Getting Started: An Introduction to Forest Management Planning Presented by Northwatch and the...

Getting Started: An Introduction to Forest Management Planning

Getting Started:An Introduction to Forest Management

Planning

Presented by Northwatch and the Forest Project Team


What is The Forest Project?A Northwatch initiative to:• increase public involvement in the forest

management planning process• support the work of Local Citizen

Committees • develop a network of forest management

planning participants across northeastern Ontario


Workshop Outline

• The northeastern Ontario forest

• Forest Health

• Some Environment & Forestry Concerns

• Forests & Our Economy

• Forest Management Planning

• Wrap-up



• Forest Health




• Wrap-up


The northeastern Ontario forest


Boreal softwoods:

• jack pine

• black and white spruce

• balsam fir

Shade intolerant hardwoods:

• aspen

• white birch

• poplar

Boreal ForestPart of a band of forest circling the northern globe, the fire-driven boreal forest is the largest forest region in Ontario.



Great Lakes St. Lawrence Forest

• sugar maple

• white and red pine

• red and white oak

• hemlock

• ash

• poplar

• yellow and white birch

Despite two centuries of logging, some remnants of the original Great Lakes St. Lawrence forest remain, showcased by often dramatic topography.



MNR Regions

Forest Eco- RegionsThe northeastern Ontario forest


The Algoma Forest


The North Shore Forest

Northshore Forest Management Unit is located in Northeastern Ontario. Major communities within the unit are Thessalon, Iron Bridge, Blind River, Elliot Lake, Massey, Webwood and Espanola.


Northshore Forest• Approximately 60% of the land base is Crown Land.

• Northshore Forest is situated primarily within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region. A transition to Boreal forest conditions can be seen in its northern limits.

• The forest supports tree species such as Red, White and Jack Pine, Spruce, Poplar, White Birch and Maple.

• Major firms receiving wood from the Nortshore Forest include St. Marys Paper Ltd., Domtar Forest Inc., Forestply Industries Inc., Midway Lumber Mills Ltd., and Birchland Veneer.


Northshore Forest Management Plan 2005 -2025

• Five year planned harvest area 48,408 ha.• Total site preparation area forecast 12,940 ha.• Total renewal area forecast 43,645 ha.• Total tending area forecast 9,750 ha. • No new primary roads are planned. • There are 86.7 kms of reclassified secondary roads

(reclassified from tertiary roads) and 47.5 kms of newly planned construction for a total of 134.2 kms new secondary roads.



• Forest Health




• Wrap-up


• Changing Forest Landscape conditions

• Changing Biodiveristy

• Changing Atmospheric Environment

Factors affecting forest health can include:

Forest Health

http://www.health.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/DisturbanceAgents/fire_e.html


Healthy forests• recreation and tourism

opportunities• genetic diversity - plants,

animals • soil stability• air and water quality• aesthetics• local economies• habitat for animals• outdoor laboratories for

scientific study

Forest Health


Forests provide many valuable ecosystem or environmental services, including climate stabilization, carbon storage, protection of hydrological function, and biodiversity conservation.

Environmental services

Forest Health



• Forest Health




• Wrap-up


• Roads

• Old Growth Forests

• Clearcutting

• Forest Fragmentation

• Herbicide Use

• Sustainability & Biodiversity

Environment and Forestry Concerns


Roads

May affect the forest’s health by: • compacting soil• altering water flows• leading to soil erosion and sedimentation of water bodies• acting as entry points for invasive exotic plant species • changing wildlife movement and behavior such as breeding

and migration routes• increasing fishing pressure on some lakes• changing predator / prey relationships• causing road kills which may impact

on the population of some animals• fragmenting ecosystems



Some Environment & Forestry Concerns

• Roads


• Clearcutting


• Herbicide Use




Old Growth Forests• Old Growth Forests maintain

biodiversity, provide critical habitat, are valued for tourism (wilderness experiences)

• Forests store carbon in trees, woody matter, soils and trees. Old growth forests store more carbon than younger, smaller trees.

• Old Growth Forest contain a diversity of forest species not found in young forests.

• Old Growth Forests are an important source of scientific and ecological information



• Roads


• Clearcutting


• Herbicide Use




• Clearcutting may cause soil degradation and erosion, changes in water quality, nutrient losses and loss of biodiversity, and may drastically alter forest habitat and wildlife behaviour.

• Clearcutting has also been shown to change snow accumulation and melt and to increase the fire hazard.

• Clearcutting is the method of harvesting used in 88% of forestry operations in Ontario.



“Clearcutting … is a massive

experiment on public lands.”

Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, 2002



• Roads


• Clearcutting


• Herbicide Use




• Fragments have greater amount of edge for the area of habitat

• The centre of each habitat fragment is closer to an edge

Forest Fragmentation Environment and Forestry Concerns


Corridors are safe passage ways for species to travel between habitat areas in a surrounding area of inhospitability. They are strips of land that link protected areas together.

