SFMP Final Dec 2017
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Sustainable Forest Management Plan Canfor Kootenay Operations Version 5.0 December 2017 Canadian Forest Products Ltd. Kootenay Operations “Sustainable forest management is the balanced, concurrent sustainability of forestry-related ecological, social and economic values for a defined area over a defined time frame.” Canfor Kootenay Operations SFM Plan Acknowledgements We wish to thank all members, past and present, of the Public Advisory Group (PAG) for their contributions and dedication to sustainable forest management in the Kootenay Region. We also gratefully acknowledge the contributions from Indigenous Peoples, ENGOs and members of the public who provided input into the development of this plan, as well as the Annual Reports. In addition, we would like to thank Kootenay Forest Management Group staff who provided timely and thought-provoking additions to many sections. The biodiversity and wildlife sections of this plan (Criterion 1) were written by Kari Stuart- Smith, PhD., RPBio, Forest Scientist for Canfor, with the assistance of Stephanie Keightley, BSc. In addition, they provided expertise into the Climate Change, soils and water quality sections. Ecosystem Resilience sections, including silviculture, regeneration, invasive plant species and climate change were written by Kori Vernier, RPF. Ian Johnson, RPF wrote the sections on forest productivity, soils, water quantity and quality, as well as socio-economic sections such as, overlapping tenure holders and non-timber forest benefits. In addition to leading this SFM Plan, Grant Neville, RPF wrote the balance of the socio-economic sections. These included but are not limited to: First Nation and stakeholder involvement/information sharing, local employment, local procurement, contribution to the communities and safety. December 2017 Page i Canfor Kootenay Operations SFM Plan Signature Page The following have committed to implement and maintain on a continuous improvement basis. December 2017 Page ii Canfor Kootenay Operations SFM Plan Executive Summary Since the early 2000’s forest tenure holders ("licensees") operating in the East Kootenay have worked with members of the public, local stakeholders, Indigenous representatives and Government Agencies to develop and implement a Sustainable Forest Management Plan (SFM Plan) for the Defined Forest Area (DFA). This SFM Plan addresses the increased size of the DFA, changes in forest condition, public, stakeholder, and Indigenous Peoples input and local community values. Public participation, performance objectives, management systems, review of actions, monitoring of effectiveness, and continual improvement are cornerstone to the success of SFM. Through the public participation and expert advice, performance objectives were developed for the DFA to reflect local and regional interests. Compliance with existing forest policies, laws and regulations are the baseline requirements of the SFM Plan. This edition of the SFM Plan includes updated references to the applicable laws and regulations, as well as an updated suite of Criteria, Elements, Values, Objectives, Indicators and Targets that address the current environmental, economic and social conditions within the DFA. Both the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Sustainable Forest Management Requirements and Guidance (CSA Z809-16) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification (FSC-BC Oct. 2005) guide this SFM Plan. This SFM Plan localizes the implementation and monitoring of the criteria and indicators for both Standards. The SFM Plan is a dynamic and evolving document that is to be reviewed and revised on a regular basis (approximately every 5 years). Canfor is committed to the monitoring of the indicators set out in the SFM Plan. On an annual basis Canfor prepares an Annual Report in reference to the targets established for the indicators in the SFM plan. Annual Reports are made available for review and to provide input. This process provides Canfor, the public, and Indigenous Peoples with an opportunity to bring forward new information and to provide input concerning new or changing public, stakeholder, and Indigenous Peoples values and interests that can be incorporated into future updates of the SFM Plan, both at the DFA and Timber Supply Area (TSA) level. This SFM Plan has been written appropriate to the scale and intensity of operations, is available to the public and is kept current. December 2017 Page iii Canfor Kootenay Operations SFM Plan Canfor Environmental Policies Canfor believes in conducting its business in a manner that protects the environment and ensures sustainable forest management. In July of 1999, Canfor formally announced its commitment to seek sustainable forest management certification of all Canfor’s forestry operations. The Sustainable Forest Management Plan (SFM Plan) presented here and its implementation is intended to fulfil that commitment for Canfor’s Kootenay Operations. The management of Canfor has set out a number of commitments that define the mission, vision, policies and guiding principles for Canfor. These include the Canfor Mission, Environment Policy and Sustainable Forest Management Commitments. These commitments have been used to enable and guide the development of this Sustainable Forest Management Plan. In addition, they also commit to continual improvement of performance through implementing the plan under the principles of adaptive management. Canfor’s Environmental Policy and Sustainable Forest Management Commitments detail the commitments to Environmental and Sustainable Forest Management for the Canfor Defined Forest Area. These commitments are communicated internally and externally to all interested parties. To access and read the detailed Environmental Policy and SFM Commitments please link to: Canfor Policies December 2017 Page iv Canfor Kootenay Operations SFM Plan Figure 1: Canfor's Environmental Policy December 2017 Page v Canfor Kootenay Operations SFM Plan Sustainable Forest Management Commitments Figure 2: Canfor's Sustainable Forest Management Commitments December 2017 Page vi Canfor Kootenay Operations SFM Plan December 2017 Page vii Canfor Kootenay Operations SFM Plan Table of Contents Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................i Signature Page ................................................................................................................ii Executive Summary........................................................................................................iii Canfor Environmental Policies ......................................................................................... iv Sustainable Forest Management Commitments ...................................................................vi 1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background to Sustainable Forest Management........................................................... 1 1.2 Scope of SFM Plan ................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Purpose of an SFM Plan .......................................................................................... 2 2.0 SFM Planning Process ................................................................................................ 4 2.1 Plan Development, Implementation & Maintenance ..................................................... 4 2.2 Structure and Responsibility ..................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Canfor Involvement .......................................................................................... 8 2.2.2 Public Involvement ........................................................................................... 9 2.2.3 Indigenous Peoples Involvement ....................................................................... 11 2.2.4 Other Tenure Holders Involvement.................................................................... 12 2.3 SFM Plan Links to Other Strategic Initiatives ........................................................... 12 2.3.1 Strategic Forest Management Initiatives ............................................................. 12 2.3.2 Strategic Plans, Policies & Supporting Documents............................................... 15 2.4 Canfor’s SFM Plan – Local Level ........................................................................... 17 3.0 Background to the SFM Plan ..................................................................................... 19 3.1 Geographical Description ...................................................................................... 19 3.2 Biophysical Description......................................................................................... 32 3.3 Socio-Economic Description .................................................................................. 38 4.0 Establishing the Foundation for SFM Planning ............................................................. 43 4.1 Inventory and Assessments .................................................................................... 43 4.2 Key Issues ........................................................................................................... 43 4.3 The Range of Natural Variability ............................................................................ 45 The Range of Natural Variability in the East Kootenay................................................