C5 Forest Management Plan
Last Review/Updated: October 3, 2007
About the project 
Project Description
Complete
Terms of Reference
Updated October 2003
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Public Consultation Terms of Reference
Summary Document for Draft C5 Forest Management Plan (October 2005)
Background
In 1986, the Government of Alberta adopted a forest management plan for the C5 forest management unit (FMU) located in southwestern Alberta (see map above). The plan will reach the end of its 20-year life-span in April 2006. With the assistance of a public advisory committee known as CrowPAC, and stakeholders, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (ASRD) has developed a new draft plan to guide forest management activities for the next 10 years. At that time this plan will be evaluated and a new plan and Timber Supply Analysis (TSA) developed.
A TSA (Timber Supply Analysis) is the process of establishing and annual allowable cut. This includes: establishing the net landbase for timber production, harvest criteria identification, growth and yield curves and trajectory pathways and a spatial explicit harvest sequence.
Purpose of the C5 Forest Management Plan
The new C5 FMP describes the 'desired future forest' that will be achieved in the C5 FMU.
Forest management strategies outlined in this plan will promote the maintenance of forest health and ecosystem integrity through sound forest management approaches, and will support an integrated use approach of the C5 forest management unit.
The C5 FMP follows Alberta's Forest Management Planning Standard (Version 3, June 2005) and is predicated on the Canadian National Sustainable Forest Management Standard (Can/CSA-Z809-02) - which in turn is based on the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) criteria and indicators framework. The six broad sustainable forest management 'criteria' that have been adopted by CCFM provide a framework for this FMP and are presented below.
| 6 Criteria: | Associated Objectives found in the C5 FMP |
| 1) Conservation of biodiversity | Objectives 1 to 13 |
| 2) Maintenance and enhancement of forest ecosystem condition and productivity | Objectives 14-20 |
| 3) Conservation of Soil and Water Resources | Objectives 21-24 |
| 4) Forest ecosystem contributions to global ecological cycles | Objective 25 |
| 5) Multiple benefits of forests to society | Objectives 26 to 42 |
| 6) Accepting society's responsibility for sustainable development | Objectives 43 to 53 |
CSA-Z809-02 certification of the C5 forest management unit will not be pursued at this time.
Public Involvement
A public involvement process was adopted in 2002 to identify community values and receive feedback on planning proposals. Direction contained in this plan has been developed through the efforts of government staff and through a public involvement process that included a public advisory committee, Quota Holders, stakeholder participation, Aboriginal meetings, a public open house, and a web site that was used to facilitate the exchange of information.
Objectives of the C5 FMP
Direction contained in this plan is focused on 53 resource management objectives. These objectives and their associated indicators and targets provide the basis for numerous forest management activities that, if successfully implemented, will help resource managers and timber operators achieve the plan's desired outcomes that include but are not limited to:
- Management of the timber resources while minimizing the impacts of forestry operations on non-timber resource values, land uses and human activities.
- Implementation of a Spatial Harvest Sequence
- Addressing a Forest Health issue associated with the threat of Mountain Pine Beetle
These complete list of objectives are provided in the following table:
Table: Summary of Forest Management Objectives in the C5 FMP
| FMP Unique Number | Objective |
| 1 | To maintain the full range of cover groups and seral stages. |
| 2 | To minimize landscape fragmentation. |
| 3 | To minimize the impacts of motorized access. |
| 4 | To retain stand level structural attributes. |
| 5 | To retain forest structure associated with wildfire and blow down events. |
| 6 | To maintain habitat quality for species which are dependent on larger landscapes. |
| 7 | To retain, create, and enhance habitats capable of supporting selected species. |
| 8 | To retain a wild forest for each tree species in each seed zone. |
| 9 | To retain wild forest genetic resources through ex situ conservation. |
| 10 | To maintain adequate genetic diversity in seedlots used for reforestation plantings. |
| 11 | To adopt forest management practices that maintain the ecological integrity of established protected areas. |
| 12 | To retain specific wildlife features. |
| 13 | To maintain rare plant communities. |
| 14 | To sustain the capacity of the ecosystem to recover from both natural and human caused disturbances. |
| 15 | To minimize losses to human life, communities, soil, watersheds, natural resources, and infrastructure from wildfire. |
| 16 | To minimize the impacts of pests (i.e., insects and disease), which have the ability to kill healthy trees. |
