4 CFA Overview

Introduction to the FNFN The FNFN are the Dene and Cree people of southern Denendeh who have occupied FNFN territory in northeast British Columbia for countless generations. FNFN are protectors and stewards of their territory. The people of FNFN are grounded in the land, the rivers and the seasons that have sustained their way of life and livelihood since time immemorial. FNFN understands its responsibility to the Elders and future generations.

In 1910, FNFN ancestors entered into an adhesion to Treaty 8, a Nation-to-Nation treaty with Canada, signed in the spirit of peace and sharing (the “Treaty”). The Treaty affirms rights, responsibilities, and a commitment to protect traditional lands and ways of life “for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the rivers flow.” In the spirit of the Treaty of peace, sharing and co-existence, FNFN welcomes others to the territory with the expectation that they will honour their Treaty, their ways of life, and their aspirations to once again be a strong, healthy, proud and self-sufficient Nation.

FNFN recognizes the need to balance economic security with respect for traditions, culture, and inherent connections to the lands, waters, and creatures.

As a Nation FNFN wants to develop relationships that ensure an ability to protect the FNFN way of life. FNFN also seeks to ensure that resource development that occurs benefits their members. FNFN aspires to build capacity for employment and provide training and support so that members can achieve financial security.

While FNFN has experienced difficulties with past forest activities that have excluded FNFN from decision- making and economic benefits, FNFN has expressed a need to identify and develop forestry management options within FNFN territory that balance FNFN Treaty rights and responsibilities with economic prosperity.

In reaching this balance, FNFN has a strong interest in the management of landscapes, social and cultural values, economic security, biodiversity, and ecosystem health. FNFN has an interest in maintaining a sufficient land base for the practice and protection of Treaty rights and the health, well-being and economic resilience of their Nation, all of which rest on the health of the forests and rivers in the territory, including those impacted by non-forestry activities.

Introduction to the NRRM The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality is the first of its kind in British Columbia in which an entire former regional district and town is governed and headed by a single regional municipal government. The NRRM, formerly the Town of Fort Nelson and the Northern Rockies Regional District (NRRD), and before that the Fort Nelson-Liard Regional District, is a municipality located in northeastern BC. The NRRM’s offices are located in Fort Nelson, formerly an incorporated town that amalgamated with the NRRD on February 6, 2009 to form the NRRM. The NRRM is a unique regional government authority encompassing an area of 85,015 square kilometers which equates to approximately 10 percent of the total area of the province of British Columbia.

The formation of the NRRM provides the powers and responsibilities for area planning, land use planning, provincial rural property tax policies and collection and business development that fall within its jurisdiction. The NRRM is responsible for non-numbered rural public roads, rural policing and subdivision approvals.

Fort Nelson is located at historic Mile 300 on the Alaska Highway and was established in 1805 as a fur trading post by the Northwest Company. It is the principal settlement in the NRRM and home to approximately 90 percent of the area’s population. Other small communities making up the NRRM include: Prophet River, Toad River and Muncho Lake. The remaining area of the region is sparsely populated with a number of smaller settlements that are mainly situated adjacent to the Alaska Highway corridor.

The NRRM lies within the traditional territories of five First Nations: Fort Nelson First Nation, Prophet River First Nation, Acho Dene Koe (Fort Liard First Nation), Dene Tha’ First Nation and Kaska Dena. To ensure the Northern Rockies reaches its full potential in the years ahead, NRRM and FNFN are working together to acquire and manage a CFA. The NRRM and the FNFN have an interest in seeing all natural resource companies serving the CFA hire local people and retain local service industries.

The NRRM lies on the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Its southern boundary is the 58th parallel of latitude, the eastern boundary borders Alberta and the northern boundary borders the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territories and is bisected by the Alaska Highway. The NRRM is primarily made up of heavily forested areas, rich in resources with mountainous terrain and natural beauty.