Habitat Corridors



• Roads


• Clearcutting


• Herbicide Use




Herbicide Use

• Use of herbicides to control competing vegetation is wide spread in forest management in Ontario

• 70,000 - 80,000 hectares are treated with herbicides each year; approximately 140,000 kg. per year of glyphosate and about 8,000 kg. of 2,4-D

• Public concerns with respect to affects on:– Amphibians– Wildlife– unknown long-term impacts on the environment



• Roads


• Clearcutting


• Herbicide Use




An important element of forest sustainability is maintaining the forest’s

biodiversity.

Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.



Aspects of Forest Biodiversity

Pattern Composition

Structure

Function:Habitat

Eco-servicesNutrients




• Forest Health




• Wrap-up


Forests contribute significantly to the province's economic and social well-being.

The forest product industries, the tourism and recreation sector and the non-timber forest products producers all rely on the forest for their livelihood, and contribute to the local, regional and provincial economies.

Forests & Our Economy



Forest Product Industries in Northeastern Ontario

Of the 84,000 people employed in the forestry industry in Ontario, 22,500 are located in the North.

•10,600 in forestry and logging •30,400 in paper manufacturing•40,200 in wood product manufacturing.



Wood supply issues

Great – Lakes St. Lawrence Forest• Current shortage of hardwood sawlogs and veneer

• Current surplus of low-grade hardwoods

• Long term trend toward declining poplar supplies

• Unregenerated white pine backlog

Boreal Forest• Future wood supply drops below current demand

• Quality of wood supply information



Non Timber Forest Products

Non-timber forest products (NTFP) are botanical products harvested or originating from forest plants.

NTFP’s include:

• foods (eg. mushrooms, wild rice, blueberries, maple syrup)

• health and personal care products(eg. pharmaceuticals)

• materials and manufacturing products

• landscape and garden products

• decorative and aesthetic products



Northern Ontario is enjoying strong growth in its tourism sector and has the potential to substantially increase its share of the global tourism market.

Resource-based tourism is a key growth area in the North, including eco-tourism, adventure travel and Aboriginal tourism.

Tourism in northern Ontario



Recreation in northern Ontario ...

Ontario resident recreation related annual expenditures…

• Wildlife viewing $410 Million• Recreational Fishing $762 Million• Hunting $200 Million




• Forest Health




• Wrap-up


Forest management planning is ...

• Ecological health• Economic needs• Social responsibility

A balancing act…Are we managing the forest sustainably?

Forest management planning


Managing Forests for Timber and Non-Timber values

Ontario’s Crown forests provide opportunities for recreation, tourism, wildlife, trapping,

hunting and plant harvesting.

Forest management planning


The Forest Management Planning Manual (FMPM)

FMPM provides direction for all aspects of forest management planning for management units designated under the Crown Forest Sustainability Act (CFSA) in the Area of the Undertaking (AOU).

Forest Management Planning


A Forest Management Plan deals with three main categories of forestry activities:

A Forest Management Plan (FMP)

• access (road construction, maintenance)

• harvest (cutting methods)

• regeneration (planting and tending)



ACCESSTypes of Road Corridors

Primary road• the main road system which provides

access for the management unit• normally permanent part of road system• regularly maintained Branch roads• branch off of primary roads to provide

access to, through or between areas of operation

Operational roads• provide short-term access within areas of

operation for harvest, renewal and tending

• normally not maintained after they are no longer required for forest management purposes

• Often site prepared and regenerated



Three types of harvesting systems common in Ontario:

1. clear cut - most or all trees of merchantable value are usually removed from the site.

2. shelterwood - trees are harvested in a series of two or more operations.

3. selection - individual trees or small groups of trees are cut.

HARVEST



In a clearcut harvest operation, most trees of commercial value are usually removed from the site.



In the shelterwood system, mature trees are harvested in a series of two or more cuts.



In the selection system, individual trees or small groups of trees are cut.



REGENERATIONRegeneration: The renewal of a tree crop by natural means such as self seeding or by operations such as planting seedlings or seeding. Regeneration is a component of forest renewal.

Forest Renewal: silvicultural work such as tree marking, site preparation, cone collection, stock production, tree planting, tending, protection and regeneration assessments




Natural regeneration is the most common method of regeneration in Ontario, followed by site preparation.



Release treatments – including herbicide application and manual tending – is the most common tending treatment.


• Government - Ministry of Natural Resources- Ministry of the Environment

• Forest Industry- Sustainable Forest License Holders- SFL Shareholders, Independent Operators

• First Nations

• General public

- Local Citizens Committees

- Participants in Information Sessions & Tours

- Written Comments and Phone calls

- Groups & Organizations Meetings with MNR / SFL / LCC

Key Forest Management Planning Participants:



The Forest IndustryForest Licensee

Sustainable Forest Licences (SFLs)

• Long term (up to 20 yrs)

• Reviewed every 5 years

• Require the licensee to carry out renewal and maintenance activities

The Crown Forest Sustainability Act requires that all mills consuming > 1,000 m3 of timber must

have a licence.Forest Resource Licences

(FRLs)

• Short term (up to 5 yrs)

• typically cover portions of management units and overlap with an area covered by an SFL

• FRL holders must also must comply with the CFSA



Northshore Forest Inc.• Sustainable Forest License is held by the Northshore Forest

Inc. (NFI)• Co-operative licence was granted in 1998• NFI is comprised of four shareholders (St. Mary's Paper

Ltd., Midway Lumber Mills Ltd., Domtar Inc.,and the North Shore Independent Forestry Association Inc. (NSIFAI))

• Domtar Inc. has been retained under contract to design and deliver the forest management program for the SFL holder.

