Biodiversity & Land Use Planning 1995-1999

About this Guide

This guide provides a framework for landscape unit planning, an important component of the overall system for provincial Crown land and resource planning in British Columbia. Landscape unit planning is a cooperative initiative of the Ministry of Forests and the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks.

The initial phase of landscape unit planning included the development of Regional Landscape Unit Planning Strategies (RLUPSs), the delineation of all landscape unit boundaries, the determination of biodiversity emphasis (low, intermediate, high) for each landscape unit, and the finalisation of this guide. This initial phase is complete. The current priority is the development of objectives for old growth and wildlife tree retention for all landscape units. It is now appropriate and recommended that each district manager (DM), pursuant to section 4 of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act, establish landscape units and, with the approval of the designated environment official (DEO), establish objectives for old growth retention and wildlife tree retention (WTR) for each unit.

Landscape unit objectives for elements of biodiversity other than old growth and WTR, (i.e., seral stage distribution, landscape connectivity, stand structure other than WTR, species composition, or the temporal and spatial distribution of cutblocks) or for other forest resources, should only be developed according to this guide and they should not delay the establishment of objectives for old growth retention and WTR. If the DM and DEO decide to develop objectives for biodiversity elements other than old growth and WTR, those elements should first be tested as draft objectives according to this guide.

In keeping with the direction of the Forest Practices Code Joint Steering Committee, this guide endeavors to ensure biodiversity conservation within the timber supply impact levels set by government. Accordingly, the guide provides clear rules on the development of appropriate objectives. When these rules are implemented, landscape unit objectives for biodiversity result in an impact on the provincial timber supply within limits established in the Forest Practices Code Timber Supply Analysis, 1996.

This guide draws on material from several sources:

• Biodiversity Guidebook
• Biodiversity Guidebook Implementation: Questions and Answers
• Forest Practices Code Timber Supply Analysis, 1996, and
• memoranda on Implementation of the Biodiversity Guidebook, August 15, 1995 and on Achieving Acceptable Biodiversity Timber Impacts, August 25, 1997, from the deputy ministers of the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks and the Ministry of Forests

Where this guide differs from any of these earlier sources, its direction prevails.

This guide is also consistent with and includes material from several legislated sources:

• Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act (the Act);
• Strategic Planning Regulation;
• Higher Level Plans: Policy and Procedures (HLP:PP); and
• Chief Forester Direction on Landscape Unit Objectives, May 25, 1998

If the Act, regulations, and Chief Forester direction are amended, they will take precedence over the guide where inconsistencies result.

Regular monitoring, including pilot projects and adaptive management, will be a part of the landscape unit planning initiative and, together with policy or legislative amendments, will be the basis for updating this Guide.

Updates and Additions to the Guide

The Forest Practices Branch, Ministry of Forests and the Resource Stewardship Branch, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks will update and improve this Guide as the ministries’ staff and stakeholders acquire new information and accumulate experience in establishing landscape unit objectives. Revisions will occur in consultation with field managers in both ministries, and in conformity with any amendments to Code legislation.

For information on updates and additions or for more information on landscape unit planning in BC, contact:
Strategic Forest Planning Section
Forest Practices Branch
Ministry of Forests
P.O. Box 9513
STN PROV GOVT
Victoria, B.C. V8W 9C2

or

Resource Stewardship Branch
Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks
P.O. Box 9338
STN PROV GOVT
Victoria, B.C. V8W 9M1

Audience and Scope

This Landscape Unit Planning Guide is a technical reference for staff in the Ministry of Forests (MOF) and in the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (MELP) responsible for developing landscape unit objectives and strategies for biodiversity and other forest resources. It also serves as a reference for statutory decision-makers, as it contains the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and preeminent government policy direction with respect to the legal establishment of landscape unit objectives under the Code. Tenure holders, public interest groups and affected individuals may also find this guide useful in understanding landscape unit planning. This guide includes:

• procedures for carrying out analyses;
• procedures for preparing landscape unit objectives and strategies for biodiversity and other forest resources;
• procedures for writing and establishing landscape unit objectives; and
• considerations for ensuring that operational plans are consistent with landscape unit objectives.

