Ecosystem Restoration Provincial Strategic Plan. Draft

Transcription

1 Ecosystem Restoation Povincial Stategic Plan

2 The use of tade, fim, o copoation names in this publication is fo the infomation and convenience of the eade. Such use does not constitute an official endosement o appoval by the Govenment of Bitish Columbia of any poduct o sevice to the exclusion of any othes that may also be suitable. Contents of this epot ae pesented fo discussion puposes only. Funding assistance does not imply endoesement of any statements o infomation contained heein by the Govenment of Bitish Columbia. Unifom Resouce Locatos (uls), addesses, and contact infomation contained in this document ae cuent at the time of pinting unless othewise noted. Libay and Achives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Neal, Allen Ecosystem estoation povincial stategic plan / Allen Neal. ISBN Restoation ecology Bitish Columbia. 2. Restoation ecology Govenment policy Bitish Columbia. 3. Gassland estoation Govenment policy Bitish Columbia. 4. Foest estoation Govenment policy Bitish Columbia. I. Bitish Columbia. Ministy of Foests and Range II. Title. QH106.2.B7N C Citation Neal, A. and G.C. Andeson Ecosystem estoation povincial stategic plan. B.C. Min. Fo. Range, Range B., Kamloops, B.C. Fo moe infomation on this subject, please contact: Allen Neal, Ecosystem Restoation, Povincial Stategic Planning Leade, B.C. Ministy of Foests and Range, Range Banch (250) Fo copies of this and othe Range Banch mateials, please contact: B.C. Ministy of Foests and Range, Range Banch, 515 Columbia Steet, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 2T Povince of Bitish Columbia ii

3 Executive Summay This Ecosystem Restoation (ER) stategy will fom the foundation fo a multi-agency povincial initiative facilitated and led by the Ministy of Foests and Range (MFR). The expected benefits of the initiative ae ecological, economic, social, and cultual, including: mitigating effects and adapting ecosystems to the influence of climate change; ecognizing managed fie as one of the Fist Nations histoical influences on the landscape that is inheent in thei cultue; educing excessive fuel loads and continuity to mitigate catastophic wildfie isks; impoving ai quality by managing emissions though pescibed fie and/o othe teatments as opposed to emissions esulting fom a wildfie potentially occuing duing less favouable atmospheic conditions; estoing damaged native open foest and gassland ecosystems, which ae habitat to 30% of the povince s at-isk species; impoving long-tem timbe havest values by spacing ove dense, stagnated stands while also poviding a potential bioenegy souce; inceasing natual foage to sustain wildlife and livestock and thei elated industies; inceasing esilience of community watesheds to maintain potable wate supplies; and impoving eceational and aesthetic values. Vision Foest and gassland ecosystems estoed to an ecologically appopiate condition ceating a esilient landscape that suppots the economic, social, and cultual inteests of Bitish Columbians. Mission To establish and maintain an effective multi-sectoal Ecosystem Restoation initiative. Guiding Pinciple of the MFR ER Pogam The Ministy of Foests and Range (MFR) will povide leadeship though its ER pogam to facilitate a multi- sectoal ER initiative that achieves the mission and goals elated in this stategy, and ceates synegies with othe elated pogams and initiatives. Goals and Stategic Pioities Fom 2009 to 2012, a povincial ER initiative will be implemented that initially focusses on the fie-maintained ecosystems. This will be accomplished by addessing thee coe goals though a set of stategic pioities. iii

4 Goal 1. Establish a sustainable ER initiative Stategic pioities a. b. c. d. Establish ER as a coe wokload activity within the Ministy of Foests and Range. Establish a multi-secto planning stuctue. Incopoate the pinciples of the govenment s New Relationship with Fist Nations into the ER initiative. Develop altenative funding souces to help achieve ER teatment goals. e. Facilitate ER teatment activities by addessing economic challenges, and exploe oppotunities such as bioenegy and cabon cedits. Goal 2. Develop an effective esouce management famewok Stategic pioities a. b. c. d. e. Develop a planning famewok fo pioitizing key teatment aeas that incopoates the pinciples of sustainable management. Implement an adaptive management famewok to infom and guide the ER initiative into the futue, suppoted by a monitoing and eseach pogam and a sub-committee with links to elated initiatives. Complete distict-specific ER plans and apply pescibed teatments (havesting, mechanical, and fie, as equied) to key aeas to begin the estoation pocess. Povide the Povincial ER Stategic Plan and distict-specific ER plans to othe MFR and govenment initiatives to develop synegies and enhance pogam effectiveness. Judiciously expand the application of pescibed fie within the boade fie management planning pocess. Goal 3. Attact effective people and patnes to the ER initiative Stategic pioities a. b. Develop a communication plan to assist in infoming the public, Fist Nations, and othe patne goups about the ER initiative. Develop patneships with academic institutions and Fist Nations to povide joint leaning oppotunities. c. Position Bitish Columbia as a wold leade in ER. iv

5 Pefomance Measues Shot-tem pefomance measues (by 2012) Completion of the Implementation Plan to opeationalize the Povincial ER Stategic Plan ER is a ecognized coe wokload activity within the MFR An established Povincial ER Steeing Committee 14 foest disticts with Steeing Committees and Opeations Woking Goups Engagement of Fist Nations on Povincial and Distict Steeing Committees Povincial and distict ER pojects funded by multiple souces Legislation and policy developed to addess economic challenges Endosement of eseach and development pojects fo validating economic oppotunities such as bioenegy and cabon cedits Established planning tools available to assist the Distict Steeing Committees with pioitizing teatment aeas An established science sub-committee to identify eseach needs, and to establish monitoing potocols and a data management system to infom the ER pocess 14 foest disticts with ER activities occuing on the gound 12,000 17,000 ha of estoed aea moved into a maintenance condition pe yea (0.025% of povince pe yea) 10,000 12,000 ha of judiciously applied pescibed fie pe yea povincially cetified Bun Bosses Fully implemented communication plan Collaboation with othe elated initiatives within the MFR, Fist Nations, govenment, non-govenment, industy, and academic institutions is actively occuing Concepts undelying ER ae ecognized as pat of Ministy cultue Medium- to long-tem pefomance eviews Vision, mission, and guiding pinciples eviewed in 5 10 yeas Goals eviewed in 3 5 yeas Stategic pioities eviewed in 3 yeas v

