Reforestation Strategies

Transcription

1 Reforestation Strategies

2 Reforestation Program: Silviculture treatments, monitoring (surveys) & reporting, road reclamation, research & trials.

3 Are FMA holders responsible for reforestation? Yes. Under Alberta law, an FMA holder is responsible for the planning and reforesting after harvest. Reforestation efforts must be initiated within two years of harvest and must take place in all areas where timber is harvested. The government sets reforestation standards and also receives annual reforestation results for all commercial timber dispositions. These results are monitored to ensure reforestation is successful.

4

5 Northwest Alberta Eco-region context NWT-Alberta Border BC-Alberta Border

6 Timeline of all Activities (Summary) Reforestation clock start date May 1 of the timber year following the harvest skid clear date Year 1 All blocks need to be strata balanced and given new land base designation code Year 2 All blocks need to be treated with some type of reforestation activity Year 4-8 Establishment surveys completed and, if necessary, action taken to meet reforestation goals Year Performance surveys completed.

7 Strata Balancing (Canfor & DMI) Based on the Management Plan, the forest company replaces back onto the landbase, the relative proportions of strata that it removes from the landbase. Strata-balancing provides the information to achieve this. For the purpose of balancing, landbase units are FMUs. Balancing requires the use of the yield groups that form the basis of the Timber Supply Analysis for the FMA which contains the FMU. Strata-balancing is achieved by using the digital data of the AVI map strata for the harvested blocks as the starting point to which the declared land base strata must balance. Strata balancing declarations are not final until one year post harvest. This will allow time to make field checks to confirm the calls.

8 Strata Balancing (Canfor & DMI)

9 Road Reclamation / Site Preparation Road construction minimized through co-ordination with other users. Existing lines used whenever possible. (e.g. seismic, oilfield roads) In-block roads are rehabilitated and when necessary planted (due to compaction) following harvest. Existing lines left open when in use by trappers.

10 Site Preparation Canfor Hoe Mounding Used for wet sites to provide elevated planting sites Spruce growing well on a mound. Disc Trenching Used to provide plantable spots in high duff or slash areas

11 LFN(Leave for Natural) This is the most common prescription for Aspen dominated stands as any disturbance promotes suckering from the roots. 2 year old Cut block 15 year old Cut block

12 Tree Planting on roads and landings (DMI)

13 Canfor s Prescription (Planting) - Nursery Container grown Seedlings Woodmere Nursery Seedlings for HC quota mainly grown in Fairview Woodmere Nursery (summer trees) Spring trees are usually grown in Beaverlodge or Vernon. PLUG Pin Extraction Process

14 Canfor s Prescription (Planting) Pine (left) and Spruce (below) Snow Caching used for Remote Areas planted at year 2 spring 60-70% of harvested areas planted the summer following harvesting (due to snow caching )

15 Tending (Canfor) Results Creeks and edges are buffered out 7 YEARS AFTER TREATMENT 7 YEARS No treatment Aerial Spray ha annually. Joint program with Zavisha every other year. BackPack Spray ha in Hines Creek annually

16 Establishment Surveys (Canfor & DMI)

17 Performance Surveys (Canfor & DMI) Performance Surveys are the Final step in the Reforestation Process. They are mandated to be conducted no sooner than year 12 and no later than year 14. The process is: All openings to be surveyed must be aerially photographed and the boundary confirmed and the trees that are present are stratified into hardwood or conifer based strata or a mix of the two (hwsw or swhw) as well as being species specific pine, white spruce or black spruce as well as birch, aspen or poplar. On the ground surveys are conducted to assess heights, density, species composition as well as shrub cover. Plots are evenly distributed on a random basis across the opening (see map) These measurements are inputted into databases, which are compiled using a Growth and Yield Model to determine MAI (mean annual increment growth indicator) Computed MAIs from ground surveys are compared to MAIs in each companies FMP that Yield curves are based on.

18 DMI s Annual Reforestation Activities

19 Canfor s Annual Reforestation Activities NOT TENDED Silviculture Activity (for Quota Area only) Annual Average (ha) Site Preparation 100 ha Planting 2000 ha (2.5 million trees ) Vegetation Management 900 ha /1700 when joint with Zavisha Establishment Surveys 1300 ha (historic) - going to 3500 in 2020 Performance Surveys 2600 ha

20 VOIT Tracking / Performance INDICATOR 16 - Native Species Regeneration by Quota Holder Target Status Comments 100% of planted trees originate from native species Target Achieved No companies operating within the FMA are deploying seedlings originating from non-native seed sources. INDICATOR 23 - Annual Reforestation Report (by company) Target Status 100% reforested sites achieve the government requirements for acceptable reforestation Target Achieved Comments The target for this indicator is that 100% of the harvest blocks meet the government reforestation standards. All companies are measured on this. on an annual basis and every year all companies have achieved 100% with the following two exceptions: in 1999 Canfor had a few openings that were planted one year late (after the 2 year treatment rule) resulting in an 88% success rate and in 2011 DMI had one opening that was harvested fourteen years ago and regenerated using natural regeneration that did not meet reforestation standards resulting in a 99% success rate.

21 How Does Silviculture Monitoring Information Contribute to Harvest levels? INDICATOR 44 - REFORESTATION STANDARDS PRODUCTIVITY FORECAST (BY COMPANY) Element 5.2 Communities and Sustainability Value Forest Productivity Objective Maintain Long Run Sustained Yield Average Target Status Comments 2009 DFMP forecasted productivity level Target Achieved Productivity calculations of regenerating forests occur years following harvest, when the performance surveys are completed. This indicator tracks the productivity of reforested areas within the FMA. Tracking the productivity of regenerating areas within the FMA ensures that the wood supply is sustainable for the companies operating within the FMA. The productivity of the reforested areas is reported on through the performance surveys conducted throughout the FMA by the responsible parties (DMI and the quota holders). The performance surveys provide MAI data (mean annual increment) for each stratum within the FMA which is an early indicator for the wood supply.

22 QUESTIONS?