Key Landscape Unit Planning Terms

Landscape Unit Objective:

• is a statement of desirable future condition for a forest resource or forest resource use which is attainable through management action;
• may indicate management direction based on targets or thresholds derived from appendix 2 of this guide or developed through analysis; and
• is legally binding (must be formally established)

Operational plans must be consistent with landscape unit objectives.

Draft Landscape Unit Objective:

With the cooperation of affected licensees, a landscape unit objective may be implemented in draft form for a limited time to allow testing prior to legal establishment. These draft objectives:

• should not apply to landscape unit objectives for old growth management areas (OGMAs) or for WTR. These should be legally established as early as possible; and
• should be time-limited and should be withdrawn or established as legal objectives when the test period ends.

Chapter 6 provides guidance on legally establishing landscape unit objectives as higher level plans and on preparing draft objectives.

Strategies:

• are descriptions of the actions that may be undertaken to achieve a draft objective or legally established objective; and
• provide advice and are not legally binding unless incorporated into the objective.

Summary of Rules for Landscape Unit Planning

Priorities for Landscape Unit Planning

• The priority is to establish landscape unit objectives for WTR and the spatial location of OGMAs in every landscape unit.

Impacts on Timber Supply

• Based on the implementation of this guide, the only landscape unit biodiversity objectives that will, in aggregate, affect provincial harvest levels will be old growth retention and WTR.
• Landscape unit planning will follow the rules in this guide and will result in an overall timber supply impact no greater than outlined in the Forest Practices Code Timber Supply Analysis, 1996.
• While some districts or regions may want to conduct additional analyses, the standard approach to monitoring impacts will be through pilot projects, review of OGMA statistical summaries by management units, and through the Code impact projects.

Ecological Representation

• When establishing landscape unit objectives, representativeness will not be considered at a scale finer than the BEC variant level (see appendix 1).

Old Growth Management Areas

• Apportion the target area for OGMAs by first determining how much suitable old forest exists for each landscape unit variant in the non-contributing land base. This is to a maximum of the full target area for each landscape unit variant.
• Where the OGMA target for the variant cannot be met entirely in the non-contributing land base, consider partially constrained areas prior to the non-constrained timber harvesting land base (THLB).
• In intermediate and high biodiversity emphasis landscape units, establish OGMAs to the full target determined by the analysis described in chapter 3. Where a shortfall exists, develop a recruitment strategy.
• In low emphasis landscape units, only 1/3 of the OGMA target will be established, unless it can be met using the non-contributing land base (see chapter 3 for details.)
• The criteria to capture interior forest condition and rare old forest ecosystems must be met to the limit set by the variant-level representation rule.
• The establishment of an OGMA will not have an impact on the status of existing mineral and gas permits or tenures. Exploration and development activities are permitted in OGMAs and Mines and Energy staff will be involved in the referral process to optimize OGMA placement. The preference is to proceed with exploration and development in a way that is sensitive to the old growth values of the OGMA; however, if despite the referral process, exploration and development proceeds to the point of significantly impacting old growth values, then the OGMA should be moved.

Full Biodiversity and Forest Resource Landscape Unit Planning

• In the initial round of landscape unit planning, objectives for non-priority biodiversity elements (e.g., patch size) or other forest resources should not be developed if it delays the establishment of objectives for priority biodiversity elements, or if it creates an impact on timber supply exceeding government policy, unless consistent with a resource management zone (RMZ) objective.
• When objectives for patch size, connectivity, seral stage distribution, stand structure (other than WTR) and species composition are developed, they should be implemented in draft status to test their feasibility for a limited period prior to legal establishment.

Regional Landscape Unit Planning Strategies

• RLUPSs should be reviewed and, if necessary, revised in consultation with headquarters staff to ensure that they are consistent with this Guide and Chapter 5 of HLP:PP.
• Revisions must be completed within three months of the release of this guide and must also include any required adjustments to landscape unit boundaries and biodiversity emphasis assignments.
• In making any revisions to the RLUPSs, staff must consult with forest licensees and other affected stakeholders.