CFA Area Overview The proposed CFA is located within the Fort Nelson TSA which is the second largest TSA in British Columbia covering an area of almost 9.9 million hectares in the north-eastern corner of the province as shown in Map 1. About 5.9 million hectares, about 60 percent of the total TSA area, is considered productive forest area, of which, 705,761 hectares are considered available for timber harvesting.2

The Fort Nelson TSA lies fully within the Northeast Natural Resource Region. The TSA is bordered to the east by Alberta, to the north by the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory, to the west by the Cassiar TSA and the Rocky Mountains, and to the south by the Fort St. John and Mackenzie TSAs. The TSA is administered from the Fort Nelson Natural Resource District office in Fort Nelson. The Fort Nelson Natural Resource District, which encompasses the Fort Nelson TSA, is located entirely in the Boreal forest. Forests in this area consist mainly of old and mature stands of spruce, pine, aspen, cottonwood, and birch, in a wide variety of landscapes. The topography of the TSA forms a gradient of increasing relief from east to west, encompassing parts of the Alberta plateau, the Rocky Mountain Foothills, the Liard Plateau, the Liard Plain, the Kechika River Valley and a portion of the Cassiar Mountains. The entire region lies within the Arctic watershed and is largely drained by the Liard River and its major tributaries, including the Fort Nelson, Prophet, Muskwa, Toad, Kechika and Petitot rivers.

2 Fort Nelson Timber Supply Area Timber Supply Discussion Paper (July 2018)

Map 1 Location of the Fort Nelson Timber Supply Area

(Source: Ministry of Forest Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development)

Three biogeoclimatic zones occur in the TSA: (1) the Boreal-White-and-Black-Spruce (BWBS), which is the dominant zone covering about two-thirds of the total TSA land base; (2) the Spruce-Willow-Birch (SWB); and (3) the Alpine Tundra (AT). The BWBS zone is very important for wintering ungulates; frequent forest fires over the years have formed a mosaic of upland forests of different ages, providing a variety of habitats. The zone has the least snowfall of all the northern zones in BC. The extensive deciduous forests, which frequently achieve advanced ages here, are important for ungulates, birds and small mammals. While the severe climate of this TSA does limit wildlife occurrence in some isolated portions or at certain times of year, the TSA contains vast tracts of relatively undeveloped land that support abundant, diverse and internationally significant wildlife populations. Large mammals, including moose, black bear and grizzly bear, are common, as are smaller furbearers such as wolverine, wolf, lynx, weasel, mink, river otter, beaver and coyote. The TSA also contains a unique range of bird species including the Bay-breasted Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Nelson’s Sharp-Tailed Sparrow, Trumpeter Swan, and others, many of which are not found elsewhere in BC. The numerous rivers, lakes, and wetlands provide important staging grounds during the migration of water birds such as

Pintails, Widgeons, Geese and Teal. Fish species in the TSA include trout, whitefish, burbot, arctic grayling, northern pike and walleye, with rare occurrences of salmon. Approximately 15 fish species occur only in this area of the province. There are few species of reptiles and amphibians.3

The CFA falls predominately (94%) within the Boreal Plains Natural Disturbance Units (NDU) with the remaining area (6%) within the Northern Boreal Mountains NDU. All of the Area is within the BWBSmk biogeoclimatic zone. Portions of the proposed Community Forest fall within 8 landscape units. These are the Clarke, Cridland, Kiwigana, Kledo, Klowee, Klua, Nelson Forks and Sandy landscape units.

The proposed CFA area is composed of five parcels generally located within a 100-kilometre radius of Fort Nelson and within the traditional territory of the FNFN. With a total gross area of 199,031 hectares, the CFA is a small component of the Fort Nelson Timber Supply Area. The general location of the CFA boundary is shown in Map 2. A detailed overview map of the CFA is provided in Appendix III.

3 Fort Nelson Timber Supply Area, Timber Supply Review Data Package, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, February 2017.

