Policy 7.1 - Ecological Reserve Proposals

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

Resource Management Volume Table of Contents | Amendment Log

Scope

This policy covers proposals for ecological reserves required for forest research.

Policy

Ecological reserves must be established to provide a protected land base for:

• long range research study important to forest land management
• protection of ecosystems containing outstanding, unique, rare, or endangered features

Ecological reserves will be established through an orderly process, involving:

• preparation of selection criteria
• identification of representative forested ecosystems
• presentation of ecological reserve proposals to the Ecological Reserves Unit

Ecological Reserves Unit

The Ecological Reserves Unit is part of the Ministry of Lands & Parks. It has the overall responsibility of promoting, establishing, managing, and administering ecological reserves.

All proposals for ecological reserves must be submitted to the Ecological Reserve Unit. The Ministry of Forests, Research Branch will recommend to the Unit forested ecological reserves suitable for forest research needs.

Preparing Proposals

Proposals should include a selected range of ecosystems representative of the variety of ecosystems in B.C, including ecosystems from each forested biogeoclimatic subzone and variant. (An ecosystem is a land area which is relatively uniform in its composition and structure.)

Proposals originating in a region must first be submitted to the regional Forest Science Section, which will select the representative forested ecosystems suitable for that research need. Forest Science will also liaise with other resource agencies in the region to identify potential integrated benefits and conflicts. When the proposal has been finalized, Forest Science will submit it to the Regional Manager, who will forward it to the Ministry of Lands and Parks.

References

• Ecological Reserves Act, RSBC 1979