Incremental Silviculture Strategy for BC

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

2. 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

3. The Need for Provincial Strategy • Past attempts by govt at developing strategies were never completed • 1980 - 1995: 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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. 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.

8. 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 management strategies for wood quality & habitat supply

9. BC Situation – Potential Supply • Future harvest levels can be increased to approx. 75 million m3 • 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

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

11. Working Targets Minimize the anticipated interim reduction in timber supply so that it is not less than 65 million m3/yr. Increase timber supply over the mid-term to a long-term level of 75 million m3/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

12. 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)

13. 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

14. 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 directionand encourages general patterns of activities • Assumes in-depth management unit analyses will be the basis for refined regional and provincial strategies

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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 plusin-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)

18. 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

19. 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 forsilviculture regimes & investment

20. The process involves reviewing the Composition of the Base Case harvest volume ('000 m3/yr) “Pinch point” in the timber supply -- physical shortage of timber -- minimum operable growing stock -- harvest age and average diameter at minimum 500 450 400 350 300 250 Existing stands Managed stands (basic silviculture) 200 150 100 50 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 decades from now Arrowsmith TSA

21. fertilized pruned spaced planted Designing a series of linked silviculture treatments and investments over time area ('000 ha/year) 25 The fertilization program begins slowly, then builds as suitable stands become available 20 15 10 5 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 decades from now Arrowsmith TSA

22. Evaluating treatment impacts i.e. Base Case + Incremental Silviculture volume ('000 m3/yr) 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 Stand-level fertilization effect – increases volume in the long term 150 100 50 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 decades from now Arrowsmith TSA

23. Choosing an incremental silviculture program that best achieves objectives volume ('000 m3/yr) 500 450 Base case + incremental silviculture 400 8.4% 350 300 250 Base case (basic silviculture) 200 150 100 50 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 decades from now Arrowsmith TSA

24. Progress on Completion of Forest Level Analysis for Silviculture Investments

25. Completed Silviculture Strategies at:Forest Practice Branch Website:www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/silstrat/

26. 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

27. 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

28. Current Issue - Site Productivity Estimates Site productivity estimates need to be improved in order to design appropriate silviculture strategies Potential forecast with improved site index estimates Annual Harvest(m3/yr) Value-oriented silv strategy? Current site index estimates Volume-oriented silv strategy? Decades in Planning Horizon

29. 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

30. 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

31. The future • Silviculture Strategies - a keycomponent 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. decades from now Arrowsmith TSA

35. decades from now Arrowsmith TSA