Map 2 Location of the Proposed Fort Nelson Community Forest

The Community Forest timber harvesting land base4 (THLB) (the area upon which the AAC is based) of 92,014 hectares equates to 13 percent of the Fort Nelson TSA THLB of 705,761 hectares. The area is entirely composed of Crown provincial forest and as such has been used for many purposes over the past 100 years including forest management, oil and gas extraction, hunting and trapping, and outdoor recreation (e.g. trail use and camping). The area resides within the traditional territory of the Fort Nelson First Nation. Key issues that will need to be addressed by management of the Fort Nelson Community Forest are indicated in section 5.4.

The proposed CFA area does not include private land or federal reserve land.

Historical Use of the CFA Area

Traditional Use FNFN has a deep connection to the Territory associated with the CFA and will protect the lands and water for future generations: The people of FNFN are inseparable from the lands and water. FNFN people have lived from, and in harmony with, their land and water since time immemorial.

Every FNFN member and FNFN as a nation hold responsibility for taking care of the land. This responsibility is owed to FNFN ancestors and descendants.

The FNFN have traditionally utilized the environs within the community forest for numerous activities such as but not limited to hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering plants for food and medicines, providing shelter and utilizing areas for spiritual and cultural purposes.

Industrial Use The emerging local forest industry developed with the construction of the Alaska Highway in the early 1940’s to 1960’s with the establishment of small family operated sawmill operations located at various locations along the Alaska Highway. Former mill site locations were located north and south of Prophet River, at various locations close to Fort Nelson including Walsh’s Sawmill near Mile 307 and Mile 321 and locations near Steamboat and Kledo Creek.

Growth continued near the community of Fort Nelson in the late 1960’s resulting in Fort Nelson Forest Industries opening a dimensional sawmill facility at Mile 295 followed by the opening of Sikanni Forest Products in the early 1970’s that had a rough-cut sawmill established just outside of Fort Nelson. Between the late 1970’s and 1990’s Tackama Forest Products opened a sawmill, veneer and plywood plant, Fort Nelson Forest Industries continued to operate a dimensional sawmill and planer and Omineca Forest Products operated a dimensional sawmill. During this period, over 750 people were directly employed in the milling and logging operations making the forest industry one of the main economic drivers in the Fort Nelson area. The early 1990’s saw Ike Barber and Slocan Forest Products

4 The THLB is an estimate of the land where timber harvesting is considered acceptable and economically feasible, given the objectives for all relevant forest values, existing timber quality, markets and current technology (source: Fort Nelson Timber Supply Area Timber Supply Analysis Discussion Paper July 11, 2018).

purchase the Tackama Forest Products mill facilities and the closure of the Fort Nelson Forest Industries mill operations that resulted in the transfer of a portion of its AAC to Slocan.

In 1989, Canadian Chopstick Manufacturing Company constructed the world’s largest chopstick plant at a site in the industrial area south of Fort Nelson, with production starting in 1990 and employing up to 250 workers at the time. The chopstick operation created true diversification within the local forest industry with the utilization of the Fort Nelson areas high quality aspen resources. The chopstick plant closed operations in April 1997 with over 192 direct job loses due to the mill closure.

In 1995, Slocan Group announced construction of a $121 million-dollar Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant to be constructed at the former Fort Nelson Forest Industries site and operations commenced in 1996. The mill utilized primarily deciduous fiber sourced from the high-quality deciduous stands and the local mixedwood forests allowing access to prime coniferous fiber suitable for use in Slocan’s sawmill and plywood facilities. Canfor Corporation purchased the Slocan Group mill facilities in Fort Nelson in 2003.

Poor market conditions and other factors such as the global economic crisis in 2007 – 2008 led to the closure of the Canfor Tackama Sawmill in 2005, the OSB plant closed in June 2008, and the plywood mill was closed in October 2008 due to historically poor panel market conditions. The location of these mills sites was an industrial area located approximately 8-10 kilometers south of Fort Nelson west of Highway 97. A small dimensional sawmill facility operated by Trans North Timber has continued small-scale operations for over 40 years and is currently the only milling facility still open at this time in Fort Nelson.