6 Peface Ecosystem Restoation is intenationally defined as the pocess of assisting with the ecovey of an ecosystem that has been degaded, damaged, o destoyed by e establishing its stuctual chaacteistics, species composition, and ecological pocesses. In the fie-maintained ecosystems of Bitish Columbia s Inteio, a lack of wildfie due to decades of suppession, the absence of pescibed fie, and the application of no othe intevention o distubance pocesses as an adequate suogate fo the ole of fie have contibuted to tees encoaching onto histoic gasslands, as well as excessive in-gowth of tees in peviously open foests. Povince-wide, this ecological change has affected hundeds of thousands of hectaes, causing a eduction of ecosystem esiliency to climate-change pessues and a host of othe elated negative tends in open foest and gassland ecosystems. These tends include: eductions in available Fist Nations taditional plants and ecosystem values; inceased isk of catastophic wildfie, which includes impacts to ai quality; degaded native gassland integity and associated citical wildlife habitats; educed timbe quality, and inceased susceptibility to insects and disease; educed quantity and quality of foage fo wildlife and livestock; inceased isk to community wateshed health; and educed eceational and aesthetic values. To patially mitigate these advese effects on Cown land in Bitish Columbia, an Ecosystem Restoation (ER) initiative led by the Ministy of Foests and Range (MFR) was announced by the Ministe in the fall of This initiative is suppoted by funding though 2009/10. This stategy is in esponse to that announcement and has been developed by the MFR ER pogam to initially taget the fie-maintained ecosystems. Howeve, in cetain cases, it may be deemed necessay to initiate teatment activities on othe key ecosystems as well. The stategy will be efined though a eview by othe elated govenment and nongovenment oganizations to facilitate the fomation of an effective, collaboative ER initiative. vi

7 Contents Executive Summay... Peface... iii vi 1 Intoduction Ou Changing Foests and Gasslands The Changing Climate A Poactive Response Backgound Definition of Ecosystem Restoation Scope of Ecosystems that Can Be Restoed Natual Distubance Types and Histoic Natual Fie Regimes Histoic Role of Fist Nations and Fie Distubance Moving Fowad Pioitizing the Dy Foest Fie-Maintained Ecosystems Relationship to Othe Related Govenment Initiatives The Povincial Template Rocky Mountain Tench ER Pogam Desied Futue Condition What To Restoe To? Stategic Famewok of the ER Initiative Vision Mission Guiding Pinciple of the MFR ER Pogam Goals and Stategic Pioities Pefomance Measues Implementation Tables 1. Definitions of tems elated to ecological estoation Types of ecosystems potentially in need of estoation Desciption of fie egime codes Relationship to othe elated govenment initiatives... 8 Figues 1. Biogeoclimatic zones of Bitish Columbia Oganizational stuctue fo the Ecosystem Restoation initiative vii

8 1 Intoducton 1 Intoduction 1.1 Ou Changing Foests and Gasslands This is a complex poblem. Howeve, we must ecognize that aeas with excessively high fuels ceate a isk to the public and to impotant foest values, such as community watesheds and habitat fo endangeed species. We need to take action though ou foest policy and pactices to pevent futhe fuel build-up. We also need to begin educing the fuel levels in those aeas most at isk Buce Fase (2006) Chai, Foest Pactices Boad. Though histoy, biotic and abiotic factos have shaped Bitish Columbia s ecosystems into what we see today. Howeve, esouce manages ae ecognizing that ove ecent decades many of these factos have changed, lagely due to human influence and management pactices. Many of ou ecosystems ae now on ecological tajectoies out of a natual ange of vaiation. The effects of climate change ae expected to compound these pessues ove the next few decades. Consequently, in some key aeas, the existing ecosystems may not have the esiliency to endue the nomal peiodic stess events in the local envionment that seve to maintain thei integity. At isk ae public safety and a host of impotant foest values. Having healthy, wellmanaged ecosystems leads to ecological functions that ae closely tied to poducts, sevices, and values used socially, cultually, and economically. 1.2 The Changing Climate It is pojected that effects of climate change will ceate widespead esouce management challenges in Bitish Columbia including: species migations, extipations, floods, doughts, insect infestations, foest diseases, invasive plants, and possible catastophic fies. Although ecosystems and species have esponded to past changes in climate, futue esponses may not be compatible with ou cuent pattens of use o desies. Consequently, thee may be significant economic, social, and biological impacts. 1 Management of Bitish Columbia s foests and ecosystems will theefoe play a citical ole in facilitating adaptation and mitigation effots. Facilitating adaptation includes pepaing ecosystems to be esistant, esilient, and adaptive to futue climatic and biological factos. This may include vaious appoaches to ensue that appopiate healthy ecosystems ae established on a site. Among many options ae appoaches that assist ecosystems to adapt to a die, wame climate, include thinning in-gown stands, teating gassland aeas expeiencing foest encoachment, and assisting plant species migation. Mitigating global climate change involves the long-tem povincial objective of managing cabon balance. The ole of managed fie on the landscape is citical not only in shaping many ecosystems but also in managing cabon emissions and biological damage that will occu fom unmanaged catastophic wildfie events. Managing towads healthy vigoous ecosystems that natually sequeste moe cabon contibutes to mitigating the global incease in atmospheic cabon. Reseach is occuing into bioenegy and othe oppotunities to both educe fossil fuel consumption and emissions while finding economic options fo the affected volumes of fibe associated with inceased wildfie, insects, and disease. 1 D. Spittlehouse Climate change, impacts, and adaptation scenaios: Climate change and foest and ange management in Bitish Columbia. (Accessed Aug. 28, 2008). 1

