Forest Management Planning

“The summaries and their associated interpretations contained in this document are for general information only, not legal advice. To interpret or apply the law, you must consult the legally enforceable documents (Acts, Regulations, Agreements etc...). This information is provided ‘as is’, without representation or warranty. The College of Alberta

Professional Foresters will not be responsible for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information. These summaries and interpretations are provided for your personal or educational use; it cannot be reproduced for

commercial distribution.”

The Forest Management Planning lesson examines the planning processes as mandated by the Alberta government. These plans range in their focus from short to long term and all of them must address the needs of the multiple users of the forested landbase.

After working through this lesson, you should be able to:

• explain the principles of forest management planning; • explain how Alberta's forest management planning process balances forest harvesting with other

forest users; • explain the process for public involvement in the forest management planning process; • describe the key components of a Forest Management Plan; • describe the method of calculating Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) and its linkage to the forest

management plan.

Reference materials for this unit:

1. (MK) Forests Act 2. (MK) Forest Management Agreements 3. (MK) CSA Standard Z809-02 Sustainable Forest Management: Requirements and Guidance 4. (MK) Alberta Forest Management Planning Standard 5. (SK) Canadian Criteria and Indicators Framework 6. (SK) Interpretive Bulletin: Planning Mountain Pine Beetle Response Operations 7. (MK) Policy on Consultation with First Nations on Land and Natural Resource Management 8. (SK) Description of How AAC is Determined

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Forests Act (F-22, RSA 2000)

Current as of May 23, 2014

Summary:

The Forests Act is the enabling forest management legislation in Alberta. In other words, it sets forth the fundamental powers and legal authorization, in contrast with the Regulations or policies created under the Act, which combine to implement the enabling legislation. Importance to the Practice of Forestry: The Forests Act forms the base from which all forest-related activities must operate. The Act has been developed in four parts: Part 1 lays out the authorities, Part 2 deals with Crown Timber and outlines the relationship of the forest act to the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA), Part 3 has been repealed, Part 4 covers Offences and Penalties. Part 5 enables the establishment of an appeal bodies and their associated processes. Sections Important to Foresters: A thorough knowledge of the Forests Act is essential. Foresters must know the contents of all parts in general terms.

Part 1: Administration - enables the appointment of forest officers as well as the development of regulations by the Lt. Governor and/or Minister. It makes the Minister in charge of the administration and management of timber on public lands and provides for the delegation of power from the Minister. Part 2: Crown Timber - authorizes the Minister to create Forest Management Units as well as authorizing the disposal of timber via an FMA, Timber Quota Certificate or Timber Permit. It outlines the conditions for FMAs, Quotas (CTQ or DTA) and Timber Permits and the penalties for non-compliance. It mandates record keeping; disallows the transport of logs, trees or woodchips outside Alberta (except dry pulpwood and Christmas trees); provides authority to forest officers to seize timber, enter onto land and stop and search vehicles. Part 2.1: ALSA (Alberta Land Stewardship Act) Regional Plans – Requires any plans or provision created under the reminder of the Forests Act to be consistent with any applicable ALSA regional plans. Provides the authorization for the director to alter or vary the provision, condition or area, or cancel the timber quota, timber licence or timber permit that is not consistent with an ALSA Regional Plan. Part 3: Repealed 2009 cA-26.8 s77(36). - Public Lands Act (PLA) includes provisions to cover what was previously included in this part. Part 4: Offenses and Penalties - this part describes offences, including obstructing an officer, destroying or tampering with seized goods and disregarding a Ministerial order to cease doing any act and others. States the fine amounts for contravention of regulations that could be applied by the courts. This part establishes the power for the director to recover proceeds from unauthorized harvest and administrative costs associated with contravenes of the acts (Forests Act/ALSA) or timber quota or timber dispositions. Part 5: Appeals - Enables the establishment of an appeal body and process.

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Document summary updated January 2015

Reading: Queen's Printer

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Forest Management Agreements

Summary:

A Forest Management Agreement is a long-term 20 year, renewable every 10 year agreement between the Government of Alberta and a company. The terms and conditions are fully negotiated and approved by Cabinet as an Order-in-Council. This is a formal agreement between the Crown (represented by the Minister of ESRD) and the forest company, defining the resource to be harvested and imposing a number of general conditions that the company must meet in order to keep the agreement in good standing.

Importance to the Practice of Forestry: FMAs are the major type of area-based tenure in Alberta. Anyone practising forestry in Alberta must be familiar with the basic components of a FMA. Note that each FMA is unique but that most of the basic principles apply to all.

Sections Important to Foresters: A thorough knowledge of the content of an FMA is required.

Document summary updated January 11, 2010

Reading: Alberta ESRD

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CSA Standard Z809-02 Sustainable Forest Management: Requirements and Guidance

2002

Summary:

This standard describes the requirements for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) of a Defined Forest Area, including the nature of the commitment, the requirement for public participation, the performance requirements, the management framework, the review of actions and continual improvement. It also lists the specific points that must be addressed, audited, and approved before certification can be recommended. This information is primarily for the use of certification applications and auditors.

In this standard, the Canadian Criteria and Indicators Framework of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) SFM criteria have been adopted verbatim in CSA Z809-02 standard. The CCFM SFM elements, however, have been revised to provide meaningful application at the local level.

