Municipality of North Cowichan Forestry Advisory Committee Agenda
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Municipality of North Cowichan Forestry Advisory Committee Agenda Date: Friday, October 26, 2012 Time: 8:00 a.m. Location: Municipal Hall - Committee Room Pages 1. Call to Order 2. Introduction of Late Items 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Adoption of Minutes 5 - 8 Adoption of the April 27, 2012 Forestry Advisory Committee meeting minutes. 4.1 Action Item List Review Action Item List from the April 27, 2012, meeting 5. Business 5.1 Quarterly Report 9 - 12 YTD Second Quarter to September 30, 2012 5.2 2011 Annual Report - Final Draft 13 - 26 Review the final draft of the 2011 Annual Report 5.3 Current Affairs 5.4 2013 Budget 27 - 31 5.5 Audit/Benchmarking Report Update 5.6 Revenue Opportunities 1 5.6.1 Nanaimo Shipyard Group 32 - 39 Proposal by Nanimo Shipyard Group to extract sandstone rock form forestry lands 5.6.2 Gravel Sales 40 - 41 Duncan Paving - Grace Road area 5.7 Engineer Tendering 42 - 42 Contract awarded to Eco Connected 5.8 Logging Tendering Update 5.9 Invasive Species 43 - 43 Treatments completed in 2012. 5.10 Wildland Urban Interface Treatment at the Cliffs Development and the Municipal Forest Reserve Verbal report 5.11 Forest Legacy Fund 5.11.1 Value-added Woodworking Contest 44 - 51 2012 Value-added Woodworking Contest winners 2013 project - coat rack 5.11.2 Scholarship and Bursaries Winners 52 - 52 2012 winners 2013 update 5.11.3 Forest Legacy Fund - Funding Request - Vancouver Island University 53 - 54 Funding request by VIU for fall field trip. We have missed their trip deadline but might consider having them do a service for North Cowichan for future requests and a contribution to their trip. An example of the type of work would be the pulling of tansy ragwort. 2 5.11.4 Forest Legacy Fund - Funding Request - Cowichan Rugby Club 55 - 58 Funding request by Cowichan Rugby Club for $35,000 towards new bleachers at their Herd Road facility. 5.12 New Parks and Forestry Trails Brochure 5.13 Cowichan High School 59 - 65 Stewardship program on Mt. Prevost 5.14 Mount Prevost 66 - 66 Proposed park/trail development at the mountain's peak 5.15 Mountain Bike Society 67 - 68 5.16 ABCFP Video 69 - 72 Video by the ABCFP promoting the profession of forestry on Municipal Forest Reserve land. 5.17 Maple Bay Peninsula Local Area Road Service Petition 73 - 76 Review petition to establish a local area road service 6. Information Items 6.1 Scholarship Thank You 77 - 77 Thank you note from Grace Peng - 2012 Scholarship winner, $1,200. 6.2 Hang Gliding Accident 78 - 79 Review hang gliding accident that occurred May 2, 2012, on Mount Prevost. 6.3 Off-road Vehicle Management Framework - Outdoor Recreation Council of BC 80 - 80 6.4 BC Community Forest Association 81 - 84 June Newsletter 6.5 Ministry of Forests - Press Release 85 - 86 New tunure for biomass 6.6 National Forestry Week 87 - 87 3 Poster - September 23 - 29, 2012 6.7 Cowichan News Leader - Forestry Articles 88 - 89 May 11, 2012 - Letter to the Editor - Forest Reserve June 29, 2012 - Article on Geocaching in the valley 6.8 Cowichan Valley Citizen - Forestry Article 90 - 90 May 23, 2012 - Article on Prevost downhill race 6.9 Silviculture Magazine 91 - 92 In support of community forests - Summer 2012 6.10 United Steel Workers 93 - 96 April 27, 2012, letter on log exports 6.11 Vancouver Sun Article 97 - 98 "Charting a new course for forestry" by Catherine Cobden 7. Adjournment 4 MUNICIPALITY of North Minutes COWICHAN Meeting Forestry Advisory Committee Date April 27, 2012 Time 8:00 a.m. Place Municipal Hall - Large Committee Room Members Present Wayne Coombs, Chair; Councillor John Koury; Councillor Al Siebring (after 8:16 a.m.); Eric Jecklin; Mark Carter; Mayor Lefebure (comprising a quorum) Members Absent Councillor Barb Lines Also Present Councillor Kate Marsh Staff Present Darrell Frank, Forester; Dave Devana, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO); Mark Ruttan, Director of Administration / Deputy CAO. Agenda The Committee adopted the agenda, as amended. Minutes The Committee adopted the minutes of the meeting held October 28, 2011, and reviewed a list of the status of actions arising out that meeting. Scholarships and The Municipal Forester will invite a couple of Committee members to evaluate Bursaries this year’s applications for the forestry scholarship and bursaries, as well as the criteria and fund balance for setting next year’s funding levels and numbers of scholarships and bursaries. Business Keys and Gates The Committee supported the Municipal Forester investigating and reporting back on less expensive gate locks. The Municipal Forester also reported on his efforts to accommodate a resident that wants vehicle access to Maple Mountain. The Committee directed the Municipal Forester to not provide gate keys to residents that want vehicle access to the mountain. The Committee further directed the Municipal Forester to write to the resident, who had sought access, to explain that vehicle access cannot be accommodated due to the risks of garbage dumping and vandalism. Quarterly Report The Committee reviewed the Municipal Forester’s 1 st quarterly report for 2012, noting the following accomplishments: • 4, 243 cubic metres were harvested, generating a net profit from logging of $145,424 (or $34.11 per cubic metre); • 37.7 hectares were planted with 33,269 seedlings. 