Incremental Silviculture Strategy for BC Larry Pedersen Chief Forester Ministry of Forests

Presentation Agenda 1. Incremental Silviculture Strategy for BC 2. Management Unit Strategies (FRBC’s Forest Level Analysis for Silviculture Investments initiative) 3. SH management planning & implementation system 4. Future directions

Past attempts by govt at developing strategies were never completed : over 1 million hectares of incremental silviculture treatments FRDA I and II audits identified the need FRBC spending $80–130 million/yr on incremental silviculture 1999 Auditor General’s report reiterated the need The Need for Provincial Strategy

Purposes of the Provincial Strategy Part of stewardship of public forest land Provide general guidance for incremental silviculture investments Provide context for –Management unit (TSA/TFL) strategies –FRBC Resource Management and Regional investment plans –Stand-level analyses

Development & Release History Background Work – 1997 & 1998 Based on 140 recent reports, analyses & review of global and local supply & demand Review, field test management unit strategy process – 1998 Release & implementation – 1999

Strategy Supports Achievement of Government’s Goals Sustainable resource use Community stability A strong forest sector

Strategy is Based on Key Guiding Principles BC’s forests are important at all levels – from local to global. Stewardship and moral obligations to future generations must be met. Course of action must be taken that minimizes risk and maintains options.

BC Situation– 1999 Forecast Without intervention, future harvest levels will fall 17% A 17% decline could mean: ~ a 5% reduction in GDP ~ 46,000 direct and indirect jobs lost Need m anagement strategies for wood quality & habitat supply

BC Situation – Potential Supply Future harvest levels can be increased to approx. 75 million m 3 Needs confirmation by management unit analysis Quality – Long rotation management plus incremental silviculture can have an upwards effect Need to include forecasting methods for Habitat supply

BC Supply vs. Global Demand Externally, there are plentiful sources of cheap fibre. BC is likely to remain a saw-log economy.

Working Targets Minimize the anticipated interim reduction in timber supply so that it is not less than 65 million m 3 /yr. Increase timber supply over the mid-term to a long-term level of 75 million m 3 /yr. Maintain the production of premium quality logs at or above 10% of total harvest volume. These targets will have to be achieved in conjunction with managing for non-timber and other environmental objectives. FRBC’s volume and quality goals contribute to attaining these targets

Major Silvicultural Strategies TIMBER QUANTITY Increase use of alternative silvicultural systems where suitable, particularly commercial thinning Reduce green-up ages Increase regenerated stand volumes 20% Eliminate treatable backlog NSR (Other non-silviculture strategies must also be implemented – e.g., inventories)

Major Silvicultural Strategies (continued) TIMBER QUALITY Initiate long rotation quality management program for stands where harvesting must be delayed Initiate a timber value-added strategy (combinations of spacing, pruning and fertilization) Some habitat supply needs can be achieved with the quality objective

The Provincial Strategy The interim strategy is a first step – will be refined over time Has successfully provided much-needed guidance for management unit strategies and Resource Management Plans Defines broad general direction and encourages general patterns of activities Assumes in-depth management unit analyses will be the basis for refined regional and provincial strategies

FRBC’s Forest Level Analysis for Silviculture Investments Initiative $3.0 million expended on the support and development of management unit strategies One of FRBC’s key strategic performance measures - a strategy for every management unit One of FRBC’s key success stories

Purpose of Management Unit Strategies Prioritize short, mid & long-term silviculture options to address identified issues Provide a forward-looking planning and priority setting context to support TSR base case assumptions ~ completion of backlog NSR/impeded area programs ~ explicit fertilization programs ~ explicit/implicit spacing programs Provide context / direction for stand level prescriptions and investments

Two Types of Strategies Type 1 - uses readily available info, such as existing TSR analyses, reports and stand level analysis Type 2 - uses readily available info plus in-depth forest level modelling to develop silviculture strategies Both Type 1 and 2 analyses are intended to produce specific harvest level, timber quality and habitat objectives Incorporate known code, HLP and commonly known requirements for non-timber objectives (i.e. OGMAs, WHAs, green-up, visual quality etc)