Since 2008, much of the harvest in the TSA has been associated with oil and gas related activities (e.g., seismic lines, well sites, sand and gravel pits) and minor forest tenures rather than forest industry activity.

Proposed Future Use of the CFA Area If awarded, the CFA area will be managed to produce a sustainable supply of deciduous and conifer logs that will be sold to a variety of log processing facilities while managing for multiple resource values that include, wildlife habitat, water quality, biodiversity, cultural values, trapping values, recreation values and visual scenic values. Specific details regarding management and use the proposed CFA are contained in the Management Plan and Business Plan under section 5 and 8 respectively.

Potential Conflicts with Other Stakeholders Potential conflicts with the following resource users may occur from time to time during the normal operation of the CFA:

1) trapline holders; 2) recreation users; 3) guide outfitters; 4) range tenure holders; and 5) adjacent private land owners.

At the time of this writing there are no specific known potential conflicts with other stakeholders or resource users regarding the proposed CFA operation. Management objectives for non-timber objectives are provided in section 5.4 of the Management Plan.

Ownership and Other Existing Tenures

BC Timber Sales (BCTS) Approximately 15 percent of the proposed CFA boundary includes charted BCTS “Pricing Unit” areas. Consistent with government policy, 15 percent of the CFA AAC will be allocated to BCTS for public auction. Therefore, an effective working relationship will need to be developed with BCTS in order for them to operationalize their volume reservation in a manner that is optimal for both parties. The CFA Partners have developed a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to guide the relationship and operations on the Community Forest between the Partners and BCTS. Once the CFA has been issued the CFA Board of Directors with engage with BCTS to finalize and sign the MOU. A copy of the Draft MOU is provided in Appendix V.

Additional background regarding the BCTS volume reservation is provided in section 6.3.5.

Canfor Canfor is the primary licensee in the region possessing a Replaceable Forest Licence for 553,000 cubic metres per year and a pulpwood agreement for 610,000 cubic metres per year. The Pulpwood Agreement will expire December 2019 and will not be otherwise replaced by government. The CFA boundary area will be located within geographic areas where Canfor has historically operated. Once established, the CFA will work collaboratively with Canfor to seek opportunities to coordinate road access, harvesting and silviculture activities. It is recognized that coordinating these activities will be beneficial to both the CFA and Canfor. Additional information with respect to the Canfor and the CFA is provided in section 5.8.1.

Private Land The Community Forest area consists entirely of crown land, however there is private land adjacent to the Community Forest boundary. The Community Forest Corporation will ensure good communication with adjacent private land holders as operations proceed.

Woodlot Licences There is one woodlot licence (W1817) adjacent to the CFA. At the time of this writing there have been no specific comments provided by the neighboring woodlot licensee. The adjacent woodlot licensee will be contacted regarding CFA operations to seek opportunities to coordinate road access, harvesting and silviculture activities. It is recognized that coordinating these activities will be beneficial to the CFA and woodlot W1817 licensee.

Trapline Holders There are twenty-five registered traplines within the CFA area. Information sharing and engagement has occurred with these tenure holders as described in section 5.8.3. Furthermore, these tenure holders will be asked for input into the Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) development process and kept informed of forest management activities to ensure their interests can be integrated in the operations of the CFA.

