Landscape Unit Plans

Stewardship - Healthy Forest-Healthy Communities (HFHC)

The Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) currently requires a Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) produced by the forest manager to show the tactical level of planning. This previously came under criticism by the Forest Practices Board (https://www.bcfpb.ca/reports-publications/reports/forest-stewardship-plans-are-they-meeting-expectations/).

Government has amended the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) legislation that will move from FSPs to make Landscape Unit Planning the legally required Plan. This includes expansion of the values that must be considered in creating the plan. This is a positive decision as it includes the requirement for a spatially and temporally explicit landscape unit management plan outlined in https://www.bcforestconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/SPATIALLY-AND-TEMPORALLY-EXPLICIT-STRATEGIC-PLANNING-FRAMEWORK.pdf with 250 year projections for the values identified.

This model is not new. The technology has been around for over 20 years and some BC companies have/are using it. The methodology has also been used in The Government initiated Integrated Stewardship Strategy Pilot Projects (ISS) outlined in https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/managing-our-forest-resources/silviculture/silviculture-strategy-areas. However, application of the model will not provide the full benefits of moving toward community resiliency without a community local/regional vision to guide the planning. Together these documents will address many of the community concerns and contribute to restoring public confidence and improving the social license.