9 1 Intoducton 1.3 A Poactive Response To manage the changing foest and gassland ecosystems and the effects of a changing climate poactively, the Ministe announced the Ministy of Foests and Range (MFR) Ecosystem Restoation (ER) initiative in the fall of 2006, suppoted by funding though 2009/10. The MFR ER pogam developed this Povincial Ecosystem Restoation Stategic Plan in esponse to that announcement. The stategy will delive a multi-sectoal appoach to implementing a Povincial ER initiative involving govenment, non-govenment, Fist Nations, and industy oganizations. The MFR will take the lead ole in its implementation. This plan povides a stategic appoach to managing damaged o degaded ecosystems in a milieu of changing and emeging challenges that have thei own envionmental, economic, social, and cultual complexities. 2 Backgound 2.1 Definition of Ecosystem Restoation Diffeent tems explain management activities implemented to impove the condition of a degaded ecosystem. Undestanding some of these definitions help manages focus on the vision of estoing an ecosystem. Table 1 includes some of the tems used to descibe esouce management activities elated to impoving ecosystem conditions. 2 Table 1. Definitions of tems elated to ecological estoation Tem Restoation Rehabilitation Habitat enhancement o impovement Reclamation Mitigation Maintenance Definition The pocess of assisting with the ecovey of an ecosystem that has been degaded, damaged, o destoyed by e-establishing its stuctual chaacteistics, species composition, and ecological pocesses. Restoe o impove some aspects of an ecosystem but not necessaily to fully estoe all components. Impove the quality of an ecosystem though diect manipulation. Retun an aea to its pevious ecosystem type but not necessaily to estoe fully all ecological functions. Actions taken othe than ehabilitation to alleviate o compensate fo potentially advese effects on ecosystems that have been modified o lost though human activity. Activities pefomed that conseve ecosystem functions and attibutes though time. 2 Modified fom: P. Roni (edito) Monitoing steam and wateshed estoation. Ameican Fisheies Society, Bethesda, Md. 350 p. 2

10 2.2 Scope of Ecosystems that Can Be Restoed The intent of the stategy is to focus on the estoation of identified key aeas to a condition that contains suitable ecological conditions and featues (such as tee stocking and species epesentation) and, though maintenance, assist the aeas in conseving natual ecological functions and communities theeafte. 2.2 Scope of Ecosystems that Can Be Restoed Ecosystem estoation is not limited to a type of estoation pactice; the science and at of estoation apply to any ecosystem that has been damaged o degaded. The souce of the damaging agent is often a clue to the appoach that may be appopiate to addess it. Some examples of ecosystem types and potential souces of damage ae listed in Table 2. Table 2. Types of ecosystems potentially in need of estoation 3 Ecosystem type Meadows, bogs Sand dunes Gasslands Dy foests Wet foests Ripaian communities s and steams Maine Typical souces of damage Dainage, alien species invasion, ovegazing, pollution, and off-oad vehicle damage Alien species invasion, off-oad vehicle damage, stuctual damage Ovegazing, foest encoachment, weed invasion, off-oad vehicle damage, oads, utility coidos, cultivation Foest in-gowth, alien species invasion, high-gade logging, soil eosion o compaction, wildfie, fie suppession, loss of old-gowth o wildlife tees, loss of undestoey communities High-gade logging, soil eosion o compaction, wildfie, loss of old-gowth o wildlife tees Ovegazing, alien species invasion, pollution, bank degadation, loss of habitat fom damming, channelization, bank amouing, o wate divesion Alien species invasion, pollution, ovefishing, bank degadation, loss of habitat fom damming, channelization, bank amouing, o wate divesion Pollution, alien species invasion, logging/sawmilling debis accumulation, siltation, estuay destuction, ovefishing Most commonly, an ecosystem can be estoed solely though focussed management pactices that educe o emove a damaging agent. Howeve, as an ecosystem becomes inceasingly degaded, it may equie management inteventions to place it on a moe natual biological tajectoy. 3 D. Gayton Gound wok: Basic concepts of ecological estoation in Bitish Columbia. Southen Inteio Fo. Extension and Res. Patneship, Kamloops, B.C. SIFERP Se. 3. 3

