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1 NSC 2017 Winter Conference: Common Ground: Silvicultural Tools and Tactics for Diverse Ecosystems and Management Goals February 20-21, 2017 Important Copyright Information The following content is provided for educational purposes by the workshop presenter. This content may or may not have been peer reviewed. Information, opinions, and recommendations put forward are those of the presenter, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Northern Silviculture Committee, its members, or sponsors. Copyright for the following material is primarily held by the presenter. This source should be fully acknowledged in any citation. For permission to reproduce or redistribute this material, in whole or in part, please contact the presenter.

2 Navigating and Accessing provincial funding programs for enhanced silviculture and stand management Matt LeRoy RPF, February 20 th, 2017 Northern Silviculture Committee

3 Key Contacts at the Operational Level: Forests For Tomorrow (FFT) Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) Forest Carbon Initiative (FCI) Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative (SWPI) Rural Dividend Program Neil Hughes, Matt LeRoy Dave Conly Marie-Lou Lafrancois (North Area) Mike Madill (South Area) Brendan Brabender (Victoria) Kelly Osbourne Claudia Trudeau 3

4 The Context behind the government rehabilitation commitments : Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic, and Wildfires Directly linked to Climate Change 4

5 The factors that led to the government introducing two new programs Increasing wildfire and wildfire hazard around communities Fibre reductions due to MTTS impacts BCs Climate Leadership Plan and commitments 5

6 Mature (>60 year old) MPB-impacted Stands Total Area Impacted ( Trace to Very Severe ) Total Area Impacted (Trace to Very Severe) Total Area Impacted THLB with >50% pine (Trace to very Severe) Total Area Impacted THLB with >50% pine (Severe to very Severe) 18,700,000 hectares 10,000,000 4,800,000 3,200,000 Actual Harvest of dead pine since ,000 Net Area Impacted THLB with >50% pine (severe to very severe) 2,600,000 6

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8 BC s climate Leadership plan commitments Released August, 2016 Includes emission reductions in transportation, industry, communities, the built environment and government operations. Includes Forest Carbon Initiative BC is working with the federal government on the Pan- Canadian Framework to gain coordination and alignment 8

9 Investment Programs Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC): formed in February 2016, with an $85M + $150 M investment over 3-5 years. Forests For Tomorrow (FFT): program was established in Annual budget is approximately $49 M. Forest Carbon Initiative (FCI): program currently being developed. Funding is to be determined. Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative (SWPI): administered by UBCM. Since 2004 has invested $78 million since Rural Dividend Fund: Since 2016, budget of 25 million annually for three years. Tenures Competitiveness and Innovation, Rural Secretariat

10 What has FFT Accomplished so far? 1.7 million hectares of MPB and Wildfire Surveys Planted over 193 million seedlings on approximately138,000 hectares (MPB and Wildfire) 142,000 hectares have been fertilized to help with MTTS Provided over 120,000 person days of employment annually From an investment of over $445 M so far 10

11 Forests for Tomorrow Mission: FFT optimally utilizes available funding to reforest and manage productive forest land through the use of best science, and in consideration of all forest values and changing factors. FFT, nested within LBIS, has three delivery programs: Current Reforestation (CR), Timber Supply Mitigation (TSM). S.108 FFT ministerial commitments include: Plant >20 million seedlings, and steady state target of 28 million by 2019/20 Plant 25 million seedlings in 2017/18 and 18/19 Fertilize 20,000 ha annually

12 Forests For Tomorrow Funding under FFT guided by the Silviculture Funding Criteria (LBIS website) Catastrophic Disturbance: MPB and Wildfire, and Constrained Timber Supply Key Criteria Non obligation ground, THLB Site Index (area based) > 15 Return on Investment (2%) 12

13 General FFT Activities Surveys: regeneration, stand maintenance, fertilization Planting Brushing Site Preparation Overstory Removal through FLTC s BCTS ITSLs Fertilization Access management Spacing/repression density treatments Conifer Release 13

14 Forest Restoration - What exactly do we mean? Definition: Converting a stand that is not growing at full potential to a healthy, fully stocked stand. Reasons for not growing at full potential could be a result of: Damage by fire Insects or disease Not being satisfactorily restocked Species not best suited to the site 14

15 Forests For Tomorrow Key Delivery Partners: FLNRO Districts and Regional Staff BCTS Licensees (largely on the fertilizer program) Community Forests and Woodlots Price Waterhouse Coopers 15

16 Non Obligation FFT Rehabilitated Forest Comprised Roughly: 40% wildfires 40% BCTS Timber Sales 20% District led site clearing and planting 16

17 Mountain Pine Beetle Impacted stands Not viable for licensee harvest under current market conditions. Dead pine with no mid term timber supply potential and NSR 17

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19 Forest Enhancement BC (FESBC) $85 million + $150 million To advance and advocate for the environmental and resource stewardship of British Columbia s forests by: preventing and mitigating the impact of wildfires; improving damaged or low value forests; improving habitat for wildlife; supporting the use of fibre from damaged and low value forests; and treating forests to improve the management of greenhouse gases.