Landscape unit planning falls into two broad categories:

1. Biodiversity planning
   1. Priority biodiversity planning consists of:
      • retention of old growth forest, and
      • stand structure through WTR.
   2. Full biodiversity planning consists of the six elements listed in SPR section 5:
      • retention of old growth forest
      • seral stage distribution
      • landscape connectivity
      • stand structure
      • species composition, and
      • temporal and spatial distribution of cutblocks (patch size)
   3. Forest resources planning, which may include any of these forest resources:
      1. timber
      2. recreation
      3. water
      4. botanical forest products
      5. wildlife
      6. forage

Priority Biodiversity Planning

Priority biodiversity planning, old growth retention and stand structure through WTR, is the current focus of landscape unit planning.

Old Growth Retention

The establishment of OGMAs is the most important component of the Code for managing the conservation of biological diversity. With old growth forest managed as spatially fixed OGMAs, their size and location will be an important factor in operational planning. For this reason, it is essential to treat old growth forest requirements as a priority in biodiversity conservation, and to identify OGMA boundaries clearly on maps. (See section 3.0 for a short-term alternative to spatially fixed OGMAs).

In locating OGMAs, first determine how much suitable old forest, up to the full target for each landscape unit variant, exists in the non-contributing land base. OGMAs that in total equal this area must be located in the non-contributing land base. Where the target cannot be met entirely with noncontributing land, partially constrained areas (e.g., riparian management areas) must be considered prior to locating OGMAs in non-constrained THLB.

In intermediate or high biodiversity emphasis landscape units where the target cannot be met now (e.g., due to past harvesting), acceptable recruitment areas must be identified as part of the OGMA. In low emphasis landscape units, where draw down is necessary, acceptable recruitment areas must be identified through longer term strategies. Once OGMA targets are calculated using the variant only rule, the area must be located to maximize conservation of biodiversity values subject to the use of constrained areas in the THLB.

This applies to all regions and districts, unless a region demonstrates to the Chief Forester’s satisfaction that moving to a finer level of representation (e.g., site series or surrogate) will lead to no further impact on timber supply vis-à-vis the original analysis for the Code.

If an RMZ objective established as a higher level plan, requires a finer level of representation (e.g., site series or surrogate), then the RMZ objective supersedes the Chief Forester’s direction. RMZ objectives may also override previous policy on permissible timber supply impact. In addition, the Chief Forester has directed Research Branch to determine whether applying old growth requirements at the variant level will present an unacceptably high risk to biodiversity.

Stand Structure through Wildlife Tree Retention

Once landscape unit boundaries are determined, WTR requirements can be determined according to chapter 3. WTR is managed at the stand level, but contributes to landscape level forest structure. Wildlife tree patches (WTPs) comprised of old growth forest and over 2 ha. may also contribute to old growth targets.

Full Biodiversity Planning

Full biodiversity planning requires consideration of objectives and strategies for all of the biodiversity elements listed under SPR section 5. In the initial round of planning, objectives for all of these elements should only be considered if doing so does not delay the establishment of priority biodiversity objectives and does not impact the regional timber supply. These objectives should first be developed and tested as draft objectives. In addition to old growth retention and WTR, full biodiversity planning includes: Temporal and spatial distribution of cutblocks (patch size). Patch size targets permit a range of opening sizes including larger opening sizes than specified under the Code once the targets are incorporated into landscape unit objectives. Meeting patch size targets can be beneficial:

• to biodiversity, by allowing a variety of openings more reflective of the natural pattern of disturbance and reducing fragmentation; and
• to economic efficiency where larger openings reduce investments for roads and other infrastructure.

Seral stage distribution. Seral stage distributions provide a variety of different aged forests across a landscape. Significant limitations apply, however, on the development of seral stage distribution objectives. See section 3.3 on how to address this element of biodiversity.