11 2 Backgound 2.3 Natual Distubance Types and Histoic Natual Fie Regimes Bitish Columbia is an ecologically divese povince containing 14 distinct ecosystems anging fom dy gasslands to wet coastal ainfoests (Figue 1). The Biodivesity Guidebook (1995)4 ecognized the ole that natual distubances played in ceating and maintaining Bitish Columbia s ecosystems. The Biodivesity Guidebook effectively linked the vaious ecosystems descibed by the biogeoclimatic ecological classification system into Natual Distubance Types (NDTs) 1 5. NDT1 Ecosystems with ae stand-initiating events NDT2 Ecosystems with infequent stand-initiating events NDT3 Ecosystems with fequent stand-initiating events NDT4 Ecosystems with fequent stand-maintaining fies NDT5 Alpine Tunda and Subalpine Pakland ecosystems Fances P Atlin ve Li ad R i n e e Riv t Ne e iv ls on R i ito t Ri ve Biogeoclimatic Zones of Bitish Columbia Kotcho v Alpine Tunda ik ft ch De Ke i v e et e ku R as R Ta Fo Tesli Two key factos ae contibuting to the inceasing fie isks. One is the population gowth in aeas whee inteface fies occu. The othe is the buildup of combustible vegetation, a consequence of yeas of fie suppession activities Wayne Stelioff (2001) Audito Geneal. a R i ve B ea Fi o Ha on ve R e iv iv R R ay ss n a tt Ri ve f R Sik ann i Ch ie lfw e Na Ri ke ut p S I sk ve R iv e Mus k wa nl ay R i h P e e Riv R i e t R e ine n tas iv ve iv Stik Fo e Williston iv e m ec i n a Rive Pi ne Rive ley Ri ve E n t a n c e Stuat C Montane Spuce R ive Inteio Ceda -- Hemlock R i ve Coastal Westen Hemlock Eutsuk ean Riv Quesnel e D te A C S N h c il a t ot in Ri ve se Fa Chilko c Kinbasket so n Adams o mpson Ri ve Shuswap Uppe Aow Kootenay f Ge n o g e la iv o Is R Okanagan y e Haison it v a u na o Lowe Aow ote c p Ko n t A moe detailed vesion of this map at a 1: scale can be obtained fom: ftp.fo.gov.bc.ca/hre/extenal/!publish/becmaps/papemaps a Th S Fo futhe infomation contact the Reseach Banch: B.C. Ministy of Foests and Range P.O. Box 9519 Stn Pov Govt Victoia, BC V8W 9C2 e Riv 2008 Govenment of Bitish Columbia Published by the Ministy of Foests and Range, Victoia, Bitish Columbia V R it D Engelmann Spuce -- Subalpine Fi Coastal Douglas-fi go Ootsa a e c E Islands Mountain Hemlock H Chalotte ch ako e i v e O Queen Ne Mc G Sub-Boeal Spuce Inteio Douglas-fi Babine Noth Thom D i x o n Sub-Boeal Pine -- Spuce Pondeosa Pine Ri ve lk I C I F Bu Boeal White and Black Spuce Bunchgass ay Takla Mu C P A a O Spuce -- Willow -- Bich ia d Kilometes Figue 1. Biogeoclimatic zones of Bitish Columbia.5 4 B.C. Ministy of Foests and B.C. Ministy of Envionment Biodivesity guidebook. Victoia, B.C. Fo. Pact. Code Guide. 5 Govenment of Bitish Columbia Published by the Ministy of Foests and Range, Victoia, BC. 4

12 2.4 Histoic Role of Fist Nations and Fie Distubance High fuel loads ae not the only consequence of skipping (fie) distubance intevals. Recent eseach shows that biodivesity and foage poduction ae educed, wildlife habitats ae alteed and the foests become susceptible to insects and diseases Hon. Gay Filmon (2004) Chai, Fiestom Review. We used to keep it open, fo beies and fo mule dee, now it s all dead and dying and bug infested, and you can t even walk though it. It s just like a plague, all ove Davi d Walkem (2008) Chief, Cook s Fey Indian Band. The NDTs wee futhe descibed in tems of the mean etun inteval of an ecosystem-defining event, be it fie, wind, insects, disease, o landslides. Fo example, the NDT1 ecosystems wee descibed as having an event etun inteval of between 250 and 350 yeas, while the mean etun inteval in NDT4 ecosystems anges fom 4 to 20 yeas. The NDT system povides coase zoning of ecosystem types that is faily easy to apply at the landscape level. Howeve, it does have limitations in tems of ecognizing the effect that topogaphy (slope, aspect, and adjacency) and fie seveity play in shaping ecosystems. A lack of wildfie due to decades of suppession, the absence of pescibed fie and the application of no othe intevention o distubance pocesses to patially mimic the ole of fie have contibuted to ecological changes in cetain ecosystems. In some cases, the changes have stessed ecosystems, leaving them moe susceptible to the othe distubance agents such as insects and disease, which begin to magnify thei influence on shaping the ecosystem. Wok defining histoical natual fie egimes (HNFR) has classified the influence of fie by fequency and seveity (Table 3). 6 Table 3. Desciption of fie egime codes Fie egime code Desciption 0 Little o no occuence of fie I II III IV V VI VII VIII 0 35 yea fequency, low seveity 0 35 yea fequency, mixed seveity 0 35 yea fequency, stand-eplacement seveity yea fequency, mixed seveity yea fequency, stand-eplacement seveity yea fequency, mixed seveity yea fequency, stand-eplacement seveity 200+ yea fequency, stand-eplacement seveity The longe fie is emoved fom a system that peviously had fie occu fequently, the geate the likelihood of ecosystem degadation; theefoe, fie egimes I III ae cuently deemed most at isk. Management effots that estoe the ole of wildfie (o suogates fo wildfie) in shaping the land base will contibute to allowing the othe distubance agents to nomalize thei influences as well. 2.4 Histoic Role of Fist Nations and Fie Distubance Natual ecosystems have been at the envionmental, economic, social, and cultual cente of Fist Nations communities fo thousands of yeas. The natual envionment continues to be a souce of food, shelte, tools, and medicine, as well as of mateials fo at and cultual activities, leisue and entetainment, and scientific and spiitual knowledge. 7 Histoical ecods suggest that Fist Nations used fie fo food pepaation and wamth but also fo ecosystem management. Fist Nations employed fie in diffeent ways and fo puposes such as evitalizing bey o medicinal plant cops, ceating bowse and habitat fo game species, and cleaing tavel coidos fo easie movement. As the land stewads 6 B.A. Blackwell, R.W. Gay, D. Ohlson, and F. Feigl Developing a coase scale appoach to the assessment of foest fuels. Can.Fo.Se., Pac.Fo.Cen., Victoia, B.C. Contact Rep. R BC Fist Nations Foesty Council BC Fist Nations Foesty and Land Stewadship Action Plan. (Accessed Januay 2009). 5

