Kamloops TSA Sustainable Forest Management Plan Advisory Group First Annual Field Tour. September 26 th, 2001

Transcription

1 Kamloops TSA Sustainable Forest Management Plan Advisory Group First Annual Field Tour September 26 th, 2001 Hosted by: Tolko Industries Ltd. Ministry of Forests Weyerhaeuser, Kamloops Page 1 of 17

2 Purpose of Field Trip The SFM Advisory Group will review the annual report prepared by licensees to assess achievement of performance measures. This monitoring process will provide the licensees, public and First Nations with an opportunity to bring forward new information and to provide input concerning new or changing public values that can be incorporated into future updates of the SFM Plan. Objective of Field Trip The objective of this field trip are the following: 1. To bring the SFM Public Advisory Group and Forest Licensees together in order to have a better understanding of each others roles with in the CSA SFM process. 2. To gain an awareness of the SFM plan objectives and how they link to forest management activities. 3. To have the SFM Advisory Group gain a better understanding of the post harvest field results. 4. To review the indicators of the SFM Plan and look for opportunities to tweak or amend those indicators that don t appear to meet the expectations of the advisory group. Page 2 of 17

3 Schedule Depart Kamloops District MoF Office 8:00 Pick up Barriere Group at Westsyde Road 9:00 Stop 1 17Km Poison Creek Road 9:15 Stop 2 CP Km Poison Creek. Road 9:50 Stop 3 SBFEP Opening A :35 SBFEP Opening A28805 SBFEP Opening A64640 Stop 5 Lunch 12:00 Stop 6 57Km Powder Lake FSR 12:55 Stop :35 Arrive back in Kamloops 4:00 Page 3 of 17

4 Stop # and One Name looking across at Allotted time 9:15 to 9:45 Location 17 km Poison Creek Road, Skull Mt History Silviculture Prescription (SP) approved February, 1998 Logged winter 2001 Key SP Primary objective is to promote a spectrum of wildlife habitats Features which will maintain or increase the number and type of wildlife species Uniform / Group seed tree system Leave 6-25 stems/hectare (st/ha) with 14st/ha target Reserve dominant Yellow Pine (Py) Douglas Fir (Fd), well developed crowns Purpose of leave trees are to provide seed, stocking, stand level biodiversity, shelter and cover Leave trees sites (rocky outcrops, ridges) Boundary m from S2 creek Low CWD on site, recruitment of course woody debris (CWD) required Create succession in encouraging brush species by opening up the stand Page 4 of 17

5 Key Features for Discussion SFM Objectives Introduction Outcomes of the day SFM plan is dynamic are there opportunities to bring in new indicators and drop old ones Discuss Skull Special Management Zone strategies Review page 12 in plan Review Cascadia research programs 12 Open communications with local First Nations during Forest Development Plan reviews will assist with the management of traditional knowledge, non-timber resources, and cultural and heritage values. 26b Open communications with local First Nations during Forest Development Plan reviews will assist with the management of traditional knowledge, non-timber resources, and cultural and heritage values. 27c Licensees participating in forest management activities with First Nations with respect to Forest Renewal BC (FRBC) multiyear will: Maintain and/or increase offered project partnerships with First Nations; Maintain the number of offered First Nations person days; and, Maintain the offered funding allocated to First Nations research 29 TSA licensees will participate in research and extension activities. NOTES: Page 5 of 17

6 Page 6 of 17 Stop # and Two CP Name Allotted time 09:50 to 10:20 Location 14.5 km up Poison Creek, 0.5 km down spur History Logged Summer 2001 Key SP Objective to manage for a wide variety of red and blue listed Features wildlife species as per the Skull Mtn. wildlife special management zone (see appendix). The objective is to mimic natural fire disturbance while minimizing vehicle access to area. Reserve Vets and mature trees Dominant Fd which stick well above co-dom (average canopy height) canopy Reserve deciduous in clumps Keep reserve trees to ridges, rocky outcrops etc, moist more productive sites will have less trees left Key Features for Discussion SFM Objectives Encourage soil disturbance to promote natural regeneration CWD Leave trees and strategies associated with the trees Patch cut vs single tree selection Range and Plantation plan (RAPP) % of cutblocks will be consistent with the regional coarse woody debris strategy. 4 Provision for the location and distribution of patches or individual wildlife/leave trees by ensuring 80% of cutblocks greater than 5 hectares will have individual wildlife trees/stubs and/or associated wildlife tree patches.

