Resource Management Plan

Interim

Resource Management Plan

2000/2001

Cariboo Forest Region

September 30, 1999

Table of Contents

“Strategy at a Glance”......

1.0Identification of Resource Activities......

1.1Introduction......

1.2Purpose......

1.3Process and Procedures......

1.3.1Sustainable Harvest......

1.3.2Strengthening Sustainable Forest Management......

1.3.3Enhancing Environmental Values......

1.4Overview of Timber Supply and Other Resource Management Issues......

1.5Issues Identified through the Timber Supply Review and Other Planning Processes......

1.6Addressing Issues......

1.7Summary Tables......

2.0Technical Consultation......

4.0Resource Management Plan Appendices......

Appendix A Resource Management Plan Participants......

Appendix B Local Ground Rules......

Appendix C Sustainable Harvest Report – Quesnel TSA

Appendix D Sustainable Harvest Report – Williams LakE TSA

Appendix E Sustainable Harvest Report – 100 Mile House TSA

Appendix F Strengthening Sustainable Forest Management Report

Appendix G Enhancing Environmental Values Report

Appendix H Technical Consultation Report

Appendix I Recreation Report

Appendix J Road And Bridge Report

Resource Management Plan, Cariboo Forest RegionSeptember 1999

“Strategy at a Glance”

• Commitments, recommendations and links to other land and resource management plans.
• The long-term resource implications of current investments.
• The value, risks and benefits of the various activities and treatments.
• The necessary timelines to meet defined resource management objectives.
• Delivery recommendations, viable options and consequences of not carrying out the activity.
• Consistency within programs and between delivery centres.

• Providing resource investment recommendations consistent with FRBC investment principles and ground rules.

1.0Identification of Resource Activities

1.1Introduction

The 2000/2001 Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Cariboo Forest Region was developed through a cooperative process between representatives from the Ministry of Forests (MOF), Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (MELP), Forest Renewal BC (FRBC), forest industry major licensees, woodlot licensees and other. Consultant support helped to collate information and data. A list of participants is provided in Appendix A.

Meetings relating to each of the three RMP strategic objectives were held from July to September, 1999 to review the RMP framework and corresponding component guidelines, and list and prioritize related treatments and activities. Meeting summaries are included in Appendix H. Information for each strategic objective is provided in the corresponding reports in the RMP appendices. These reports form the foundation of the RMP.

The RMP ground rules, included in Appendix B, were developed for the Cariboo region by MOF, MELP and FRBC representatives. These ground rules localized the provincial guidelines on eligible activities, key targets, performance measures, investment levels and budgets, and technical consultation for identifying FRBC investment priorities and developing a list of recommended resource management activities (MOF/MELP, 1999). Highlights include the multi-agency planning approach, use of strategic objective reports for setting FRBC investment priorities (where appropriate), and timelines for the 2000/2001 RMP process.

1.2Purpose

The purposes of the resource management plans are (MOF/MELP, 1999):

• Identify MOF and MELP resource management objectives and priorities.
• Recommend investment priorities, in support of FRBC strategic objectives, eligible for investment funding.
• Identify funding requirements for the ministries’ objectives and resource priorities eligible for non-FRBC funding sources.

1.3Process and Procedures

The three strategic objective reports were created differently depending on prior work in hand at the onset of the RMP. Each process is briefly described below.

1.3.1Sustainable Harvest

Through earlier work for each Timber Supply Area by a Timber Investment Strategy Committee (TISC), an extensive analysis of stand treatments on timber supply had been undertaken using a 250-year planning horizon. The TISC analysis provided the base information for the sustainable harvest component, and the RMP meetings built on this knowledge to list relevant activities and treatments for offsetting projected timber supply shortfalls, where necessary, or enhancing long-term timber supply.

1.3.2Strengthening Sustainable Forest Management

Knowledge gaps to aid in the implementation of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan (CCLUP) and improve the Timber Supply Review (TSR3) process in the Cariboo Forest Region were identified during a series of meetings of agency (MOF, MELP) staff and forest industry (major licensee) representatives. The issues, gaps and needs were reviewed and discussed during another series of meetings of agencies and stakeholders. The discussions ensured that activities/projects were identified to fill the gaps and that duplication was avoided. Activities were prioritized and ranked according to their importance to either strategic land use planning or timber supply review.

1.3.3Enhancing Environmental Values

Key watersheds (buckets) with high fish values and domestic water supply have been identified in this process. In addition, high priority fisheries buckets were included to satisfy the requirements of the CCLUP. A committee was established to rank these priority buckets based on MELP fisheries values, MELP domestic water supply, DFO fisheries values (salmon) and MOF stream sedimentation potential.

1.4Overview of Timber Supply and Other Resource Management Issues

The most significant timber supply issue in the Cariboo Forest Region is the 30% drop in timber supply in the Williams Lake TSA in the next 50 years. Several processes and practices underway (site index adjustments, genetically improved seedlings and harvesting problem forest types that will become managed forests) are expected to alleviate this shortfall. As well, commercial thinning is anticipated to provide an additional option to maintain a more even flow of timber. The Quesnel and 100 Mile House TSA’s have a more sustainable timber supply that can be enhanced in the long term by the treatments and activities listed in those reports.