13 3 Moving Fowad duing the pe-contact ea, Fist Nations developed a deep and inheent connection and undestanding of the plants, animals, wate, and soils, thei connections to each othe, and the ole of fie in the ecosystem. Methodologies and undestanding developed into a taditional knowledge base that has been fomed though geneations of leaning and application. A coopeative focus on eintoducing and examining the ole of fie to shape the landscape and its natual envionmental attibutes has the potential to impove management of many of Fist Nations taditional values, including: habitat maintenance to ensue that Fist Nations people can continue to execise aboiginal ights to hunt and tap; impoved tavel though taditional lands though the teatment of in-gowth and blowdown aeas; inceased numbe of sites suitable fo taditional food, medicinal, and spiitual use plants; maintained ecosystem components that wee taditionally used fo non-timbe foest poducts; potection of achaeological sites fom catastophic high-intensity wildfie; community potection fom wildfie; and a enewed spiitual connection with the foest ecosystems, and a contibution towads cultual pide. The povincial govenment and Bitish Columbia Fist Nations oganizations ae woking togethe to develop a New Relationship founded on espect, ecognition, and econciliation of Aboiginal ights and title. In Mach 2005, the Povince began meetings with epesentatives of the Fist Nations Summit, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, and the BC Assembly of Fist Nations to develop a vision fo a New Relationship. A esulting document, outlining the vision and pinciples of the New Relationship, sees foest and ange management occuing in a sustainable manne, including a pimay esponsibility of peseving healthy lands, esouces, and ecosystems fo pesent and futue geneations. Undetaking a ange of ER teatments including the judicious application of pescibed fie back into ecosystems, as was applied by Fist Nations people pe Euopean contact, will contibute towads the estoation of the goods, sevices, and values they histoically deived sustainably fom the land base, and help to achieve the New Relationship. 3 Moving Fowad 3.1 Pioitizing the Dy Foest Fie-Maintained Ecosystems The lowe-elevation savannah gasslands, shublands, and open foest aeas in Bitish Columbia s Inteio ae ich in biological divesity. These same aeas ae also highly favoued fo agicultue, settlements, cultual activities, and eceation. 6

14 3.2 Relationship to Othe Related Govenment Initiativess At the boad scale, fou biogeoclimatic zones (Coastal Douglas fi, Inteio Douglas fi, Pondeosa Pine, and Bunchgass), epesenting appoximately 5% of Bitish Columbia s land base, ae of povincial consevation concen (citically impeiled, impeiled o vulneable) Taking Natue s Pulse (2008). Histoically, these aeas wee a mixed-seveity fie egime that included low, modeate, and high-seveity fies that shaped the ecosystems. Collectively the aeas ae efeed to as fie-maintained ecosystems. Unde Bitish Columbia s biogeoclimatic ecological classification system, these aeas ae in the Pondeosa Pine, Inteio Douglas fi, and Bunchgass biogeoclimatic zones. Post Euopean contact management pactices in the fie-maintained ecosystems of the Inteio have esulted in tees encoaching onto histoic gasslands, and excessive in-gowth in peviously open foests. Povincially, this has caused negative impacts on ecosystem esiliency, Fist Nations values, wildfie hazad, foage supply, habitat, timbe values, and susceptibility to insects and disease. Because of these issues, the Ministy has established that fie-maintained ecosystems will be the highest pioity fo estoation activity unde the ER initiative. This stategy will establish a famewok fo a coodinated appoach to addess facets of the new challenges. Expected benefits include: mitigating effects and adapting ecosystems to the influence of climate change; ecognizing managed fie as one of the Fist Nations histoical influences on the landscape that is inheent in thei cultue; educing excessive fuel loads and continuity to mitigate catastophic wildfie isks; managing emissions though pescibed fie and othe teatments as opposed to those poduced by a wildfie on the same site; estoing damaged native open foest and gassland ecosystems, which ae habitat to 30% of the povince s at-isk species; impoving long-tem timbe havest values by spacing ove dense, stagnated stands; inceasing natual foage to sustain wildlife and livestock and thei elated industies; and inceasing esilience of community watesheds to maintain potable wate supplies. 3.2 Relationship to Othe Related Govenment Initiatives Embaking on a sustainable ER pogam and an ongoing cycle of ecosystem maintenance theeafte will equie the involvement and coopeation of many existing govenment agencies, Fist Nations, industy, and non-govenment oganizations. Table 4 povides a summay of existing elated govenment initiatives and the elationship they have to the ER initiative. To be sustainable, elevant, and effective, the ER initiative will maintain and develop synegies with these othe initiatives. Beyond povincial govenment initiatives, othe stakeholde goups and oganizations will also have elated and complementay initiatives at both povincial and distict levels that may be elevant to the ER initiative. 7

15 3 Moving Fowad Table 4. Relationship to othe elated govenment initiatives 8 Initiative Ministy of Foests and Range Potection Pogam Fuel Management & Wildfie Management Planning Ministy of Foests and Range Wildlife Management Wildland Fie Management Stategy (WFMS) Ministy of Envionment B.C. Ai Action Plan Ministy of Envionment Healthy and divese native species and ecosystems Species at Risk Act Ministy of Aboiginal Relations and Reconciliation Povincial Wate Stategy Pupose and Relationship to the ER Initiative Pupose: To addess fuel hazad eduction and wildfie management planning to poactively integate wildfie action, ongoing esouce management, and community potection. Relationship to ER: Will povide oppotunities to link planned ER teatments to esouce management and wildfie planning activities and with community wildfie potection plans to enhance decision making and to take advantage of opeational efficiencies. Pupose: Manage the ole of wildfie in ecosystem pocesses in a way that is safe and acceptable to the public of Bitish Columbia. Relationship to ER: ER and the WFMS complement each othe s goals by eintoducing fie s ole back in ecosystem management. ER focusses on pescibed fie teatments fo ecosystem values, while the WFMS focusses on wildfie management. Pupose: To continue to educe emissions fom industy, tanspotation, uban gowth, pots, and maine vessels, and continue to develop and suppot aished management. Relationship to ER: Applied teatments may include pescibed buns that will contibute to aished loading and will need to be modelled, and managed to indices to mitigate impacts. Pupose: The Ministy is engaged in a ange of activities fom species-at-isk inventoies, to habitat estoation and povincial pak estoation initiatives. Relationship to ER: Inventoy and management goals will assist in pioitizing ecosystems fo estoation o maintenance and the type of activities that may be appopiate. Pupose: To identify and potect endangeed, theatened, o vulneable wildlife species though legislation. Relationship to ER: Teatment activities will conside at-isk species, and impove health and esilience of ecosystems/habitat. Pupose: The Ministy is leading the way in building new elationships with Aboiginal people, founded on econciliation, ecognition, and espect. The Ministy negotiates teaties and othe ageements to ceate economic cetainty ove Cown land and esouces, and to impove the lives of Aboiginal people. Relationship to ER: Povides oppotunities to meet, in pat, goals as outlined in the New Relationship document. Pupose: To ensue healthy watesheds, aquifes, and ecosystems, sustainable wate use and benefits, and public health and safety. Relationship to ER: Restoation activities will assist watesheds to become moe esilient to catastophic damage and adaptable to change. 8 Adapted and modified fom: Futue Foest Ecosystems Initiative. (Accessed August 20, 2008). 8