Table 1 Summary of Registered Trapline Holders within the Fort Nelson CFA Area

Registered Holder Licence No. Trapline TR0748T001 Trapline TR0748T002 Trapline TR0748T003 Trapline TR0748T004 Trapline TR0748T009 Trapline TR0748T010 Trapline TR0749T003 Trapline TR0749T004 Trapline TR0749T005 Trapline TR0749T006 Trapline TR0749T007 Trapline TR0749T008 Trapline TR0749T009 Trapline TR0749T011 Trapline TR0749T012 Trapline TR0749T013 Trapline TR0749T014 Trapline TR0754T001 Trapline TR0755T001 Trapline TR0755T003 Trapline TR0755T004 Trapline TR0755T005 Trapline TR0755T008 Trapline TR0756T006 Trapline TR0756T007

Guide Outfitters There are four guiding licences within the CFA area. Information sharing and engagement has occurred with these tenure holders as described in section 5.8.4. Furthermore, these tenure holders will be asked for input into the Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) development process and kept informed of forest management activities to ensure their interests can be integrated in the operations of the CFA.

Table 2 Summary of Registered Guides within the Fort Nelson CFA Area

Registered Holder Licence No. Guide 701270 Guide 701250 Guide 701269 Guide 700463

Range Tenures There are three range tenures within the CFA area. These tenure holders will be asked for input into the FSP development process and kept informed of forest management activities to ensure their interests can be integrated in CFA operations.

Table 3 Summary of Registered Range Tenures within the Fort Nelson CFA Area

Registered Holder Licence No. Range RAN076674 Range RAN077793 Range RAN077941

Oil and Gas Development If oil and gas activities are authorized within the CFA area, CFA management will strive to coordinate its development activities with oil and gas operators with the common goal of shared access development and maintenance costs. Where authorized oil and gas development requires timber harvesting to construct seismic line, well sites and pumping stations within the CFA area, the oil and gas proponent will be responsible to harvest and deliver the timber to a suitable roadside location as per CFA standards at its own cost. The CFA Partnership will then market and sell the timber.

Land Use Planning The Fort Nelson Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) was approved in 1997 without the participation and input from the FNFN. The plan identified resource management zones under four categories: (1) protected areas, (2) special management, (3) general resource development and (4) enhanced resource development. The entire CFA area is located within the general resource development and enhanced resource development zones and their associated major river corridor zones. Specific LRMP objectives have been addressed by subsequent legislation such as the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area Act and it is assumed that proposed forest management within the CFA will be consistent with the LRMP’s general goals and objectives.

To guide land use planning on their traditional territory, the FNFN have developed a Land Management Framework. This framework will be applied to activities carried out on the CFA area.

FNFN Land Management Framework Overview The FNFN employs a Land Management Framework (LMF or the “Framework”) on all projects with the potential to impact lands, water and FNFN traditional use and treaty right practices. The early joint planning features of the Framework provide certainty for proponents and when properly implemented expedite the constitutionally required crown consultation process.

The Framework creates a process through which FNFN is able to fulfill the Land Use Vision and direction from the Elders on land protection as set out in the document “Reaching for Our Vision”. Among other directives, FNFN Elders have stated:

“We must protect our environment, our people, our history, and our cultures. We look seven generations forward, understanding our responsibilities for our children and grandchildren’s future. We hold sacred all forms of life and the sky, including the air we breathe, the water we drink and all the plants, traditional seeds, trees, animals, fish, biological and cultural diversity, ecosystems, and traditional knowledge that make life on Earth possible and enjoyable.”

The FNFN Lands Department also holds some Traditional Land Use (TLU) information based on previous studies and information that was received in confidence by FNFN land users for the exclusive use of the FNFN Lands Department. Where there is known TLU, FNFN Lands staff are able to review preliminary forestry plans and identify avoidance and mitigation strategies ahead of the provincial regulatory process.

