Lac Seul Forest Independent Forest Audit. Management Unit Action Plan

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1 Lac Seul Forest Independent Forest Audit Management Unit Action Plan

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4 INTRODUCTION In September 2011 an Independent Forest Audit (IFA) was conducted on the Lac Seul Forest for the period April 1, 2006 to March 31, The final audit report was received November 4, 2012 and was accepted by the Forestry Futures Trust Committee on November 13, The action plan is due January 12, The final audit report for the Lac Seul Forest includes 7 management unit recommendations. Those recommendations directed at corporate MNR will be addressed in the separate 2011 Provincial Action Plan (R#1, 3). For each management unit audit recommendation this action plan outlines the actions required, responsibility, timelines, and method of tracking progress of actions. The audit recommendations addressed in this action plan were directed at the District MNR since the Sustainable Forest Licence (SFL) was returned to the Crown on April 3, Since the audit report was completed a Forest Resource Licence (FRL) for the period April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2017 was issued to Obishikokaang Resources Corporation. Lac Seul First Nation established this company to support economic development initiatives such as the opportunity to manage the Lac Seul Forest. The FRL includes the condition to complete an action plan for the Independent Forest Audit. Therefore, responsibility for actions required in this action plan identifies Obishikokaang Resources Corporation where appropriate. 4

5 RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation 2: District MNR should designate Block #36 as an Adaptive Management Zone block, or use another designation that permits forest management on a flexible timeline that is appropriate to support the Lac Seul First Nation community and its economic development initiatives. 1. MNR is currently partnered with Lac Seul First Nation (LSFN) for the Species at Risk (SAR) Stewardship project to collect caribou values information in/adjacent to mosaic Block #36. The need for caribou values information to be collected was not identified early enough in the planning process for the area to be surveyed and modifications considered during the preparation of the 2011 Forest Management Plan (FMP). When the project is complete, both MNR and LSFN will be better informed about the area in question. In speaking to LSFN (through Obishikokaang), MNR is aware that LSFN would like to wait until the Year 3 Annual Report, when the SAR project is complete and results are known, before determining whether a request will be made for the FMP to be amended or re-written to include an Adaptive Management Zone (AMZ). The MNR will review the Year 3 AR & supporting documentation and the District Manager will provide a recommendation to the MNR Northwest Regional Director regarding the endorsement of the Year 3 AR. 1. MNR Sioux Lookout District Manager (lead), Obishikokaang Resources Corporation Plan Author; MNR Sioux Lookout District Area Forester, MNR Northwest Region Analyst, Planning Specialist Year 3 Annual Report submission due November 15, 2014, MNR review due 30 days after submission (December 15, 2014), if necessary revised report due within 60 days of receipt of MNR comments (February 15, 2015), submission to NWR Regional Director by February 21, Year 3 Annual Report submission, review, recommendation on endorsement, and decision on acceptance of the recommendation. 5

6 Recommendation 4: District MNR shall ensure that the skid bundles left in the Independent Forest Audit Block 11 along Root Bay are removed and the land treated silviculturally to minimize the loss of productive land and to recover Crown dues. 1. Since the audit in the Fall of 2011 Obishikokaang confirmed the previous SFL holder skidded the bundles of wood to roadside that were cut in 2004 in IFA block 11 along Root Bay. The block in which the bundles were located was site prepared in 2010 and planted in 2011 to spruce and pine. It is planned that the area where the bundles were removed (in 2011) and the area used to skid the bundles out will regenerate naturally as these areas are right along a standing black spruce tourism lake reserve (total area is approximately 1 hectare). 2. In August 2012 Obishikokaang assessed the wood for merchantability and access and the wood that was harvested 8 years ago is not merchantable. The wood will be fluffed-up in 2013 to facilitate burning within 2 years along with the rest of the limber debris from the previous harvest. This will provide time for the wood to dry before burning. The burned areas will then be regenerated with the adjacent harvest area. The conifer bundles harvested in 2004 that are now at roadside are estimated to be approximately 125 m3 (1-2 loads of chips). The Crown dues were not paid by the SFL holder that harvested the wood and as of April 3, 2012 the SFL was returned to the Crown. 1. Obishikokaang Resources Corporation Silviculture Forester. 2. Utilization: Obishikokaang Resources Corporation Operations Forester and MNR Sioux Lookout District Area Forester; debris management & regeneration: Obishikokaang Resources Corporation Silviculture Forester. 1. Wood moved to roadside Fall 2011 (completed); renewal assessed with the block by the end of the FMP. 2. Assessed wood for merchantability/access August 2012 (completed). Debris piling in 2013, burning by 2015, renewal with adjacent harvest area by Wood at roadside. Block survival/ftg survey results. 2. AWS, Slash Pile Burn Plan and post burn report, Annual Report. 6