16 3.2 Relationship to Othe Related Govenment Initiativess Initiative Futue Foest Ecosystems Initiative Land Use Plans Foests Fo Tomoow Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan Bioenegy Foest Cetification Allowable Annual Cut Review Pupose and Relationship to the ER Initiative Pupose: The Futue Foest Ecosystems Initiative is adapting Bitish Columbia s foests and ange management famewok so that it continues to maintain and enhance the esilience and poductivity of Bitish Columbia s ecosystems as ou climate changes. Relationship to ER: The ER initiative is listed as one of the mechanisms to delive findings and science developed by the FFEI. Pupose: Established land use plans fo egions, sub-egions, and local aeas that establish potected aeas, povincial foests, and objectives fo managing land esouces. Relationship to ER: Land use plans will be effective mechanisms fo incopoating stategic esouce management objectives to meet ER goals. Pupose: The pogam was established to espond to the catastophic wildfies and the mountain pine beetle epidemic. Relationship to ER: When specific fie-maintained ecosystems within the timbe havesting land base that may be efoested ae also identified as key pioity aeas fo ER teatments. Pupose: To mitigate the impact of an unpecedented mountain pine beetle epidemic on foest values, communities, and the povincial economy and to ensue sustainability into the futue. Relationship to ER: The ER initiative will assist some key aeas in e-establishing healthy ecosystems and addessing multiple social and economic values. Pupose: The BC Bioenegy Stategy will examine oppotunities to develop the povince s bioenegy esouces. Relationship to ER: ER activities will often geneate biomass that will have bioenegy potential. Pupose: To povide independent thid-paty veification that a woodland opeation is opeating accoding to a set of pinciples and citeia detemined by a paticula cetification pogam. Relationship to ER: The stuctue and the ER multi-sectoal steeing committee fomat and goals to incopoate a multitude of values will lend themselves to dovetailing with licensee cetification citeia. Pupose: To foecast the amount of timbe available fo havesting unde a specified time peiod unde a timbe supply aea o tee fam licence, to suppot the Chief Foeste s eview of the Allowable Annual Cut. Relationship to ER: Will impove timbe supply cetainty in aeas whee foests have had conflicting management goals and/o have been at high isk of damaging events/agents. Also povide a mechanism to addess foests identified though the AAC pocess as: poblem foests o low-mechantable timbe types. 9

17 3 Moving Fowad Initiative Pupose and Relationship to the ER Initiative Ecosystem-Based Management on the Coast Invasive Alien Plant Contol Pogam Consevation Famewok (linked to the epot Taking Natue s Pulse: The Status of Biodivesity in Bitish Columbia) Pupose: To establish an ecosystem-based management famewok that suppots land and esouce management planning in coastal Bitish Columbia. Relationship to ER: Consistent with the objectives of the ER initiative. Pupose: To contol the spead of invasive alien plants, which often exhibit aggessive gowth and typically out-compete native plant species in new habitats. As a esult, invasive plants ae difficult to contol and can advesely affect Bitish Columbia s natual esouces. Relationship to ER: Damaged and destoyed ecosystems may have become susceptible to invasion duing estoation activities. ER pactices must meet and exceed the standads of cae execised by othe pimay foest uses. Lage-scale teatments of invasive plants may effectively become ER teatments. Pupose: To addess povincial biodivesity status and conseve species at isk especially in ecosystems of concen. Relationship to ER: The ER initiative will be one of the mechanisms to help the govenment estoe and maintain biodivesity. 3.3 The Povincial Template Rocky Mountain Tench ER Pogam The need fo ecovey of histoic gasslands and open foests of the Rocky Mountain Tench (RMT) in southeasten Bitish Columbia was fist expessed by inteest goups in the 1950s. Ove the decades, seveal epots and field assessments confimed the deteioating gasslands and open foests and the attendant economic and social consequences. Howeve, it was not until 1996 that the Rocky Mountain Foest Distict initiated and facilitated a distict-based ER pogam. The collective effot of many agencies, inteest goups, and individuals passionate about ecosystem estoation of the RMT has esulted in coopeative success that is unpaalleled in the povince o Canada. This success is due solely to a non-patisan appoach with a common goal that has been applied to southeasten Bitish Columbia. The ER pogam has been led by a local Steeing Committee (suppoted by an Opeations Woking Goup) who ae esponsible fo stategic planning and delivey of ER activities thoughout the RMT. Committee membes epesent govenment ministies and agencies, the local anching industy, timbe licensees, estoation pogam fundes, huntes and guide-outfittes, envionmentalists, and othe citizen stakeholde oganizations. Close elationships ae also in place with local municipal govenments and Fist Nations. Addessing ER in the RMT has been enacted though the Kootenay Bounday Highe Level Plan Ode and managed though defining the land base as Open Range, 9 9 Open Range is gassland with shubs and a scatteing of matue tees. The diest of the ecosystem components, open ange includes south- and west-facing slopes whee soil moistue is the majo limiting facto. Open Range sites povide citical winte foage. The goal fo these sites is to estoe 100% of ange value by maintaining cown closue of 10% o less. Tee stocking ange < 75 stems pe hectae; taget 20 stems pe hectae. 10