Importance to the Practice of Forestry: Alberta has adopted the CSA Z809-02 as the forest management planning system. All standards in CSA Z809-02 apply to forest management planning in Alberta except where specifically excluded in the Alberta standard. Note that certification is recommended but not mandatory in Alberta.

Sections Important to Foresters: See Alberta Forest Management Planning Standard Section 1 (page 11) for detail on which standards from the CSA Z809-02 are applicable to Alberta.

Document summary February 14, 2007

Reading: CSA

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Alberta Forest Management Planning Standard

Version 4.1 – April 2006

Summary:

The Standard provides guidance for forest management planning in Alberta.

Importance to the Practice of Forestry: The Alberta Forest Management Planning Standard (the Standard) and its Annexes, interpretive bulletins and updates comprise the standard for preparing and implementing Forest Management Plans (FMPs) in Alberta.

Sections Important to Foresters: Forestry Practitioners must be familiar with all sections of the manual.

Reading: Alberta ESRD (standard)

Reading: Embedded below (workshop notes)

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UNIT 1:

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Canadian Criteria and Indicators Framework

2003

Summary:

The Canadian Criteria and Indicators Framework of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) is a science-based framework used to define and measure Canada’s progress in Sustainable Forest Management (SFM). The criteria represent forest values that Canadians want to enhance or sustain, while the indicators identify scientific factors to assess the state of the forests and measure progress over time.

Importance to the Practice of Forestry: The CCFM SFM criteria were adopted verbatim in the CSA Z809-02 standard. The CSA Z908-02 standard is used as a basis for the Alberta Forest Management Planning Standard. The SFM criteria, as defined by CCFM, are the same criteria used in the Alberta Forest Management Planning Standard Annex 4 Performance Standards (Values, Objectives, Indicators and Targets).

Document summary February 8, 2014

Reading: CCFM

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Interpretive Bulletin: Planning Mountain Pine Beetle Response Operations

Version 2.6 - 2007

Summary:

Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) possess a significant, immediate and ongoing threat to pine forests in Alberta. Coordinated and effective forest management planning and operations are needed to control the current infestation and reduce the risk of future MPB infestations.

Importance to the Practice of Forestry: This Interpretive Bulletin outlines strategies and tactics to address MPB. The Bulletin details the process and requirements for amending approved Forest Management Plans in the context of MPB strategy implementation. All FMA holders with a significant amount of pine forest within their Defined Forest Areas have completed MPB Amendments to their FMPs.

Document summary updated January 26, 2009

Reading: Alberta ESRD

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Policy on Consultation with First Nations on Land and Natural Resource Management

2013

Summary:

Under this policy, Alberta will seek to reconcile First Nations’ constitutionally protected rights with other societal interests with a view to substantially address adverse impacts on Treaty rights and traditional uses through a meaningful consultation process.

The Province of Alberta has a duty to consult if there’s a potential to adversely affect Treaty Rights and Traditional Uses. The Government of Alberta’s Guidelines on Consultation with First Nations on Land and Natural Resource Management must be followed.

Procedural aspects of consultation are delegated to the Forest Management Agreement (FMA) holder by Alberta. FMA holders must prepare and follow a Consultation Plan for Forest Management Plan Development.

Importance to the Practice of Forestry: Alberta’s management and development of provincial Crown lands and natural resources is subject to its legal and constitutional duty to consult First Nations and, where appropriate, accommodate their interests when Crown decisions may adversely impact their continued exercise of constitutionally protected Treaty rights.

Sections Important to Foresters: A thorough knowledge of the guidelines is recommended.

Document summary updated January 2015

Reading: Alberta Aboriginal Relations (policy)

Reading: Alberta Aboriginal Relations (guidelines)

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Description of How AAC is Determined

Summary:

The Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) is the maximum amount (generally expressed as volume) of wood permitted to be harvested within a sustained yield unit (e.g. Forest Management Unit) in one year period to ensure the sustainability and productivity of the forest.

Document summary updated January 2015

Reading: Embedded below

Annual Allowable Cut Determination

Step 1: Landbase Netdown whereby land is classified on the basis of availability for timber harvesting activities.

Gross landbase:

• the entire are of the sustained yield unit,(FMA, FMU). full area of the landbase, • classified using AVI 2.1.1 inventory

Net landbase:

• gross landbase minus areas where timber harvesting is precluded or prohibited. Excluded uses of the forest are:

o Recreation areas o Wildlife reserves o Natural areas o Ecological reserves o inoperable or isolated stands

45%+ slopes unstable soils access constraints

o Ground Rule deletions buffers (stream, road, lakes)

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The AAC is calculated using a number of assumptions/restraints:

• net landbase

• harvest systems

• min/max harvest ages

• current/regenerated yield curves including rotation age

• harvest volume flow over time

• access constraints

• current age class distribution

In an iterative process, a variety of scenarios (unique combination of above assumptions) are analyzed to determine alternate harvest levels. The AAC is selected based on the ability of the associated scenario to achieve biological, social, and economic management strategies and objectives (desired future forest).

The selected AAC is valid only if the management goals, objectives, strategies and assumptions presented in the management plan are implemented on the ground.

A cut control period is a five-year harvest period also known as a quadrant – its role is to ensure compliance with approved annual allowable cuts.

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