IRC252 - Management of Old Forests on Quadra Island

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents 2
• Board Commentary 3
• Executive Summary 4
• Introduction 5
• The Complaint 5
• TimberWest Forest Corp – Tree Farm Licence 47 5
• Okisollo Resources Ltd. – Woodlot Licence 2031 6
• Younger Brothers Holdings – Woodlot Licence 2032 6
• Background 6
• Management of Old Forests 7
• Legal Requirements 10
• Forest Stewardship Plans 10
• Woodlot Licence Plans 11
• Investigation Findings 12
• TimberWest 12
• 1. Are TimberWest's results and strategies for sustaining forest ecosystem structure and function in SMZs consistent with the VILUP Order objectives for SMZ19, as required by section 5(1.1) of FRPA? 12
• Finding 14
• 2. Did TimberWest comply with section 21 of FRPA regarding its FSP strategies for sustaining ecosystem structure and function in SMZ 19? 14
• VILUP Order Objective 1(a) 14
• Finding 15
• VILUP Order Objective 1(b) 16
• Part i – Wildlife Tree Retention Areas 16
• Part ii – Retention within cutblocks 17
• Findings 17
• 3. Did TimberWest comply with section 21 of FRPA regarding its FSP strategy for old growth objectives in the Provincial Non-Spatial Old Growth Order? 18
•  Old Forest Targets 18
•  Operational Commitments 18
• Old Forest Targets 18
• Operational Commitments 21
• Finding 22
• Okisollo Resources Ltd. (Okisollo) 22
• 1. Did Okisollo Resources comply with sections 52(2) and 53(1) of the WLPPR when it harvested cutblocks 19-01 and 19-02? 22
• Section 53(1) of the WLPPR 22
• Finding 23
• WLPPR Section 52(2) 23
• Conditions Under Which Individual Wildlife Trees Can be Removed 25
• Finding 26
• Younger Brothers Holdings (Younger Brothers) 26
• 1. Did Younger Brothers Holdings comply with section 53 of WLPPR when it harvested trees to build a road through an "area where harvesting will be avoided" identified in the approved WLP? 26
• Finding 27
• 2. Did Younger Brothers Holdings comply with section 20 of FRPA when it amended its WLP to modify the “areas where harvesting will be avoided” and the “wildlife tree retention strategy” sections of the WLP? 27
• Finding 27
• VILUP HLPO Objective 1(a) and (b) 13
• Sustain forest ecosystem structure and function in SMZs by: 14
• (a) Creating or maintaining stand structures and forest attributes associated with mature and old forests, subject to the following: 14
• i. the target for mature seral forest should range from one quarter to one third of the forested area of each SMZ, and, 14
• ii. in the SMZs where the area of mature forest is currently less than the mature target range referred to in (i) above, the target amount of mature forest must be in place within 50 years. 14
• Sustain forest ecosystem structure and function in SMZs by: 16
• (b) Retaining, within cutblocks, structural forest attributes and elements with important biodiversity functions. 16
• Discussion 28
• Who is responsible for monitoring the achievement of old and mature seral targets, and is that being done? 28
• What are the implications of the current approach to old forest management in the Quadra LU? 29
• Conclusions 30
• Recommendations 31
• Appendix 1 – Legal Requirements 32
• REFERENCES 40