18 3.4 Desied Futue Condition What To Restoe To? Shublands, 10 Open Foest, 11 and Managed Foest. 12 Activities associated with estoing a healthy ecosystem fo each of those types ae guided by a stategic plan and combine havesting, mechanical slashing/thinning, and pescibed fie teatments. The success of the established pocesses and stuctue of the RMT ER pogam continues to be effectively poven ove 12 yeas. As such, the oganizational concepts successfully applied in the RMT will be the template though which the ER initiative will be implemented in foest disticts elsewhee in the povince. Fo futhe infomation on the stategic ER plan in the RMT, consult the Bluepint fo Action (2006) 13 document. Keep in mind that fie is a natual pat of the envionment, about as impotant as ain and sunshine fie has always been hee and eveything good has evolved with it D. Haold Biswell (1989) Univesity of Califonia. 3.4 Desied Futue Condition What To Restoe To? Addessing the needs of estoation must ecognize the histoical ole of Fist Nations people in shaping and maintaining cetain ecosystems. In this egad, thei management pactices and the esulting ecological conditions will be consideed a efeence ecosystem that existed duing the pe Euopean contact ea. Coupling taditional knowledge with science-based techniques to econstuct and povide infeences of histoic conditions suggests that a mixed fie egime likely existed within the dy foests and gasslands, expeiencing fequent (0 35 y) distubance events that ceated a landscape mosaic of shublands, open ange, open foests, and closed foests. Ecosystem estoation effots also have to take into account the effects of ou ecent (post Euopean contact) histoy and moden ea. In the fie-maintained ecosystems, factos such as wildfie management, climate change, invasive plant dispesal, wildland/uban inteface, livestock and wildlife foage supply issues, and land use convesion will contibute to shaping and maintaining the ecosystems. At times it may be difficult to econstuct histoical conditions with cetainty; howeve, the ER initiative will use the best knowledge available to compae the histoic baseline to the pesent state, to undestand an ecosystem s tajectoy. ER activities will be anchoed by this histoical pespective to assist in identifying the key featues of ecosystem stuctue, composition, and pocesses to be estoed to achieve a desied futue condition. Although the histoical infomation offes insight into one esilient foest condition, thee may be othe equally esilient conditions pefeed, given that futue climate may not esemble the past. Theefoe, a efeence ecosystem will guide initial estoation effots at the stand level. Howeve, these effots may also be modified by landscape-level consideations (e.g., wildfie hazad, land convesion, fagmentation, species losses, invasive plants, and cultual needs) and lage phenomena such as climate change. 10 Shublands ae non-poductive (timbe) foest, wetlands, and bush often with high foage values. Tee stocking ange and taget is Open Foest descibes aeas with significant values fo both ange and timbe. The goal is to evenly balance tee/gass poduction by manipulating tee distibution and maintaining cown closue at 40% o less. Teatments in both open ange and open foest equie etention of a popotion of the lagest tees on site. Tee stocking ange stems pe hectae; taget 150 stems pe hectae. 12 Managed Foest is tended pimaily fo commecial timbe values, although some inteim foage benefits do follow fo yeas afte havesting. Tee stocking ange stems pe hectae. 13 Rocky Mountain Tench Ecosystem Restoation Steeing Committee, Bluepint fo Action

19 4 Stategic Famewok of the ER Initiative Distict-based ER plans will be developed that identify key pioity aeas fo teatment. Aeas of in-gown open foests, gasslands expeiencing encoachment, and othe damaged o stessed ecosystems will be evaluated by the espective Opeations Woking Goups and the Steeing Committees to develop teatment plans and schedules. In the RMT, ove a decade of detailed site planning, teatments, monitoing, and eseach have been completed with positive esults. As such, RMT-based pesciptions fo fie-maintained ecosystems will be used as a stating template by othe foest distict ER pogams. Though time, monitoing, ongoing eseach, and application of the adaptive management pocess will infom and efine the pescibed ER teatments at each locale. Following, is a famewok to guide the development of a collaboative povincial ER initiative. 4 Stategic Famewok of the ER Initiative This Ecosystem Restoation stategy will fom the foundation and famewok fo a multiagency povincial initiative that will be led and facilitated by the Ministy of Foests and Range. 4.1 Vision Foest and gassland ecosystems estoed to an ecologically appopiate condition, ceating a esilient landscape that suppots the economic, social, and cultual inteests of Bitish Columbians. An adaptive management famewok ceated aound estoation activities will encouage effectiveness and efficiency to be efined as the ER initiative moves fowad. Despite boad consensus egading the need fo ER, an inclusive, sustainable povincewide multi-sectoal initiative has not yet occued. Theefoe, achieving the Vision statement extends beyond estoation of ecosystem health and includes a commitment to coodinated govenment initiatives, with active involvement of Fist Nations, the public, industy, and non-govenment oganizations. 12