| 17 | To maintain the long term sustainability of the land base by managing those forest health agents that can reduce growth, alter form, or kill trees after several years of infection/attack. |
| 18 | Prevent the establishment of and control the spread of noxious and restricted weed species. |
| 19 | To incorporate new research findings or recommendations, where applicable, into future forest management strategies and practices that are responsive to climatic and environmental factors and large disturbance events. |
| 20 | To use prescribed fire for achieving forest protection, forest productivity, forest health, and biodiversity objectives. |
| 21 | To conserve soil and organic matter, and maintain soil productivity. |
| 22 | To minimize soil erosion and slope failure. |
| 23 | To ensure that all forest industry practices are conducted in a manner that places a priority on the protection of water quality. |
| 24 | To manage forest cover in a manner that places a priority on the conservation and protection of watersheds. |
| 25 | To adopt and implement provincial carbon protocols as they are developed. |
| 26 | To maintain sustainable timber harvest levels, i.e., timber harvesting shall not exceed the forest's productive (renewal) capacity. |
| 27 | To maintain or increase the net forest (commercial timber harvesting) land base in the C5 FMU. |
| 28 | To ensure all harvested areas are re-forested. |
| 29 | To achieve optimal utilization of wood fiber during logging operations. |
| 30 | To consider visual impacts during the development of harvest plans. |
| 31 | To allow the general public and various user groups to benefit from the C5 forest. |
| 32 | To provide reasonable access for recreational and industrial purposes while maintaining the ecological integrity of the forest. |
| 33 | To promote cooperation between forest harvesting operators and other forest users. |
| 34 | To ensure broad participation of disposition holders in forest management decision-making processes. |
| 35 | To integrate recreational activities with forest management practices. |
| 36 | To integrate rangeland management activities with forest management practices. |
| 37 | To integrate trapping with forest management practices. |
| 38 | To integrate energy / mineral (exploration and development) activities with forest management practices. |
| 39 | To integrate the commercial recreation and tourism sectors with forest management practices. |
| 40 | To ensure that local/regional businesses have an opportunity to share in the economic benefits that can be derived from the C5 forest. |
| 41 | To maintain the ongoing (long-term) viability of the forest sector by encouraging companies to consider value-added manufacturing and/or improved wood utilization and processing. |
| 42 | To provide economic opportunities for forest dependant businesses while maintaining the integrity of the C5 forest ecosystem. |
| 43 | "The Government of Alberta is committed to meeting all of its treaty, constitutional and legal obligations respecting the use of public lands." (p. 14) Aboriginal Policy Framework |
| 44 | To undertake effective and meaningful consultation with Aboriginal communities. |
| 45 | To proactively and meaningfully involve directly affected users and the interested public in forest planning and decision-making processes. |
| 46 | To raise public awareness of forest management issues and activities. |
| 47 | To be responsive to local and regional input concerning forestry planning and operations. |
| 48 | To be responsive to changing social values concerning sustainable forest management. |
| 49 | To pursue 'active' adaptive management when managing forest resources in the C5 FMU. |
| 50 | To remain informed of scientific advances, emerging technologies, and new knowledge in managing our forest ecosystems. |
| 51 | To protect historical resources where appropriate. |
| 52 | To obtain current information on forest resources. |
| 53 | To manage the C5 FMU as part of a larger regional landscape. |
Based on direction provided through the above objectives and resulting forest management activities (not presented in this summary), ASRD undertook a timber supply analysis to identify a sustainable harvest level (Annual Allowable Cut upon approval from the Minister) and spatial harvest sequence that will be utilized in timber harvest planning and operations.
Annual Allowable Cut
The C5 Forest Management Plan (FMP) was developed recognizing conflicting
values, priorities and uncertainties. The direction contained in the
C5 FMP is anchored in the broad environmental, social and economic
values outlined in Canada's six national CCFM criteria.
The decision-making process used in arriving at a Preferred Forest Management Scenario (PFMS) for the C5 FMP involved the prioritization and weighting of the various forest values including the maintenance of forest health, the amount and distribution of seral stages (i.e., old-growth), timber production, FireSmart landscapes, to name a few, to reflect sustainable forest management principles and public interests.