2011 Annual Report The Committee reviewed the Municipal Forester’s April 18, 2012 , draft 2011 Annual Report, noting the following accomplishments: • 17,775 cubic metres were harvested, generating a net profit from logging of $664,170 (or $37.37 per cubic metre), which is up slightly over the 25- 5 Page 1 Forestry Advisory Committee Minutes April 27, 2012 year average; • 40.3 hectares were planted, with a survival rate of 100%; and • Total annual direct and indirect jobs from managing the municipal forest was 31.99. The Committee will reconsider the final draft at the next meeting. The Committee discussed ways to increase the forestry program’s profitability and agreed to continue this discussion at a future meeting. Current Affairs The Committee received a brief update from the Municipal Forester on current forestry issues and log markets. Contract Tendering The Committee reviewed a draft report from the Municipal Forester, dated March Benchmark Report 27, 2012, providing a comparison of coastal industry logging , development , and silviculture costs. The Municipal Forester will forward the report to the Forestry Advisory Committee when the additional information comes in from other community forest operations. Recommended resolution : that Council support the current practice of letting out municipal logging contracts, but direct staff to issue a tender to log 5,000 cubic metres in order to determine if current costs are competitive with current industry costs. Audit The professional foresters agreed to proceed with their regular audit of the Municipal Forestry program, focusing on current forestry systems to look for ways to increase efficiency and remove costs that are not associated with forestry. Fire Fighting The Committee reviewed an email from the Municipal Forester, dated September Agreement 1, 2011, on the likely cost increase that will be imposed by the Ministry of Forests under a new fire control cost agreement. Invasive Species The Committee discussed invasive species education opportunities, and directed Education staff to put information or a link on the Municipal Website regarding invasive species. The Committee also discussed having staff and interested Council members attend an upcoming workshop, on June 7 , in Victoria on invasive species. Herbicide Program The 2012 herbicide program will involve spot treating last year’s tre atment areas, right-of-way areas on Mt Richards, and potentially blocks R-230, R-260, and P- 173. Mt. Tzouhalem Trail The Committee reviewed the Municipal Forester’s April 20, 2012 , memo and Riley McIntosh’s March 28, 2012 , email regarding rebuilding and extending a trail named “East of Eden” on Mt. Tzouhalem. The Committee directed the Municipal Forester and Director of Parks and Recreation to meet with Mr. McIntosh and to report back to the Committee on stewardship options for trails. The Committee also discussed the need to have a formal group carry on these types of roles rather than an individual. Page 2 6 April 27, 2012 Forestry Advisory Committee Minutes Trail Brochure The Committee noted that the trails, parks, and forestry brochure will be finished by June and 15,000 copies will be printed. Firewood Draw The Committee reviewed the Municipal Forester’s April 2, 2012 , report to Council regarding the annual firewood draw, which provides three logging truckloads of firewood to non-profit groups supporting youth in North Cowichan. This year there were eight applications , and Council chose the following groups at random: 1. Maple bay Yacht Club, 2. New Life Community Baptist Church; and 3. Maple Bay Rowing Club. Mt. Prevost Road The Committee reviewed Krista Siefken’s March 28, 2012, News Leader Pictorial article on Duncan’s Daybreak Rotary Club’s initiative to coordinate the construction of a paved road and parking lot on Mt. Prevost to improve accessibility to the peak, war memorial, and park at the top of the mountain. The Committee noted the Council has directed staff to prepare a report on the feasibility of this proposal. Mt. Tzouhalem The Committee discussed the Municipal Forester’s April 20, 2012, report Gate regarding a request to lock the gate to the entrance to the water tower on Mt. Tzouhalem from dusk to dawn to stop late night partying in the parking lot. The report noted that the annual cost to have a security company provide this service will be $7,380, 47% of the Forestry Department’s annual security budget.