20 4.2 Mission 4.2 Mission To establish and maintain an effective multi-sectoal Ecosystem Restoation initiative. 4.3 Guiding Pinciple of the MFR ER Pogam The Ministy of Foests and Range will povide leadeship though its ER pogam to facilitate a multi-sectoal ER initiative that achieves the mission and goals elated in this stategy, and ceates synegies with othe elated pogams and initiatives. 4.4 Goals and Stategic Pioities Fom 2009 to 2012, a povincial ER initiative will be implemented that initially focusses on the fie-maintained ecosystems. This will be accomplished by addessing thee coe goal aeas though a set of stategic pioities. Goal 1. Establish a sustainable ER initiative The stength of the ER initiative will be though its inclusive stuctue, in tems of endosement, ecipocal knowledge exchange, funding, and identifying and ealizing joint pioities. Stategic pioities a. b. c. d. e. Establish ER as a coe wokload activity within the Ministy of Foests and Range. Establish a multi-secto planning stuctue. Incopoate the pinciples of the govenment s New Relationship with Fist Nations into the ER initiative. Develop altenative funding souces to help achieve ER teatment goals. Facilitate ER teatment activities by addessing economic challenges, and exploe oppotunities such as bioenegy and cabon cedits. Goal 2. Develop an effective esouce management famewok The natue of the ER initiative equies that a science-based methodology be employed that guides and continually infoms the pocess. Due to the coss-discipline natue of the ER initiative, activities will continue to identify synegies with othe initiatives. The stategic famewok will allow ER wok to begin in othe pioity ecosystem types as identified by the Povincial ER Steeing Committee and povide a model that can be consulted nationally (o intenationally). Stategic pioities a. b. Develop a planning famewok fo pioitizing key teatment aeas that incopoates the pinciples of sustainable management. Implement an adaptive management famewok to infom and guide the ER initiative into the futue, suppoted by a monitoing and eseach pogam and a sub-committee with links to elated initiatives. 13

21 4 Stategic Famewok of the ER Initiative c. d. e. Complete distict-specific ER plans and apply pescibed teatments (havesting, mechanical, and fie, as equied) to key aeas to begin the estoation pocess. Povide the Povincial Stategic Plan and distict-specific ER plans to othe MFR and govenment initiatives to develop synegies and enhance pogam effectiveness. Judiciously expand the application of pescibed fie within the boade fie management planning pocess. Goal 3. Attact effective people and patnes to the ER initiative Ecosystem Restoation woldwide has become ecognized as an emeging new discipline. Though the pofessionalism and commitment of the people who become active membes of the ER initiative, Bitish Columbia will povide an effective woking model. Stategic pioities a. b. c. Develop a communication plan to assist in infoming the public, Fist Nations, and othe patne goups about the ER initiative. Develop patneships with academic institutions and Fist Nations to povide joint leaning oppotunities. Position Bitish Columbia as a wold leade in ER. 4.5 Pefomance Measues Shot-tem pefomance measues (by 2012) Completion of the Implementation Plan to opeationalize the Povincial ER Stategic Plan ER is a ecognized coe woload activity within the MFR An established Povincial ER Steeing Committee 14 foest disticts with Steeing Committees and Opeations Woking Goups Engagement of Fist Nations on Povincial and Distict Steeing Committees Povincial and distict ER pojects funded by multiple souces Legislation and policy developed to addess economic challenges Endosement of eseach and development pojects fo validating economic oppotunities such as bioenegy and cabon cedits Established planning tools available to assist the Distict Steeing Committees with pioitizing teatment aeas An established science sub-committee to identify eseach needs, and to establish monitoing potocols and a data management system to infom the ER pocess 14

22 4.2 Pefomance Measues 14 foest disticts with ER activities occuing on the gound 12,000 17,000 ha of estoed aea moved into a maintenance condition pe yea (0.025% of povince/yea) 10,000 12,000 ha of judiciously applied pescibed fie pe yea povincially cetified Bun Bosses Fully implemented communication plan Collaboation with othe elated initiatives within the MFR, Fist Nations, govenment, non-govenment, industy, and academic institutions is actively occuing Concepts undelying ER ae ecognized as pat of Ministy cultue Medium- to long-tem pefomance eviews Vision, mission, and guiding pinciples eviewed in 5 10 yeas Goals eviewed in 3 5 yeas Stategic pioities eviewed in 3 yeas 15

23 5 Implementation 5 Implementation The Ecosystem Restoation Povincial Stategic Plan will be opeationalized though a collaboatively developed, implementation plan. Each stategic pioity that has been identified will have a tactical leade assigned who will be esponsible fo designing a set of activities and tasks to accomplish it and see that they occu. Usually, that tactical leade will build a goup of specialists to assist this effot. Unde a best-case scenaio, the tactical leades and thei suppot teams will be composed of multi-sectoal epesentatives. It is anticipated that a multi-sectoal stuctue will be used to achieve the ER goals at all levels in the pogam stuctue. (See Figue 2.) Distict Opeations Level Distict Stategic Level Povincial Level Povincial Ecosystem Restoation Initiative Stuctue Ovesee, pomote, and suppot ecosystem estoation at the povincial scale Ovesee, plan, pomote, and suppot ecosystem estoation in the distict Sub-committee of the Distict Steeing Committee. Conduct opeational planning and delivey of site-specific activities Multi-Secto Steeing Committee Govenment Agencies, Fist Nations, Industy, NGOs, Oganizations Multi Secto Steeing Committee fo each Distict Govenment Agencies, Fist Nations, Industy, NGOs, Oganizations Multi Secto Opeations Woking Goup fo each Distict Govenment Agencies, Fist Nations, Industy, NGOs, Oganizations Develop policy and legislation Assist in implementing the povincial ER Stategic Plan Access funding souces Suppot eseach initiatives Establish patneships Reviewing 5-yea and annual poject plans Pomote public education Develop synegies shaing knowledge, funding, esouces, and equipment Seve as conduit to take poblems to the Povincial Committee Develop 5-yea plans Develop annual plans Pepae stand management pesciptions Establish monitoing plans Local Fist Nations consultation and public/stakeholde eview Implementation tasks Figue 2. Oganizational stuctue fo the Ecosystem Restoation initiative. The implementation plan will be an opeational companion document to this stategy and foms an integal pat of the success of the ER initiative. 16