7 Recommendation 5: District MNR shall monitor the implementation of the strategies to manage chipper debris contained in the 2011 Forest Management Plan to determine their efficacy in minimizing the loss of productive land and to ensure that effective silviculture occurs. 1. Obishikokaang will incorporate information gained from a Dryden Debris workshop (June 2012) and the strategies of the FMP into their Chipper Debris Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). MNR will be involved in reviewing the SOP. The SOP will be implemented annually during each AWS. 2. Develop and implement a tracking system to facilitate debris management monitoring that includes what blocks have been treated and the treatments that were applied as well as what blocks have not been treated. The tracking system will document and map future treatments applied and effectiveness of results (related to minimizing loss of productive land and silviculture). The results will be shared and discussed with the MNR and improvements to the SOP referred to in action 1 will be made where appropriate. 3. The MNR silviculture effectiveness monitoring program (SEM) will periodically assess the effectiveness of chipper debris management operations and regeneration success. The results will be shared and discussed with the company to facilitate improvements to the SOP referred to in action 1 where appropriate. 1. Obishikokaang Resources Corporation Silviculture Forester (lead), MNR Sioux Lookout District Area Forester. 2. Obishikokaang Resources Corporation Operations Forester (lead), Silviculture Forester; MNR Sioux Lookout District Area Forester. 3. MNR Sioux Lookout District North Area IRM Specialist (lead), Area Forester. 1. SOP by AWS submission Dec 15, 2012, implementation ongoing annually beginning with AWS. 2. April 1, 2013 and ongoing. 3. Annually beginning with AWS following chipper debris management and subsequent renewal operations. 1. Chipper Debris Standard Operating Procedure & implementation. 2. Tracking system that includes mapping. Records of sharing & discussing information with MNR. 3. SEM Annual Reports and revisions to the Chipper Debris Standard Operating Procedure as appropriate. 7

8 Recommendation 6: District MNR shall work with appropriate science support to develop effective prescriptions to manage residual hardwood canopies that may affect forest renewal. 1. Prescriptions will not be developed to allow harvest practices that have the potential to negatively affect forest renewal to occur in the future. At the time of the block harvest that lead to this audit recommendation the strategy being employed was to avoid harvest of areas with over 30% hardwood when markets were not available to ensure forest renewal would not be affected. A portion of the block was mixed wood that could be harvested under this strategy, however, the operator went well into the portion of the block containing over 30% hardwood to harvest the conifer rather than squaring it off and staying out of that area. This strategy has also been included in the FMP and therefore the current FMP does not permit residual hardwood canopies following harvesting in excess of the Stand and Site Guide wildlife trees caused by partial harvesting. In addition to what is written in the FMP, Obishikokaang will obtain information about mill contracts/offers for the full conifer and hardwood volumes for their blocks and those of overlapping licensees to facilitate full utilization. If proof of market is not provided, the Operation Sign Off Map will indicate that the stand is not allocated for harvest and must be left intact. The company will provide the Sign Off map and letter to MNR prior to harvest operations. To prevent issues should markets change, operators will be advised to square off their block depletions to avoid these areas so as to not remove one species type before another and possibly end up with a stand that has been partially depleted. Obishikokaang and MNR will monitor mixed wood harvest operations to ensure the actions required are being followed. If hardwood utilization problem still remain, the district MNR will implement Pages 8-9 of the Northwest Regional Approach to Resolving Utilization Issues (final draft) (line 45, lines 1-2) by not approving hardwoods stands in the AWS. 1. Obishikokaang Resources Corporation Operations Forester (lead), MNR Sioux Lookout District Senior IRM Technical Specialist, Compliance Inspectors. 1. Beginning with the AWS and ongoing. 1. Letters and Sign Off maps, AWSs, FOIP reports, Annual Reports. 8