7 Stop # and Name Allotted time Location History Key SP Features 3 SBFEP Opening A :35 to 11:35 Gorman Lake Road Chronic Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) populations; mature pine. Area baited with pheromone baits and logged in winter 2000 Harvest Pine for MPB control and leave all deciduous and Fir. Create free growing stand with multi layered component Be consistent with objectives of Skull Mountain Wildlife management zone Page 7 of 17

8 Key Features for Discussio n SFM Objectives Deactivated road which is rehabilitated and planted Prompt reforestation; site prep and planted within one year Silviculture system of clear-cut with reserves, leaving all fir, deciduous and immature Riparian management zone- S3 and wetland reserves Archaeological impact assessment carried out on block Agreements with local ranchers on range/ plantation issues 2- Contribute to connectivity goals through full compliance with or exceeding FPC riparian management area requirements and Kamloops and Clearwater Districts riparian and lakeshore policies. 6- Regeneration established within three years or less on average from time of harvest. 10- Less than 6%, on average, of harvested areas will be in permanent roads and landings 22- Foster activities that recognize aboriginal rights and duly established title through full compliance with provincial or district aboriginal policies/procedures. 26- Open communications with local First Nations during Forest Development Plan reviews will assist with the management of traditional knowledge, non-timber resources, and cultural and heritage values. 19- Where forest operations are planned within range units, the forest licensee will meet annually with the rancher to help ensure forest operations will not adversely affect existing animal unit months (AUMs). NOTES: Page 8 of 17

9 Stop # and Name Allotted time Location History Key SP Features Key Features for Discussion SFM Objective stop to look at SBFEP A min Gorman Lk Road Logged '94; site prep and planted '95-96 Critical deer winter area, root disease centers Regeneration 6 years following establishment 6- Regeneration established within three years or less on average from time of harvest Stop # and Name A64640 Allotted time 10 min Location 6 km Gorman Lk Road History Small Scale salvage logging for MPB Key SP Features Community watershed Remove Pine only Key Features for Small Scale salvage; Direct Timber Sale (TS) to First Discussion Nations logger SFM Objective 23 Maintain and/or increase the number of working relationships (partnerships, joint ventures, cooperative agreements, memorandum of understanding, or business contracts). Stop # and Name 5 Lunch Allotted time 12:00 12:30 Location Alan Lake Recreation site Page 9 of 17

10 Stop # and Name 6 Allotted time 12:55-1:15 Location 57 km Powder Lake FSR History Key SP Features Key Features for Discussion SFM Objective This road was upgraded and realigned in 1999 to provide a connector road from the Jamieson road system to the Darlington road system. With Weyerhaeuser s decision to reconfigure the Kamloops sawmill into a fir only mill, the connector provided a more direct route to move this wood to Vavenby. Road construction and initial maintenance Continuing road maintenance Grass seeding Fish passage 14 All road cut and fill slope seeding application carried out within 12 months of completed road construction on suitable sites 15 Manage water quality and erosion control by ensuring that all status roads conform to their maintenance or deactivation plans as described in the Forest Development Plan. Page 10 of 17

11 Stop # and Name Allotted time 1:35 to 2:45 Location Darlington History Logged winter 2001 Key SP Objective Mountain Pine Bark Beetle salvage Features Retain a component of non-target species in clumps or singles, which are expected to be, wind firm. Retention is for biodiversity, cover etc Portion of the block is within a moose winter range Armillaria Root Rot present on site low incidence Page 11 of 17

12 Key Features for Discussion SFM Objective Mechanical Site Prep (MSP) Course Woody Debris (CWD) Wildlife Tree Patch (WTP) Single trees left well in excess of SP and WTP Plantation stocking levels with high rock content Riparian management road into the RMZ EMS system and ISO certification Monitoring the logging process How do we make the indicators work on the ground Planning of season harvest 11 Harvest the annual cut allocation for the year consistent with the Cut Control Regulation and Policy. 4 Provision for the location and distribution of patches or individual wildlife/leave trees by ensuring 80% of cutblocks greater than 5 hectares will have individual wildlife trees/stubs and/or associated wildlife tree patches. 2 Contribute to connectivity goals through full compliance with or exceeding FPC riparian management area requirements and Kamloops and Clearwater Districts riparian and lakeshore policies. 6 Regeneration established within three years or less on average from time of harvest % of cutblocks will be consistent with the regional coarse woody debris strategy. 9 Full compliance with or exceed FPC riparian management area requirements and Kamloops and Clearwater Districts riparian and lakeshore policies. 13 All harvested cutblocks will have soil disturbance percent below approved levels. NOTES: Page 12 of 17

