Landscape Unit Planning Guide Training

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Landscape Unit Planning Guide Training
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Agenda for the day 830 AM - 430 PM

• - opening remarks
• - introduction
• - wildlife tree retention
• - review principles of OGMA delineation
• - case studies

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Purpose of training

• To learn how to use the LUPG to maximize the
  benefits to biodiversity within the timber supply
  impact cap
• to understand the technical procedures for
  delineating OGMAs
• to review changes to wildlife tree retention
  calculations and implementation

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Who is involved in LU planning?

• lead the process government (MOF MELP)
• contribute information agencies, industry,
  ENGOs, others
• compile information, delineate OGMAs prepare
  draft LU objectives MELP MOF district planners
• review comment public, tenure-holders,
  interest groups, First Nations
• establish objectives DM DEO (the SDMs)
• implement licensees, Small Business Program

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Why are we managing for biodiversity?

• To maintain the diversity of plants, animals and
  other living organisms in all their forms and
  levels of organization
• Maintain ecosystem integrity and function
• Essential to achieve sustainability of forest
  resource - significant conservation provisions in
  the FPC
• Signatory to the Biodiversity Convention

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Key principles of biodiversity conservation

• Maintain biodiversity at a variety of levels that
  are linked (prov, regional, landscape, stand)
• Maintain habitat diversity as a surrogate to
  maintain biodiversity
• The more managed forests resemble forests created
  by natural disturbances the higher the likelihood
  of maintaining native species and ecological
  processes

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Why is old growth retention a priority?

• Old growth ecosystems are becoming scarcer - thus
  old growth species and ecosystems are most at
  risk of loss
• Old growth is the most difficult seral stage to
  recreate or manage

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Why is old growth retention a priority?
(practical benefits)

• Certainty regarding operating areas
• Improve standing timber inventory through
  elimination of interim measures once OGMAs in
  place

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Why is wildlife tree retention a priority?

• Retention of stand structure is fundamental to
  maintaining biodiversity
• Need to have consistent and appropriate landscape
  unit objectives to ensure a sound legal basis
• Landscape objectives for WTR reduce stand level
  only requirements

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Principles Governing the Development of LUPG

• Must be focused on elements that are most at risk
• Must be operationally feasible
• Must provide the best biological management
  within the policy limits set by government

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Approach to maintaining biodiversity in the LUPG

• To maintain viable, representative old growth
  forest ecosystems well distributed across their
  natural range through old growth objectives
• To maintain important stand structure through WTR
  objectives

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Planning Framework - HLP portion of a plan
regional plan
LRMP
other operational plans
landscape unit plans
forest development plan
consistency requirement
lu objectives higher level plan

• HLP is only that portion of a plan that must be
  implemented through operational plans

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Higher level plans
RMZ objective
Landscape Unit objective
Sensitive Area objective
Recreation Sites Trails objective
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Function and context of the LUPG

• Goal of the LUPG is to deliver maximum
  biodiversity conservation within the Code
  framework by
• following Chief Forester direction in accordance
  with legislation
• staying within FPC timber supply impact cap
  (February 1996)
• complying with government policy

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Function and context of the LUPG (contd)

• LUPG consolidates previous direction and is used
  along with ch 5 HLP PP
• focusing on two priority biodiversity objectives
• layout management controls

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Management controls process controls

• RLUPS RLUPS review
• Completion of LU training prior to legal
  establishment
• The requirement to comply with the Guide
• District, Regional and Headquarters working
  groups
• Timber Supply review and associated sensitivity
  analysis

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Management controlspriority biodiversity

• Priority biodiversity elements - Must do
• Old growth retention (OGMAs) Wildlife tree
  retention (WTR) (see detail in OG WT Retention
  sections)
• Non priority biodiversity and other forest
  resources - May do
• where RMZ HLP directs or through draft
  objectives

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Management controls Managing Timber Supply
Impacts

• Timber supply impacts capped
• Rules based approach
• Table 2.8 - checks district use of THLB
• Decision made 2 priority biodiversity elements
  get the impact budget
• Other values/attributes can be accommodated in
  OGMAs but no additional impact budget unless RMZ
  HLP

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Landscape Unit Planning Timelines

• March 1999
• June/July 1999
• September 1999

• LUPG released
• Data workshops delivered
• RLUPS review completed

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Landscape Unit Planning Timelines

• Winter 2000
• January 2000 to July 2002

• Training delivered to staff
• Priority objectives established

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Successful Implementation Depends On

• Clear understanding of the LUPG
• balancing biological considerations within
  policy framework
• Partnership and commitment among government,
  industry and environmental community
• Willingness to work within management controls