Other resource management issues are:

The Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan (CCLUP) has identified the Horsefly River watershed as the number one priority for watershed assessment and restoration along with the Cottonwood/ Swift, Bonaparte and Cariboo Rivers as high priority. In addition to the CCLUP rankings, the Bridge Creek watershed is also ranked as a high priority.

The implementation the CCLUP requires the collection of information to address the resources strategies/objectives/targets identified in the CCLUP and the CCLUP integration report. In-depth GIS analysis is needed to ensure integration of CCLUP targets in sub-regional planning.

The next round of Timber Supply Reviews (TSR3) will model the impact of strategic land use plans (CCLUP and Sub-Regional Plans) as well as Forest Practices Code impacts.

A number of items of regional significance impact the amount of operable land base and serve as constraining factors in timber supply analysis, such as wildlife tree patches, riparian management, mule deer winter ranges, visuals preservation of open range and biodiversity.

Significant gains in harvest levels in short, mid and long terms can be achieved through better knowledge of growth rates.

Forest inventories are from 4 – 33 years old in the Cariboo Forest Region, and for other resources are incomplete or, in some cases, totally absent.

More detailed information is provided in the associated strategic objective reports.

1.5Issues Identified through the Timber Supply Review and Other Planning Processes

The main management issues identified through the second Timber Supply Review (TSR2) and other planning processes are:

• Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan
• Landscape-level biodiversity
• Stand-level biodiversity
• Pulpwood Agreement #16 timber supply
• Problem Forest Types
• Mountain pine beetle salvage harvesting
• Inventory audit
• Old Growth Site Index
• Lignum Innovative Forest Practices Agreement
• Anahim Round Table consensus document
• Goal 2 protected area candidates
• Visually sensitive areas
• Wildlife habitat
• Riparian habitat
• Green-up
• Community dependence

These issues are described more fully in the strategic objective reports.

1.6Addressing Issues

1.7Summary Tables

2.0Technical Consultation

Joint MOF/MELP/industry meetings were held from late June to early September,1999. Participants are listed in Appendix A. Appendix H, Technical Consultation Report, contains the summaries of all meetings.

4.0Resource Management Plan Appendices

Appendix AResource Management Plan Participants

* Also co-authored Resource Management Plan.

Appendix BLocal Ground Rules

RMP DEVELOPMENT

GROUNDRULES

Cariboo Chilcotin Region

1999/2000

1) As agreed to in the Service Agreement between Forest Renewal BC, the Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks, and the Ministry of Forests, and under the guidance of the provincial RMP framework, Ministries will develop Resource Management Plans (RMP) by Strategic Objective, at the TSA level. The ministries will roll up the TSA level RMPs to one Regional Level Plan. Copies of the plans and a list of recommended eligible activities will be made available on computer disc, to the regional office of Forest Renewal.

The Ministries will develop the plans following the “Resource Planning Framework, Guidelines for the Development of Resource Management Plans for 2000/01”. (copy attached as attachment #1)

2) Ministries will provide an RMP format, suitable for workload planning, for each of the Strategic Objective Plans, by planning unit, or TSA. This reporting format will be available for review, by August 1. A format for the Regional Report will be delivered to the Ministries by July 15.

3) Forest Renewal will supply Tentative Investment Budgets, and Local Targets, by Strategic Objective. Ministries in consultation with stakeholders will use this information to identify Local Performance Measures. (TSA Objectives)

4)In developing the RMPs, the Ministries will consult with all directly relevant stakeholders, including but not limited to the following ones.

-MYA holders and AA holders

-Woodlot Associations

-UBC representatives

-IFPA/EFMPP holders

5) Ministries will report on all RMP development meetings to FRBC, and will give advance notice in order to allow FRBC time to plan to attend the larger meetings.

Reporting Format:

-Small Meetings

-Date

-Who attended

-What was discussed

-Outcome or Resolution

-Signed by Ministry Official on site

-Large Meetings

-Date

-List of attendees

-Agenda

-Outcome

-Ministry Official signs

6) As part of the development of the final RMP, Forest Renewal will consult with other interested partners and stakeholders, to explain the planning process, and to gather employment and economic needs, partnership opportunities, and Jobs and Timber implications. The Ministries will participate in this consultation process as necessary to fulfill the fiduciary responsibility mentioned in the service agreements. (Sec. 3.4 (d) )

7) Tentative timelines for the development of the RMP:

-Ministry sub-regional information meetingJune 21

-Regional Information Meeting (with stakeholders)June 24

-Ministry/Stakeholder Technical Development meetingsJune 25-Aug 13

-Draft RMP available for reviewAug 16

-FRBC/Stakeholder review of Draft RMPAug 17-Sept 30

-Final RMPSept 30

-Planning Unit Meetings to develop RIPSept 30-Oct 20

Signed by:

Regional Director MELP

Regional Manager MoF

Director FRBC

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Appendix CSustainable Harvest Report – Quesnel TSA

Appendix DSustainable Harvest Report – Williams Lake TSA

Appendix ESustainable Harvest Report – 100 Mile House TSA

Appendix FStrengthening Sustainable Forest Management Report

Appendix GEnhancing Environmental Values Report

Appendix HTechnical Consultation Report

Appendix IRecreation Report

Appendix JRoad And Bridge Report