13 Summary of Tolko Industries Ltd., Louis Creek Division, Biodiversity and Wildlife Habitat Inventory and Research Program The Louis Creek Division of Tolko Industries Ltd. has been the lead proponent of several wildlife and biodiversity inventory and research projects. Project objectives have been to integrate silviculture prescriptions to encourage wildlife habitat and biodiversity features and monitor overall forest practices effects. In particular, monitoring has included bird communities as indicators of biodiversity and mule deer winter range use as critical wildlife habitat. Three projects have included investigation of early and late mule deer winter range use in various moisture gradients and elevations of Douglas-fir forest. The projects are the Heffley Wildlife Project, Mt Olie Biological Inventory Project, and the Skull Mountain Special Resource Management Avian and Mule Deer Winter Range Monitoring. The sites for each project were selected collaboratively by Tolko Industries Ltd. and Ministry of Environment for their current and potential wildlife habitat value, timber value, and opportunity for integrated silviculture prescriptions. Skull Mountain Special Resource Management Avian and Mule Deer Winter Range Monitoring Project is the longest running inventory and monitoring project, with pre-treatment inventory having begun in The Skull Mountain Project has also been partnered with Ministry of Environment and North Thompson Indian Band. The initial inventory included birds, bats, amphibians, reptiles, mule deer, small mammals, and vegetation (habitat). Red and Blue-listed species identified during the inventory phase included Great blue heron, Sandhill crane, Williamson s sapsucker, Spotted bat, and Great basin spadefoot toad. The early inventory results indicated that the most common forest structure on Skull Mountain comprised of young, pole size trees. The abundance of Pinegrass and lack of indigenous species, such as Bluebunch wheatgrass, indicated the effects of fire suppression, particularly on dry sites. Reduced shrub species and abundance was attributed to increasing canopy closures and cattle impacts. Inventory data collected between 1995 and 1998 was applied to developing a management plan for the Skull Mountain Special Resource Management Zone based on moisture regime and terrain features. Ministry of Environment produced the document in cooperation with Louis Creek Division, Tolko Industries Ltd. Tolko began harvesting according to the management plan in 1998, retaining large diameter, veteran Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine trees throughout and creating open forest cover, including retention of merchantable timber, on the dry and moist sites. The prescription encouraged shrub regeneration, while maintaining trees on dry crests and in riparian areas. Page 13 of 17

14 To date, Cutting Permit 847 is the only CP where harvesting has been fully completed. Harvesting has begun in blocks in Cutting Permit 208 and 857. Blue grouse occurred in the area prior to harvest and is still observed post-harvesting, where it is associated with large diameter Douglas fir that was retained. Dark-eyed juncos are associated with the new cutblocks, and Swainson's thrush was associated only with the younger, dense forest cover prior to harvesting. Currently, shrubs are developing in the new cutblocks. Bird communities will respond to increased vertical structure in the deciduous vegetation by shifting species composition; for example, Wilson's warbler and Nashville warbler should begin to occur in the harvested sites. Structural diversity of deciduous shrubs can provide cover, nesting, and forage opportunities for some species that were not provided by the pre-harvest pole-structure forest. However, cattle use of browse in new blocks should be mitigated, so that shrubs may develop. Mule deer utilize the young browse developing in the new blocks in fall and early winter until snow depths accumulate; preliminary data results show heavier use of preferred forage species, including saskatoon, rose, willow, and birch-leaved spirea, for example. Post-harvest monitoring shows that mule deer are utilizing forest-block edges, including leave patches as well as surrounding forest. Mule deer are expected to use blocks longer into winter as shrub height and species diversity increase with time. Whereas pre-harvest inventory results suggested mule deer might have selected specific sites that provided a combination of attributes, including forest cover, browse, and terrain, browse development in blocks should enhance the abundance of winter forage opportunities. The Heffley Wildlife Project initially involved field testing a habitat suitability model developed by Ministry of Environment for mule deer winter range in the Heffley Creek Watershed. The project has been run in partnership with Kamloops Indian Band and Ministry of Environment. The results have indicated that quality forage is very limited in dry Douglas-fir forests in the Heffley Creek Watershed. Therefore, sites are currently being assessed for treatment using silviculture prescriptions that will retain old-growth features in open areas to encourage shrub development to enhance availability of quality browse species. Similar principles applied to Skull Mountain are being considered for application to sites at Mt Olie, with the opportunity to apply experience gained from post-harvest monitoring completed to date. The Mt Olie Biological Inventory Project involves winter mule deer and spring bird community and habitat assessments in collaboration with Ministry of Environment and North Thompson Indian Band. Silviculture prescriptions will be developed that can maintain existing and recruit future old-growth features, such as snags and large diameter veteran trees, as well as deciduous features, such as browse, that are critical biodiversity features. Fire suppression has resulted in decadent shrubs and encouraged forest in-growth, where dense thickets of Douglas fir exclude under story vegetation and prevent recruitment of large diameter trees. Page 14 of 17

15 4.2.3 SFM Advisory Group The SFM Advisory Group was formed to assist the TSA Licensees in developing the SFM Plan by identifying local values, goals, indicators and objectives and evaluating the effectiveness of the Plan. Members of the SFM Advisory Group represented a cross-section of local interests including environmental organizations, First Nations, resource-based interests and research specialists. An open and inclusive process was used to formulate the public advisory group. Local First Nations and LRMP table members were formally invited to participate. The Ministry of Forests and B.C. Environment provided technical support to the SFM planning process, providing information and advice to the planning process on resources and policy issues. The group developed and was guided by the Terms of Reference and Procedures, which were consistent with the CSA standard and which also specified that the process for developing the SFM Plan would be open and transparent. The SFM Advisory Group will review the annual report prepared by licensees to assess achievement of performance measures. This monitoring process will provide the licensees, public and First Nations with an opportunity to bring forward new information and to provide input concerning new or changing public values that can be incorporated into future updates of the SFM Plan. Page 15 of 17

16 Page 16 of 17 Tour Map