Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1.1 Timber supply review .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1.2 Data package................................................................................................................................................ 2 1.2 BACKGROUND........................................................................................................................................................ 3 1.2.1 Description of the Kootenay Lake TSA....................................................................................................... 3 1.2.2 The environment.......................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2.3 Wildlife and species at risk.......................................................................................................................... 5 1.2.4 First Nations .............................................................................................................................................. 10 1.3 PROCESSES........................................................................................................................................................... 11 1.3.1 Timber supply review process ................................................................................................................... 11 2 INVENTORY AND DATA LAYERS....................................................................................................................... 12 2.1 STANDARD DATA LAYERS .................................................................................................................................... 12 2.1.1 Landscape-level biodiversity emphasis options......................................................................................... 13 2.1.2 Biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification ................................................................................................... 16 2.1.3 Old biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification ............................................................................................. 19 2.1.4 Community/domestic watersheds .............................................................................................................. 22 2.1.5 Licensee operating areas............................................................................................................................ 25 2.1.6 Forest inventory......................................................................................................................................... 27 2.1.7 Inventory depletions .................................................................................................................................. 30 2.1.8 Landscape units ......................................................................................................................................... 32 2.1.9 Ungulate winter range................................................................................................................................ 35 2.1.10 Wildlife habitat areas................................................................................................................................. 37 2.1.11 Wildlife management areas ....................................................................................................................... 39 2.1.12 Parks and protected areas........................................................................................................................... 40 2.1.13 Goal 2 protected areas................................................................................................................................ 42 2.1.14 Old growth management areas................................................................................................................... 44 2.1.15 Operability classification ........................................................................................................................... 46 2.1.16 Old operability........................................................................................................................................... 47 2.1.17 Ownership.................................................................................................................................................. 48 2.1.18 Roads ......................................................................................................................................................... 50 2.1.19 Rail and Transmission Lines...................................................................................................................... 52 2.1.20 Canadian Pacific Rail reserves................................................................................................................... 54 2.1.21 Dewdney Trail ........................................................................................................................................... 55 2.1.22 Caribou ...................................................................................................................................................... 57 2.1.23 Slope.......................................................................................................................................................... 59 2.1.24 Riparian ..................................................................................................................................................... 61 2.1.25 Environmentally sensitive areas ................................................................................................................ 67 2.1.26 Terrain stability mapping........................................................................................................................... 69 2.1.27 Visual management ................................................................................................................................... 71 2.2 OTHER DATA ....................................................................................................................................................... 74 2.2.1 Silviculture records.................................................................................................................................... 74 2.2.2 Road width inventory................................................................................................................................. 75 Table of Contents 2.3 ADMINISTRATIVE, NON-FOREST, AND NON-PRODUCTIVE AREAS .......................................................................... 76 2.3.1 Land not administered by the Ministry of Forests and Range, or outside the timber supply area ............. 76 2.3.2 Non-forest, non-productive forest, and non-typed..................................................................................... 77 2.3.3 Roads, trails and landings .......................................................................................................................... 78 2.3.4 CP rail reserves.......................................................................................................................................... 78 2.3.5 Rail and Transmission Lines...................................................................................................................... 79 2.4 ECONOMIC FACTORS ............................................................................................................................................ 79 2.4.1 Operability ................................................................................................................................................. 79 2.4.2 Exclusion of specific, geographically defined areas.................................................................................. 80 2.4.3 Problem forest types .................................................................................................................................. 81 2.5 NON-TIMBER MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES FACTORS ........................................................................................... 83 2.5.1 Terrain stability.......................................................................................................................................... 83 2.5.2 Community/domestic watersheds .............................................................................................................. 84 2.5.3 Riparian management areas ....................................................................................................................... 85 2.5.4 Protected areas strategy ............................................................................................................................. 86 2.5.5 Cultural heritage resources and values....................................................................................................... 87 2.5.6 Integrated resources management zones.................................................................................................... 88 2.5.7 Visual resources........................................................................................................................................