High Conservation Value Forests in Tembec's Canal Flats
High Conservation Value Assessment for HCV 1-3 in Canfor’s Operating Area in the East Kootenay Region, Southeastern British Columbia January 2019 Kari Stuart-Smith, PhD, RPBio. and Ian Johnson, RPF. Executive Summary High Conservation Values (HCVs) and their associated Areas (HCVAs) are defined by the Forest Stewardship Council as areas of exceptional ecological or social value. The identification of HCVAs is expected to advance sustainable forest management by providing certainty regarding the locations of areas of exceptional conservation value, and lead to the development of management strategies to ensure that these values are maintained or enhanced. This report summarizes the results of the formal review and update process to the original 2006 assessments for HCVs and HCVAs for Categories 1, 2 and 3 in Canfor’s operating areas in the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. These Categories include species diversity, landscape- level forests, and ecosystems and habitats (including rare, threatened and endangered species and ecosystems). The assessments were consistent with both the BC-FSC Standard (2005) and the draft FSC Canada National Forest Standard (D3-0). A technical advisory group (TAG) consisting of representatives from government, environmental non- governmental organizations, and Canfor was struck to complete the assessment, with assistance from experts in fields such as limnology and grizzly bear ecology. Collaboratively, the TAG identified 132 HCVs including: 6 fish species and 1 fisheries sensitive watershed
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