20 FESBC Funding Conditions Must not pose a Trade Risk Projects must be deemed uneconomic Projects cannot be used to relieve existing licensee obligations

21 FESBC Eligible Applicants Currently : Provincial government resource management agencies primarily the Ministry of FLNRO Local governments municipalities and regional districts in collaboration with SWPI First Nation governments in collaboration with SWPI (where applicable) Area-based tenures TFLs, Community Forests and Woodlots Business entities performing forestry services on behalf of the Provincial Gov t and/or Industry Licensees operating in a TSA Conservation organizations

22 FESBC Projects so far Two project intakes with a third scheduled for March Projects must meet Society purposes 46 projects, $6.7 Million covering multiple purposes Fibre recovery and fire mitigation - $3.4M (17) Low value / damaged stands and fire - $1.2M (11) Fire mitigation only - $2.0M (16) Wildlife habitat and fire - $331K (2) FESBC.CA FESBC.CA

23 Forest Carbon Initiative FCI announced as part of the Climate Leadership Plan: Goals Growing and storing more carbon (reforestation, site rehabilitation) Avoiding emissions (from forestry activities such as slash burning). 23

24 FCI Scheduled to begin activities in 2017 Diverse portfolio of activities to reduce 11 million tonnes (Mt) of GHG emissions from forests by 2050 Help ensure B.C. s forest return to a net carbon sink. Activities will enhance forest ecosystem resilience and climate adaptation. 24

25 Portfolio of potential activities Silviculture subset Enhanced silviculture Stand rehabilitation Residual fibre utilization Fertilization Balance of activities TBD FCI rehabilitation not limited to THLB

26 Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative (SWPI) The Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative is administered by the Union of B.C. Municipalities. Focus is on reducing wildfire risk in the two-kilometre wildland-urban interface zones (WUI) that surround communities. Including a $10 million contribution from the B.C. government in February 2016, about $78 million has been provided to this program since

27 SWPI Fuel management is the process of changing forest (or range) fuels to reduce aggressive wildfire behaviour in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). The WUI is described as any area where combustible wildland fuels (vegetation) are found adjacent to homes, farm structures or other outbuildings. For the purpose of the SWPI, the WUI includes areas within 2 kilometres of a community with densities greater than 6 structures per square kilometre. 27

28 SWPI (con t) Treatments include: thinning, spacing and pruning trees, removal of needles and woody debris from the forest floor, mulching, and broadcast or pile burning The intent is to reduce vegetation fuel loading in urbanwildland areas and thereby reduce the potential for devastating wildfires. 28

29 SWIPI The Fuel Management Program is a multi-tiered initiative, with the overall objective of reducing hazardous wildland fuels to mitigate losses from wildfires within the WUI. One key component includes the successful provincial partnership of UBCM, First Nations Emergency Services Society (FNESS) and CWPS to deliver the SWPI. The 29

30 SWPI has four program streams to address mitigation efforts in the WUI: Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) Define risk areas within the community for interface fires; Prescriptions for fuel treatments Demonstration projects Operational fuel treatments 30

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33 Program Overview: $25 million a year, for three years Provide benefits to rural communities with populations under 25,000

34 Eligible Applicants: Local Governments o Municipalities o Regional Districts o Unincorporated Areas First Nations Not-for-Profit Organizations

35 Project Categories: Community Capacity Building Workforce Development Community and Economic Development Business Sector Development

36 Funding Streams: Project Development - Up to $10,000 o o Feasibility studies, business cases Up to 100% of costs Single Applicant - Up to $100,000 o Up to 80% of costs Partnerships - Up to $500,000 o Up to 60% of costs

37 Infrastructure Projects - NEW Up to 25% of project costs Must directly link to economic development/diversification Not for traditional infrastructure

38 Destination Trail Projects - NEW Directly linked to economic development

39 Financial Statements - NEW Tiered depending upon funding request. o Up to $10,000 internally prepared and signed by two board members o $10, ,000 review engagement o $100, ,000 audited financials

40 Selection Criteria: Listed in the Program Guide, including: o Strength of the project o Rural communities most in need o Capacity to deliver project o Anticipated benefit of project on community

41 First Intake: April 4 May 31, 2016 Received 180 applications Program funded 120 applications Second Intake: October 3 31, 2016 Received 289 applications Applications are currently under review

42 To Learn More FAQs Program Guide Online Application

43 Program Office