Methodology Strategies are developed by consultants under contract to MoF HQ and regions or to TFL licensees Basic process is to identify issues and silvicultural opportunities & then develop prioritized cost-effective strategies that best address the issues Usual workshop participants are licensees, MoF region & district staff, and MELP staff

Methodology (continued) 850 Workshop participants to date: ~ MOF 50%, lic. 40%, Others 10% ~ 12 (7-23) persons/workshop First opportunity many have had to: ~ think beyond regs & admin process ~ consider where and how silviculture affects TSA issues ~ clarify or identify management unit specific objectives ~ identify issues and opportunities for silviculture regimes & investment

The process involves reviewing the Composition of the Base Case harvest decades from now Existing stands Managed stands (basic silviculture) volume ('000 m 3 /yr) Arrowsmith TSA “Pinch point” in the timber supply -- physical shortage of timber -- minimum operable growing stock -- harvest age and average diameter at minimum

Designing a series of linked silviculture treatments and investments over time decades from now area ('000 ha/year) fertilized pruned spaced planted The fertilization program begins slowly, then builds as suitable stands become available Arrowsmith TSA

Evaluating treatment impacts i.e. Base Case + Incremental Silviculture decades from now volume ('000 m 3 /yr) Stand-level fertilization effect – increases volume in the long term

Arrowsmith TSA decades from now Base case (basic silviculture) Base case + incremental silviculture 8.4% volume ('000 m 3 /yr) Choosing an incremental silviculture program that best achieves objectives

Progress on Completion of Forest Level Analysis for Silviculture Investments

Completed Silviculture Strategies at: Forest Practice Branch Website:

Other components ~ Habitat Supply Review & evaluation of current data, models, techniques & tools for habitat supply modelling Development of info and approaches for type 1 & 2 Habitat supply decision support workshop (180 persons) Large habitat supply modelling project started in southern BC use $150 K to leverage $5 M USFS information

Related Activities timber supply training - 11 courses / 250 students (MOF 50%, Lic 25%, consultants 10% MOELP 10%, Other 5%) empowering planners and operational staff to more meaningfully contribute to the silviculture strategies and the TSR process

Current Issue - Site Productivity Estimates Current site index estimates Site productivity estimates need to be improved in order to design appropriate silviculture strategies Value-oriented silv strategy? Volume-oriented silv strategy? Potential forecast with improved site index estimates Annual Harvest (m 3 /yr) Decades in Planning Horizon

Near the end of the beginning We have a good start Province, regions and districts are defining strategic priorities and direction to guide silviculture Good support and buy-in for initiatives Excellent team work and hard work by regions, districts, industry and consultants to date A first version of management unit and regional strategies for all areas will be completed this year

A Comprehensive Management System Initiatives are in place or under- construction for a complete management system for FRBC’s Sustainable Harvest objective Initiatives will provide a documented and transparent process for: ~ articulating regional strategic priorities and direction ~ translating strategies into RMP plans and programs ~ determining budgets ~ fine tuning the FRBC performance measures ~ carrying out activities, monitoring and reporting

The future Silviculture Strategies - a key component of a broader sustainable forest management plan Comprehensive management plans with explicit operating standards and silviculture regimes will be the basis for: ~ for one-plan approval ~ streamlined plan development, approval & revisions ~ reduction or elimination in legally required stand level prescriptions (i.e. bSPs and SMPs) ~ clarity and rationale for budgets

The future Silviculture investments tailored to specific: ~ forest estate condition ~ growth & yield and inventory info ~ forest harvest and mgmt objectives A coherent strategy across all planning levels - province, region, management unit Only nearing the end of the beginning… ongoing refinement & improvement A comprehensive silviculture planning & management system for responsible and cost-effective stewardship of a precious heritage

Thank You Special Thanks and acknowledgements: Janet Gagne - FRBC Larry Atherton and Associates Doug Williams - Cortex Consultants Pat Martin - MOF Tory Stephens - MELP Regional Co-ordinators District and Industry staff

Arrowsmith TSA decades from now

Arrowsmith TSA decades from now