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| Original News Release |
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| Original News Release |
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Introduction: British Columbia now has 18 approved land use plans in place and another six approaching completion. Together these plans will cover 85 per cent of the province. Each plan reflects the local balance and social choices in setting priorities for the use of Crown land and resources in its area. Using these completed plans and in consultation with First Nations, communities and key stakeholder groups, government will move forward with a key component of the Working Forest policy - the development of net timber area objectives.
Net timber area objectives will be expressed as a percentage of the total land base accessible for commercial forest harvesting, and the proportion for which other purposes - such as managing for old growth, biodiversity, wildlife species at risk and visual quality – will be emphasized. Conservation as well as other resource uses such as recreation and tourism will be addressed.
The Cariboo-Chilcotin Experience: Net timber area objectives originated in the resource targets concept developed under the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan (CCLUP). These targets were designed to provide clear, long term direction for timber harvesting and for other forest values and resource interests.
Using the Horsefly area near Williams Lake as an example, the plan’s direction translated into approximately 70 per cent land base access for forest harvesting over the normal rotation, and 30 per cent reserved for conservation and other purposes. It is important to note that non-timber values and interests are also addressed within the 70 per cent of the area available for forest harvesting, through integrated management at the operational level. Cariboo stakeholders, including the Regional Resource Committee, played a key role in the developing the resource targets concept and its implementation in the region. The committee is made up of a full range of forest users, representing First Nations, ranchers, conservation, tourism, recreation groups, the forest industry, and others.
The Cariboo resource targets allowed the next more detailed level of planning (Sustainable Resource Management Plans - SRMP) to proceed expeditiously in the Cariboo. These plans will provide important direction for the preparation and approval of timber harvesting plans (Forest Stewardship Plans), which are required under the Forest and Range Practices Act.
Over the coming years the Cariboo-Chilcotin approach to net timber area objectives will be extended to all areas of the province with approved land use plans. The approach will be consistent with the intent and the objectives of the existing plans and the Ecosystem Based Management approach now being developed for the north and central coast planning areas. The net timber area objective concept is an important tool to clearly define the resource management balance in each region of the province, and eventually provide needed certainty to the operational level.
Horsefly SRMP Example
The CCLUP established targets (net timber area objectives) for the Horsefly area that included timber harvesting access, old forest representation, mountain caribou habitat and visual quality objectives. The Horsefly SRMP applies the targets to the land base. Detailed plans show where the various non-timber values are addressed. As well, the needed certainty for British Columbia’s important timber industry is provided. Maps specify the rate at which harvesting can occur across the 80-year replacement growth span of the forests in the region.
The strategic decisions made under the land use plan were clear and quantified. This allowed the planners to focus on the most optimal placements of the non-timber harvesting areas across the plan area, rather than dealing with how much of the land base would be used for the various purposes.
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