Landscape connectivity. The BGB provides guidance on the importance of the natural connectivity characteristics of each natural disturbance type (NDT). Maintenance of connectivity should not create a timber supply impact exceeding government’s policy on Code impact. Some older and mature forest connectivity is provided by riparian reserve and management zones (where they contain suitable attributes) and through other forests outside the THLB or within constrained areas, (e.g., areas with retention and partial retention Visual Quality Objectives). In areas where OGMAs are delineated, connectivity can also be managed through the strategic location of OGMAs. In areas where connectivity targets are unattainable, it is possible to improve connectivity through partial cutting and planning the distribution of cutblocks.

The application of Forest Ecosystem Networks (FENs) has changed since its introduction in the Biodiversity Guidebook. FENs represent the combination of many landscape biodiversity elements. Since legally established landscape unit objectives focus on components such as OGMAs, landscape unit objectives may not necessarily delineate or define the FEN. It will remain a useful design concept that may help in the preliminary stages of landscape unit planning.

Species Composition

To date, this element of biodiversity has been managed through a series of stand-level decisions, such as retention of certain species during harvest, and through selection of planting stock during regeneration. These stand-level choices may have retained the diversity of tree species but in some areas, past practices (e.g., fire suppression and planting) may require specific objectives to retain certain species. Unless site conversion is currently practiced, this biodiversity element could be addressed at the operational planning level in the short term, but may require specific objectives in the future.

Forest Resources Planning

While the top priorities for landscape unit planning are to establish landscape units and manage biodiversity, landscape unit planning can also address a range of forest resources in addition to biodiversity, including:

• timber
• recreation
• water
• botanical forest products
• wildlife
• forage
• fisheries

Chief Forester direction (HLP:PP) states, “in some landscape units, it may be possible to develop objectives for other resource values at the same time that concise biodiversity objectives are being developed. This should only be done based on the priorities set in the regional landscape unit planning strategy and where it does not unduly slow down the process”. Existing landscape level information (e.g., from Local Resource Use Plans or LRMPs) may assist in preparing landscape unit objectives for forest resources under the Code.

Forest resources planning will be addressed in greater detail in future additions to this guide.

Management Controls and Program Monitoring

The implementation of landscape unit planning must proceed in an efficient and consistent manner across the province to achieve government’s goals of conserving biodiversity and implementing the Code within approved timber supply impact levels. Management controls are critical to ensuring efficiency and consistency. The following controls apply to the implementation of landscape unit planning:

General:

• the requirement to comply with this guide when developing landscape unit objectives;
• the authority of the Chief Forester to direct DMs in the establishment of landscape units and objectives;
• the authority for the Ministers to establish RMZ objectives that prevail over landscape unit objectives; and
• the timber supply review and associated sensitivity analysis.

Specific:

• Chief Forester direction in the May 25, 1998 memo (see appendix 1) requiring a regional analysis to be submitted for his approval to permit moving to a finer scale of representation than variant;
• the Research Branch study to assess the risk to biodiversity of implementing representation at the variant level;
• the completion by each district of table 2.8 to provide an overview of old growth retention targets for all landscape units across the district. This table allows districts to assess land base impacts of achieving targets. Prior to legally establishing objectives, districts should forward this table to the Regional Manager (RM) for a regional assessment. In addition, once OGMA and WTR objectives have been developed, table 3.2 and 3.3 should be forwarded to the RM. Regions will compile the information on each set of tables and forward it, along with any comments, to Forest Practices Branch for a provincial assessment;
• the assignment of selected Forest Practices Branch and Resource Stewardship Branch (MELP) staff to a liaison role with regions to provide extension support for the implementation of this guide and the resolution of any policy issues that may arise;
• the role of the Joint Steering Committee in consultation with provincial stakeholders through the Implementation Advisory Group to deal with major stakeholder issues arising from the review of the RLUPs and the development of proposed landscape unit objectives if these cannot be resolved locally;
• a semi-annual (first year) or annual (subsequent years) program review and report; and
• the development of a detailed monitoring strategy (by early May).