Due to the imminent threat and potentially high impact of Mountain Pine Beetles (MPB), a proactive/defensive approach has been taken to reduce the threat of a MPB infestation. As a result, the planning team determined that the maintenance of a viable and healthy C5 forest is a high priority and in the interests of the broader public. This management decision involved moderately increasing the current Annual Allowance Cut (AAC) for 20 years to 2026 and to focus harvesting primarily in pine stands that are rated high and extreme for MPB to minimize losses that will likely occur.
The timber supply analysis has resulted in the establishment of a preferred forest management scenario proposing an annual harvest level of ~218,650 cubic meters that is modeled in a spatial harvest sequence.
Spatial Harvest Sequence
The spatial harvest sequence map identifies future timber harvest areas. Coniferous Quota Holders in the C5 FMU are required to follow the spatial harvest sequence map presented in Appendix #6 of the draft FMP. Deviations from the spatial harvest sequence cannot exceed the specified variance levels outlined in the FMP.
Adaptive Management for Continual Improvement
Adaptive management provides a mechanism for ensuring that this plan remains responsive to change, innovative management approaches, best management practices and creditable new information as it becomes available.
When provisions in this FMP are no longer relevant or are seen to be unattainable, such statements will be amended to ensure that this plan continues to be appropriate, effective and achievable. In five years following the effective date of this plan, a Stewardship Report will be produced and it will use this adaptive management approach to support continual improvements in timber harvest planning and operational practices. Unless changes are of a compelling or urgent nature, textual revisions to this plan will only be considered at the five-year stewardship reporting period in 2011. Alberta will also be supporting research initiatives that will study fire regimes and biological diversity and old-growth to verify old-growth targets. In 10 years, this plan will be revisited and a new FMP and TSA produced. If the mountain pine beetle no longer represent a threat, Alberta will revert back to its original priority to move towards a more balanced array of all values including old-growth seral targets that more closely aligns with those predicted under the current natural disturbance regime in the C5 FMU.
Conclusion
The C5 FMP is not a statutory plan. It contains direction that will be followed by ASRD and will guide the activities of timber disposition holders and other users of the C5 forest. The FMP will be consulted in future decision-making processes once it is approved by the Executive Director of Forest Management Branch (Public Lands and Forests Division, ASRD).
The complete C5 FMP is available for review at:
Blairmore Ranger Station
11901 19th Avenue
Blasirmore, Alberta
Phone (403) 562 3210Southern Rockies office
8860 Bearspaw Dam Road NW
Calgary, Alberta
Phone (403) 297 8800
Contacts:
Rick Blackwood, Area Manager
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Southern Rockies Area
Calgary Office (403) 297-8800Roy Campbell, Forestry Division Manager
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Southern Rockies Area
Calgary Office (403) 297-8800
Draft C5 Forest Management Plan 2006-2026 (draft) (16868kb)
APPENDIX 1. GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS (draft) (748kb)
APPENDIX 2. TERMS OF REFERENCE (draft) (544kb)
APPENDIX 3A. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROCESS (draft) (615kb)
APPENDIX 3B. RESPONSE TO PUBLIC FEEDBACK (450kb)
APPENDIX 4A. LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT (3055kb)
APPENDIX 4B. ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MODEL (2251kb)
APPENDIX 5A. MATRIX AND FEEDBACK RECEIVED (draft) (2298kb)
APPENDIX 5B. PLANNING ISSUES/RESPONSE TO FEEDBACK FROM PUBLIC CONSULTATION MATRIX (draft) (1479kb)
APPENDIX 6A. LAND BASE DESCRIPTION (2634kb)
APPENDIX 6B. DEVELOPMENT OF PERFERRED FOREST MANAGEMENT SCENARIO (2974kb)
APPENDIX 6C. HYDROLOGICAL EFFECTS (2974kb)
APPENDIX 7. WILDLIFE STATUS (523kb)
APPENDIX 8A. GROWTH AND YIELD PROGRAM (687kb)
APPENDIX 8B. GROWTH AND YIELD MONITORING PROGRAM (164kb)
APPENDIX 9A. SILVICULTURE (draft) (449kb)
APPENDIX 9B. PORCUPINE HILLS HARVESTING AND SILVICULTURE STRATEGIES (draft) (817kb)
APPENDIX 10A. C5 FIRE REGIME STUDY (5643kb)
APPENDIX 10B. C5 WILDFIRE THREAT ANALYSIS (345Kb)
APPENDIX 11. ACCOUNTING FOR INDUSTRIAL TIMBER SALVAGE (draft) (688kb)