• Twenty-nine overlapping licence fees operate on the forest. NSIFAI represents twenty-one of these licensees.


Provide advice to the MNR District Manager, as well as providing input on the forest management plan as it is developed, and then monitoring its implementation. Membership of LCC’s represent a range and balance of interests.

Local Citizen’s CommitteesForest Management Planning


Aboriginal Peoples

• MNR is required to negotiate with Aboriginal peoples to identify and implement ways for achieving more equal participation by Aboriginal people in the benefits of forest management

• Opportunities are to be provided for participation of Aboriginal communities in the forest management planning process, including through participation in the planning team and the preparation of a detailed Native Background Information Report and Native Values maps.



Resource Stewardship Agreements (RSA’s) are developed in a parallel process which is already underway by Stage One.

Sustainable Forest Licensees and Resource Based Tourism operators discuss their respective concerns and agree on certain things like tourism values, forest management prescriptions and road use management strategies, and a Resource Stewardship Agreement is developed.

Tourism Industry



An overview of the ten year forest management planning process:

Phase I Invitation to Participate

Long Term Management Direction

Proposed Operations

Draft Plan

Final Plan Inspection/Approval

FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

Phase II Proposed Operations

Draft Plan

Final Inspection / Approval

FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION



Invitation to Participate and Setting Long Term Management Directions: important first steps in the forest management planning process



Proposed Operations

Draft Plan




Invitation to Participate

A public notice is issued, inviting the public to:

• identify their interest in the local forest and forest management planning process

• provide any background information related to the local forest, and

• share their views on the desired future forest and benefits.



Long Term Management Directions

…what steps or topics are included?

• The Long Term Management Direction is developed through a number of steps, each one building on the previous

• The process is an iterative one; for example, an earlier step will be reviewed for consistency with a later step





• Describing the forest• developing a “base (computer) model”• doing a computer based “scoping analysis” to

evaluate whether the forest is able to meet current wood supply demand

• determining the desired forest and benefits,• developing objectives and indicators, • developing a management strategy, which includes

harvest levels





• assessing how well the identified objectives have been achieved,

• making a preliminary determination about whether the forest will be sustainable,

• identifying primary road corridors• producing a summary of the long term management

direction for public review




…why are they important?

• They set directions and priorities for the ten year forest management plan (two 5 year operational phases)

• They include the objectives and targets for the forest management plan




…why are they important?

• They include the harvest levels and renewal targets

• There is a sign-off after the public review of the Long Term Management Directions which means it will be hard to make changes later in the planning process



The Long Term Management Directions provide the strategic direction for operational planning in Stages 3 and 4 of the forest management plan’s development.



Proposed Operations

Draft Plan




Issue Resolution Procedure• If concerns have not been resolved informally, through

meetings and discussions with the planning team or plan author, a formal process is available to assist in resolving conflicts.

Steps include:• writing to the plan author and• meeting between the plan author and the concerned person or

group;

If not resolved then,• May be referred to LCC to advise the District Manager• refer the matter to the District Manager(DM) of the local Ministry of

Natural Resources• the final stage is discussing the matter with the MNR Regional

Director.



“Bump-Up” Request

• Individual Environmental Assessment Request

• Minister of the Environment decides on outcome




• Forest Health




• Wrap-up


Workshop Wrap Up

• Forest health and forest management are inextricably linked

• Forest management planning process is built on public participation

• Early participation is effective participation

• 2010-2030 Forest Management Plan for Northshore Forest is in the early stages of planning– information collection this fall

– invitation to participate to be issued early 2008

Workshop Wrap-up


Contacts• Northwatch Forest Project

Brennain Lloyd, [email protected], 497 0373

• Ministry of Natural ResourcesGord Campbell, Area ForesterMNR Blind River Area Office, 62 Queen St, Blind River P0R 1B0 Phone: (705) 356-2234 Fax: (705) 356-7441

• Northshore Forest Inc.Norm Iles, Plan Author, (705) 842 0985

Bill Moryto, Management Forester, (705) 869-4020 Ext. 265

Workshop Wrap-up


Thank you and good night ….


Photography credits

“Things Great and Small”

Larry and Ute Kissau, Limberlost Lodge

And ...

Vijanti Ramlogan Murphy

Brennain Lloyd

Georgena MacDonald

Tim Gray

Ministry of Natural Resources

Sierra Legal Defence Fund

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