate new techniques, design new equipment, or test practical applications of new research findings. Trials must be coordinated and documented so that silviculture workers can use and benefit from the information.

Initiating Trials

The registry for all silviculture trials will be coordinated through the Silviculture Branch. Trials may be initiated at the branch, regional, or district levels, by the Branch Director, Regional Manager, or District Manager, respectively, and by licensees.

The Branch Director will provide and record silviculture trial identification numbers to the Regional Managers and maintain an updated record of information on each trial in the silviculture trials manual.

The Regional Manager will approve or reject proposals for silviculture trials received from licensees or districts. The District Manager will provide the Regional Manager with the necessary information, and request trial identification numbers. The Regional Manager obtains the numbers from the Branch Director and provides information on the new region or district trials.

Carrying Out Trials

After a silviculture trial has been approved, it must be carried out following all proper clearance procedures. The District Manager will monitor district silviculture trials and ensure the proper flow of information. The Regional Manager is responsible for region-initiated trials and will coordinate inter-district silviculture trial activities. The Branch Director is responsible for Branch-initiated trials, and will coordinate inter-region silviculture trial activities.

The Branch Director will make trial manuals and amendments available to all branches, regions, districts, and other agencies.

Non-Ministry Trials

A licensee may initiate silviculture trials. If these trials are to be eligible for funding, they must be approved by the District Manager.

Working plans, progress reports, and other information on approved non-Ministry trials will be submitted and recorded according to the Ministry silviculture trials procedures. Work will be completed on a contract basis.

Duplicate Trials

Where the same field trial is carried out or duplicated in two or more regions, each trial will be given the same number with a standard region code suffix representing the region where the trial is conducted, for example, K for Kamloops.

Each duplicate trial will be designed and analyzed in the same manner.

Trial Reporting

During trials, progress reports must be submitted, with a final report at the end of the trial.

The District Manager will submit the required progress and final reports of each trial to the Regional Manager within a reasonable time span. In turn, the Regional Manager will forward both Ministry and non-Ministry progress reports and final reports on trials to the Director, Silviculture Branch, within a reasonable time span.

The Branch Director will review final reports of silviculture trials and, in consultation with the initiator, will publish and distribute trial results within and outside the Ministry.

All silviculture experimental trials which are planned, underway, or completed during the year will be briefly summarized at the annual Regional Research Advisory Committee meeting. Trials do not have to be considered when establishing the priorities of the region's research program.

References

• No applicable references.