Description of Land Management Framework The Framework is designed to provide for early integration of FNFN interests and values, well ahead of the submission of development plans to applicable regulatory authorities. Through the foundational components of Joint Planning, Data Collection (and management), as well as the ongoing monitoring of key environmental and cultural values including cumulative impacts, the parties will plan for the avoidance and minimization of impacts to lands and water. The Framework looks at a number of key areas, including, but not limited to:

1) traditional use values and areas (i.e. village sites, preferred harvesting areas (hunting, fishing, trapping, berries, medicinal plants), spiritual areas, camping areas, travel routes (both land and water)); 2) riparian values and areas; 3) wildlife and habitat; 4) reclamation and restoration; and 5) co-siting (ensuring full integration of FNFN interests in planning the location of land disturbance activity, including cut-blocks and roads)

The ultimate goal for both parties is the early integration of respective interests which, if handled through established and known processes, will meet FNFN land stewardship objectives while also meeting the CFA operational objectives – ahead of the submission of required regulatory approvals.

FNFN has internal capacity for the delivery of the Framework, as well as a well-regarded team of specialist experts in the subject areas.

The Partners have jointly reviewed and discussed the FNFN LMF and have agreed that the framework will be integrated into the operations of the CFA.

Medzih Action Plan (FNFN Boreal Caribou Recovery Plan) In September, 2017 the FNFN released their Medzih Action Plan for the recovery of the Boreal Caribou. Boreal Caribou are a species that exist across Canada but the vast majority of boreal caribou in British Columbia are found in the Liard watershed basin, within Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) territory.

Members of FNFN have historically harvested caribou throughout their territory for countless generations. FNFN Elders explain that they always used caribou in a variety of ways, including for sustenance, clothing, making snowshoes and bedding out of the hides and making utensils.

FNFN Elders and harvesters say that caribou are increasingly rare in the Liard River basin and that sightings of caribou have declined over the last 10, 20, and 30 years. FNFN Elders express concern about caribou populations and health. Many of the Elders and harvesters talk about the effects of seismic lines, roads and industrial sites that disturb caribou and make it easier for predators to access caribou habitat. Community members also note the increasing presence of predators in important caribou areas, including wolves and bears as a reason for declining caribou populations.

As a result, FNFN members have voluntarily stopped hunting caribou because populations have dropped too low. While no FNFN members currently report hunting caribou, they would very much like to harvest them once again, if and when the herds rebuild to a point where sustainable harvests can resume. FNFN embraces the right and the responsibility to protect boreal caribou and to ensure that caribou remain on the landscape to support the future health and well-being of the people and the ecosystems with which they are inextricably linked. In response to these concerns the FNFN have developed their “Medzih Action Plan” 5 to guide natural resource development activities on their traditional territory with respect to the management of boreal caribou. The requirements of the Medzih Action Plan will be integrated into the forestry operations of the Community Forest.

Sensitive Sites and Unique Features The following describe sensitive sites and unique features including recreation sites located with the CFA boundary.

Jackpine Remnant Protected Area The Jackpine Remnant Protected Area is fully located within the boundary of the CFA. The 158-hectare area has been designated a Protected Area to preserve one of the few remaining stands of old growth jack pine (Pinus banksiana) in the Fort Nelson area.

No harvesting will be permitted within the Jackpine Remnant Area.

5 Medzih Action Plan; Fort Nelson First Nation Boreal Caribou Recovery Plan

UREP Recreation Reserve on Highway 77 A Section 16 Ministry of Environment UREP Recreation Reserve (Land File 032627) is located completely within the CFA on the east side of Highway 77. See Map 3.

No harvesting will be permitted within the Recreation Reserve.

Map 3 Location of UREP Recreation Reserve within the CFA

Donaldson Creek Watershed Reserve Portions of the 870-hectare Donaldson Creek Watershed Reserve lie directly adjacent to the CFA boundary. See Map 4 below.

No harvesting will be permitted within the Donaldson Creek Watershed Reserve. Proposed CFA operations adjacent to the Donaldson Creek Watershed Reserve must ensure the integrity of its boundary.

Map 4 Location of the Donaldson Creek Watershed Reserve

Recreation Sites The following recreation sites lie completely within the CFA boundary.

 Fort Nelson Demonstration Forest  Poplar Hills Warming Shelter  Parker-Evie Lake Trail  Muskwa River Boat Launch

Specific objectives and management direction regarding the above recreation sites are described within the CFA Management Plan in section 5.4.4.