9 Recommendation 7: District MNR shall consult the appropriate science support to develop a Silvicultural Ground Rule to regenerate white birch dominated stands and to examine the costs of an acceptable silvicultural treatment of these hardwood dominated sites within a conifer complex while considering their conversion in the caribou management zone. 1. Upon review of the area, it is recognized that a Silviculture Ground Rule (SGR) should not be developed to allow such harvest practices to occur in the future. The block that led to this audit recommendation was a similar situation to the block in R#6, however, this block was in the moose management area where blocks with over 40% hardwood were to be avoided when markets were not available to ensure forest renewal would not be affected. A portion of the block was mixed wood that could be harvested under this strategy, however, the operator went well into the portion of the block containing over 40% hardwood to harvest the conifer rather than square it off and staying out of that area. This block was not in the caribou management zone. The strategy in the FMP for hardwood areas not utilized in the caribou zone is to allow them to collapse and progress along their natural successional pathway. In addition to what is written in the FMP, Obishikokaang will obtain information about mill contracts/offers for the full conifer and hardwood volumes for their blocks and those of overlapping licensees to facilitate full utilization. If proof of market is not provided, the Operation Sign Off Map will indicate that the stand is not allocated for harvest and must be left intact. The company will provide the Sign Off map and letter to MNR prior to harvest operations. To prevent issues should markets change operators will be advised to square off their block depletions to avoid these areas so as to not remove one species type before another and possibly end up with a stand that has been partially depleted. Obishikokaang and MNR will monitor mixed wood harvest operations to ensure the actions required are being followed. If hardwood utilization problem still remain, the district MNR will implement Pages 8-9 of the Northwest Regional Approach to Resolving Utilization Issues (final draft) (line 45, lines 1-2) by not approving hardwoods stands in the AWS. 1. Obishikokaang Resources Corporation Operations Forester (lead), MNR Sioux Lookout District Senior IRM Technical Specialist, Compliance Inspectors. 1. Beginning with the AWS and ongoing. 1. Letters and Sign Off maps, AWSs, FOIP reports, Annual Reports. 9

10 Recommendation 8: District MNR shall ensure that all eligible stands from 2008 onwards are tended by the end of A large herbicide program is planned to tend all eligible stands from 2008 onwards and it will take two seasons to implement. By the Fall of 2012 approximately 60% of the area (approx 3500 ha) is planned to be tended and the remaining area (approx 2000 ha) is planned to be tended by the Fall of Actual areas tended will be reported in the Annual Reports. 2. A reduced renewal rate is in place on the Lac Seul Forest for one year ( ). To facilitate tending planned to be completed by the Fall in the fiscal year, a renewal rate review will be conducted to ensure appropriate funding will be available. The MNR District Manager will provide the results of the review to the MNR Northwest Regional Director for approval. 1. Obishikokaang Resources Corporation Silviculture Forester. 2. MNR Sioux Lookout District Area Forester (lead), District Manager, NWR Regional Director and Obishikokaang Resources Corporation Silviculture Forester, General Manager AWS areas tended by Fall 2012, Annual Report due by November 15, 2013; AWS areas tended by Fall 2013, Annual Report due by November 15, Review and decision completed by March 15, Annual Work Schedules, Annual Reports. 2. Renewal rate review documentation. 10

11 Recommendation 9: District MNR should carefully evaluate long-term environmental liability when decommissioning water crossings, particularly when leaving culverts or other structures in situ. 1. During the audit period the direction provided by the Environmental Guidelines for Access Roads and Water Crossings was applied that included structures built of permanent materials, such as steel or treated lumber, that have been maintenance free may be left in place and it is not necessary to excavate stable bridge abutments and erosion protection works. Therefore, MNR staff approved decommissioning without removal of the permanent abutment structures of the decommissioned Wind Road bridges. These same considerations and the Criteria for Removal of Water Crossings of Abandoned Roads October 31, 1997 were applied when determining which culverts required complete removal or remained in place. The FMP includes conditions from the Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales March 2010 (SSG) for the decommissioning of water crossing AOCs (SSG Section ) in Table FMP-19 for those roads scheduled for decommissioning. These conditions require an analysis of biological, water quality, engineering, and safety criteria in determining whether and how a water crossing will be removed. The SSG requires the schedules for road or road network and water crossing decommissioning to be coordinated and that all water crossings on a road or road network are to be assessed. For water crossings that have not been removed on decommissioned roads, a monitoring program to identify and mitigate safety and environmental issues is a standard of the SSG (page 143) and this will be implemented for the current FMP. 2. For roads that have previously been decommissioned with culverts or other structures in situ, MNR will conduct an aerial survey depending on funding availability. Once an aerial survey is completed the results can be compared to the crossing hazard assessments completed in the Forest Access Roads and Water Crossings Initiative to determine if they are reliable in determining which crossings will be of low potential for environmental risk and therefore can be left in situ FMP roads decommissioning analysis during implementation of FMP MNR Sioux Lookout Area Biologist; follow up monitoring MNR Sioux Lookout District Area Supervisor. 2. MNR Sioux Lookout District Area Supervisor FMP roads decommissioning analysis during implementation of FMP; monitoring ongoing if required. 2. December Documentation of decisions related to determining whether and how a water crossing will be removed and documentation of MNR monitoring program to be implemented and results. 2. Aerial survey record and comparison to original ranking tool. 11