British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
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BRITISH COLUMBIA MINISTRY OF FORESTS, LANDS AND NATURAL RESOURCE OPERATIONS Tree Farm Licence 39 held by Western Forest Products Inc. Rationale for Allowable Annual Cut (AAC) Determination Effective August 29, 2016 Diane Nicholls, RPF Chief Forester AAC Rationale for TFL 39, August 2016 Table of Contents Objective of this document ............................................................................................................... 1 Statutory framework ......................................................................................................................... 1 Description of the TFL ..................................................................................................................... 1 History of the AAC .......................................................................................................................... 3 New AAC determination .................................................................................................................. 3 Information sources used in the AAC determination ....................................................................... 3 Legislation ........................................................................................................................... 3 Licensee Plans and Timber Supply Review Documents ..................................................... 4 Land Use Documents .......................................................................................................... 4 First Nations ........................................................................................................................ 6 Other related reports ............................................................................................................ 6 Role and limitations of the technical information used .................................................................... 7 Guiding principles for AAC determinations .................................................................................... 7 The role of the base case ................................................................................................................ 10 Timber supply analysis ................................................................................................................... 11 Consideration of factors as required by Section 8 (8) of the Forest Act ........................................ 12 Factors requiring additional explanatory consideration .................................................... 14 Land base contributing to timber harvest .......................................................................... 14 - transmission line right-of-way .................................................................................. 14 - Tla’amin Treaty Lands ............................................................................................. 14 - unstable terrain ......................................................................................................... 15 Expected rate of growth .................................................................................................... 16 - managed stand yields ................................................................................................ 16 - minimum harvestable age ......................................................................................... 17 - not satisfactorily restocked area and regeneration assumptions ............................... 18 - climate change .......................................................................................................... 18 Integrated Resource Management Objectives ................................................................... 20 - objectives for visual resources .................................................................................. 20 - wildlife tree retention and stand-level retention ....................................................... 20 - recreation resources .................................................................................................. 21 - cultural resources and features important to First Nations ....................................... 22 - Great Bear Rainforest ............................................................................................... 24 - research installation areas ......................................................................................... 28 - non-conventional harvest areas ................................................................................ 29 - harvest performance ................................................................................................. 31 - avoidable harvest waste ............................................................................................ 31 First Nations considerations .............................................................................................. 32 - First Nations consultation ......................................................................................... 32 - Nanwakolas First Nations carbon project ................................................................. 39 - Nanwakolas First Nations shared decision-making .................................................. 40 - conclusion ................................................................................................................. 42 Economic and Social Objectives ....................................................................................... 43 - Minister’s letter ........................................................................................................ 43 Reasons for Decision ...................................................................................................................... 45 Determination ................................................................................................................................. 46 Implementation ............................................................................................................................... 46 i AAC Rationale for TFL 39, August 2016 Appendix 1: Section 8 of the Forest Act ....................................................................................... 49 Appendix 2: Section 4 of the Ministry of Forests and Range Act ................................................. 52 Appendix 3: Minister’s letter of July 4, 2006 ................................................................................ 53 Appendix 4: Minister’s letter of October 27, 2010 ....................................................................... 55 Appendix 5: Minister’s letter of April 12, 2013 ............................................................................ 57 List of Tables Table 1. List of accepted factors ................................................................................................... 13 ii AAC Rationale for TFL 39, August 2016 Objective of this document This document provides an accounting of the factors I have considered, and the rationale I have employed in making my determination, under Section 8 of the Forest Act, of the allowable annual cut (AAC) for Tree Farm Licence 39 (TFL 39). This document also identifies where new or better information is needed for incorporation in future determinations. Statutory framework Section 8 of the Forest Act requires the chief forester to consider a number of specified factors in determining AACs for timber supply areas (TSAs) and TFLs. Section 8 of the Act is reproduced in full as Appendix 1 of this document. Description of the TFL TFL 39 is held by Western Forest Products Inc. (“WFP” the licensee) and is comprised of four separate blocks. Block 1 is located on the Sunshine Coast near Powell River. Block 2 is located in the Sayward area along the northeast side of Vancouver Island. Block 3 (North Broughton Island) and Block 5 (Phillips River) are located along the South Central Coast. Block 4, located on northern Vancouver Island (Benson River area), was recently transferred to TFL 6 (January 1, 2015) and as such is not considered in this AAC determination. The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) offices that administer this TFL are: Block 1: South Coast Region: Sunshine Coast Natural Resource District (located in Powell River); Block 2 and Block 5: West Coast Region: Campbell River Natural Resource District (located in Campbell River); and Block 3: West Coast Region: North Island – Central Coast Natural Resource District (located in Port McNeill). There are eleven (11) First Nations that have traditional territories that overlap with portions of TFL 39, including: Block 1: Klahoose First Nation Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation shíshálh (Sechelt) First Nation Block 2: K'ómoks First Nation Wei Wai Kum (Campbell River) First Nation We Wai Kai (Cape Mudge) First Nation Tlowitsis Nation Block 3: Gwawaenuk Tribe Dzawada’enuxw (Tsawataineuk) First Nation Block 5: Kwiakah First Nation Xwe’malhkwu (Homalco) First Nation Wei Wai Kum (Campbell River) First Nation We Wai Kai (Cape Mudge) First Nation A small portion of TFL 39, Block 2 overlaps with Mowachaht-Muchalaht First Nation’s traditional territory. As the overlapping area is outside of what the Province considers to be Mowachaht-Muchalaht core territory, the FLNRO staff assessed the AAC determination to have a very low potential to cause an adverse impact on Mowachaht-Muchalaht aboriginal interests. As such, FLNRO concluded that consultation with Mowachaht-Muchalaht was not required for this determination.