Environmental Considerations The key environmental considerations associated with the proposed CFA include ungulate habitat, particularly with respect to caribou. In 2010, Ungulate Winter Range and Wildlife Habitat Areas were established to protect boreal caribou habitat. As with other areas of the province, Caribou populations in the Fort Nelson TSA have been dwindling. As a result, the FNFN have prepared and realized their Medzih Caribou Action Plan and the provincial government is also developing a Boreal Caribou Recovery and Implementation Plan (BCRIP). Caribou management will be an important consideration in the management of the proposed CFA.

In addition, managing the forest resources for other wildlife species such as fur bearers will be a key management objective. Forest cover will be managed with the goal of providing a range of habitats that can be utilized by predator and prey species at various times throughout the year.

Given the proximity of the CFA to the Fort Nelson River and its tributaries, all streams and wetlands within and adjacent to the CFA will be carefully managed to avoid negative implications to the Fort Nelson River and the fish habitat that it supports.

Cultural Considerations First Nations treaty rights, interests and concerns must be recognized and incorporated into CFA forest management strategies and operations. The Community Forest area falls mainly within the traditional territory the Fort Nelson First Nation. In 1910, FNFN entered into an adhesion to Treaty 8, a Nation-to- Nation treaty with Canada, signed in the spirit of peace and sharing. The Treaty affirms rights, responsibilities, and commitment to protect traditional lands and ways of life “for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the rivers flow.” In the spirit of the Treaty of peace, sharing and co-existence, FNFN welcomes others to the territory with the expectation that they will honour their Treaty, their ways of life, and their aspirations to once again be a strong, healthy, proud and self-sufficient Nation. Therefore, the management of the CFA will need to be carried out in a manner that integrates the many facets of FNFN cultural considerations. This management approach will not be limited to the legislative, regulatory, and policy requirements regarding the protection and management of cultural and heritage resources. This will require that the CF Corp. and BCTS will work in close collaboration with the FNFN to get input into the strategic and operational direction for the management of the Community Forest.

Description of Timber Resources The varied upland terrain of the CFA area is mostly forested with old and mature stands of spruce, pine, aspen, cottonwood, birch, and black spruce in a mosaic of landscapes.

Figure 1, Figure 2 and Map 5 below illustrate forest species and age class distribution within the proposed CFA.

Figure 1 Fort Nelson CFA Area (ha) by Leading Species

60,000

50,000 THLB NCLB 40,000

30,000

20,000 Crown Forest Area (ha) Area ForestCrown 10,000

0 AC AT Bl Ep L Pl Sb Sx Leading Species (Sp_1)

Figure 2 Fort Nelson CFA Age Class Distribution

40,000

35,000 THLB NCLB 30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

Crown Forest Area (ha) Area Forest Crown 10,000

5,000

0 1 - 1- 20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-160 161-180 181-200 200+

Age Class

Map 5 Fort Nelson CFA Age Class Distribution

The final proposed CFA boundary contains a relatively even mix of coniferous, deciduous and mixed wood6 within the THLB as shown in Figure 3 below.

Figure 3 Distribution of CFA Forest Type Area (ha) Within the THLB

Description of Access to the Timber Resource Historically, logging operations have been concentrated during the winter months primarily as the main access routes required frozen conditions to access the timber. In recent years, increased activity related to the oil and gas industry has increased all-weather road networks around the Fort Nelson area leading to the potential of accessing some timber on a year-round basis. The Fort Nelson CFA is strategically located within a 100 km radius to the community of Fort Nelson and partially developed road access corridors that will facilitate access to the targeted deciduous leading stands, conifer leading stands and mixedwood stands.

6 Coniferous stands are stands containing ≥70% conifer species; deciduous stands are stands ≥70% deciduous species; all other stands are mixedwood stands.