What the heck is "Forest Landscape Planning"?

[David Broadland]

Bill 23, passed by the BC Legislative Assembly on November 23, 2021, introduced Forest Landscape Planning to various forest-related legislation.

It is still unclear what this new process entails or what it means for the interested public. Yves Mayrand has written a critical overview of what the new legislation contains. But how "forest landscape plans" and "forest operations plans" will be created and how the public will be able to interact with the process is still vague, if not confusing.

The BC Ministry of Forests held an online seminar about the process in June 2022 called "Transitioning to Forest Landscape Planning and Alignment with DRIPA". The seminar was aimed at forest professionals, but for anyone wondering what this new direction means for public interaction with forest planning in BC, the video below contains some hints. For one thing, the new planning process will require licensees to post their plans on a government website, and the public will have access to the information as soon as it is posted.

Please let us know what you think of this new direction by the ministry.

 

 

[Fred Marshall]

 I have viewed this video and have found the following:

 

1. The new planning process is stated to be ~ 8+ years long. It is a very complex, convoluted, confusing and lengthy process. How can it be reviewed every 5 years when the first one won't be completed for 8-10 years?

 

2. What geographic areas will a FLP cover relative to current TSA boundaries?

 

3. How will the new FLPs relate to the current LUPs across BC, especially as these plans need mega updating and revisions?

 

4.  How will a FLP address or consider other developments proposed or happening on the landscape (I.e. in the Boundary TSA the doubling of Big White Mtn ski area which will include 3 golf courses and the different but associated Powder Renegade Lodge and associated ski operation)?

 

5. Ditto other developments i.e. pipelines, mines, dams across BC etc.

 

6.  The new Protected Area program with the goal of formally protecting 30% of BC by 2030 and 50% by 3050 must be appropriately considered in any Landscape level plans BEFORE they are developed especially before the TSR process happens.

 

7. The TSR AAC process must be revised to  remove it's deficiencies and defects so that it appropriately and correctly accommodates the amalgamation of TFLs and TSAs or whatever area the new LUPs will cover. If the area covered by the TSR process also includes areas designated or likely to be designated as formally Protected Areas, appropriate deductions must be made for these areas.   They cannot be ignored in this process as they currently are.  How will the new AAC for the Landscape area be distributed among the TFL holders and the volume-based holders?

 

8.  While small Community Forests, Woodlots and Woodland Licences will be excluded from LUPs will they also have to comply with the other planning processes (FOM, FOPs, Site Plans  etc.)? What is a "small" Community Forest?

 

I fail to see how such a planning regime can and/or will result in improved management for all of BC's natural resources.