Guide to Developing FDP Stocking Standards Forest Practices

Guide to Developing FDP Stocking Standards Forest Practices Branch B. C. Ministry of Forests December 2002

Objectives • Describe the process for amending the FDP to include stocking standards. • Describe the content requirements for the stocking standards. • Describe the link to the site plan.

Requirement for Stocking Standards in the FDP A person required to prepare the FDP for the area under a Site Plan must ensure that the FDP contains the stocking standards (Operational & Site Planning Reg 18. 1(2) & 18. 2 ) required for the Site Plan • The Operational & Site Planning Regulation lists stocking standard requirements for even-aged , uneven-aged and areas without regeneration objectives • Amendments to the FDP for stocking standards are exempt from the notice, review & comments provisions

Steps in Developing FDP Stocking Standards • Prior to harvest a site plan is required unless a silviculture prescription is in effect for the area • A Site Plan cannot be prepared until FDP is amended and to include stocking standards and those standards are approved • Submit FDP amendment for stocking standards on an FS 789 or equivalent

Steps in Developing FDP Stocking Standards - continued • • A complete set of stocking standards: is not required at the start can be built up over time will be an integral component of the future Forest Stewardship Plan In the short term, amendment submissions may be required to establish approved stocking standards for specific cutblocks.

Steps in Developing FDP Stocking Standards (cont’d. ) FDP amendments for stocking standards may be made for • individual cutblocks • groups of cutblocks • the entire FDP

Steps in Developing FDP Stocking Standards - continued • Stocking standards can be developed that apply to more than 1 licence area. For example: standards can be developed collaboratively at the TSA level • Different standards can be developed for the same site series. For example: minimum stocking standards (MSS) or minimum inter-tree distance (MITD) may be different for a given site series on colluvial slopes

Back to slide 4

Forest Development Plan Stocking Standards FS 789 • The FS 789 is an optional format for stocking standards • The FS 789 is a Shana electronic form • This form has some built in functionality to streamline the approval of stocking standards • The software to use the form is available free of charge • To access the FS 789 form and to obtain information on Shana forms go to the following web address http: //www. for. gov. bc. ca/isb/forms/lib/stubs/fs 789 info. htm

A FDP will have an applicable set of stocking standards FDP standards are developed by RPF. DM reviews and if approved assigns a unique ID number

Detail of stocking standards

When approving stocking standards the district manager should choose from the following applicable set of numbers

Assigning Standards ID Numbers cont’d. • The district manager assigns one ID number to each set of stocking standards • The district manager may want to allocate a set of numbers to each licensee. For example: Weyco 30100 -30200 • A set of stocking standards may apply to one ecosystem or to more than one ecosystem • There may be more than one set of standards for each ecosystem or group of ecosystems. This can allow for alternate standards where site conditions require different management. For example: forest health, visual, etc. • The preferred and acceptable species may have conditions attached to their use. For example: not to comprise more than 20% of the well spaced trees within the standards unit SU

SITE PLAN STOCKING STANDARDS For each standards unit a forester assigns the ID number of the appropriate stocking standards for the unit from the FDP

Stocking Standards - Even / Uneven Aged Stands Stocking standards is a generic term. For areas to be managed as even or uneven aged stands it includes: • Stocking requirements as defined in Operational & Site Planning Regulation sec 18. 1 • Regeneration Date • Earliest Free Growing Assessment Date • Free Growing Date

Stocking Requirements : Even -Aged Stands • Preferred & acceptable species • Minimum height • Minimum allowable horizontal distance • Required height of the tree relative to competing vegetation in a 1 metre radius • Minimum stocking standard (MSS) for preferred & acceptable • MSS for preferred • Maximum density • Maximum & minimum density post spacing • Other performance standards • Minimum leave tree characteristics including form, health, vigour

Stocking Requirements : Uneven-Aged Stands • Leave tree standards for each layer of trees to be retained • Preferred & acceptable species to be retained • Minimum basal area & or minimum density • Minimum leave tree characteristics including form / health / vigour • Applicable regeneration standards • Other performance standards necessary to produce and measure achievement of free growing

Stocking Standards for Areas Without Regeneration Objectives • Preferred & acceptable species to be retained • Minimum basal area or minimum density to be retained • Minimum leave tree characteristics including form, health and vigour

Selection of Preferred & Acceptable Species The selection of preferred & acceptable species must be consistent with : • any higher level plan for the area • establishing a healthy ecological stand • commercially valuable • consistent with current & future timber supply In general, preferred and acceptable species are selected from the primary and secondary species lists. In some cases, tertiary species also could be preferred

Selection of Preferred & Acceptable Species - continued Primary, secondary, and tertiary species were determined on the basis of a species’ productivity, reliability, and silvicultural feasibility based on: • current knowledge of the productive capability of each site series (updated in 2000 to reflect SIBEC) • the silvics of the tree species • the growth and development of existing second growth forests

Selection of Preferred & Acceptable - continued Primary species: • are ecologically acceptable • have a high rating for silvicultural feasibility, reliability, and productivity under the average conditions for a site series. • can be managed as a major component in a stand if the restrictions have been adequately addressed. Primary species are not by default the preferred species. Species from any of the three categories can be chosen as preferred, if the species meets the identified management objectives and if restrictions can be dealt with through treatments.

Selection of Preferred & Acceptable - continued Secondary species: • are ecologically acceptable • rank lower than primary species for one or more of silvicultural feasibility, reliability, or productivity. Depending on the nature and extent of these limitations, secondary species can be managed as either a major or a minor component in a stand.

Selection of Preferred & Acceptable - continued Tertiary species • are ecologically acceptable • rank lower than primary or secondary species for one or more of silvicultural feasibility, reliability, or productivity. Depending on the nature of their limitations, on local conditions, and on management objectives, tertiary species are normally suitable only as a minor component within a stand. For example, tertiary species can be used as a minor component of all stands within an area.

Selection of Preferred & Acceptable Species cont’d Preferred Species: • Management activities are primarily aimed at establishing these species. • The characteristics of these species are consistent with the desired timber and nontimber objectives for the site. Acceptable species: • Management activities are not aimed at establishment • There may be a higherthan-acceptable site limitation, such as pest risk, or a lower productivity than the preferred species. • Special restrictions or limitations may apply to their use

Selection of Preferred & Acceptable Species - continued In determining the appropriate preferred and acceptable species, review the recommended species options for the site. Consider: • the desired stand structure • the timber & non-timber objectives for the area • the potential for natural regeneration • the role of advance regeneration

Selection of Preferred & Acceptable Species - continued • the hazards, such as pests, likely to affect the stand throughout the rotation • the feasibility of the treatments required to establish the stand under existing management constraints • the effect of the species or combination of species on the site • the maintenance of biodiversity

Species Selection & landscape level objectives Several methods may be adopted in order to address landscape level objectives on a site-specific basis. Selecting a single species only for the minimum stocking standard preferred (MSSp) or selecting a minimum stocking standard for a species are both legitimate strategies in the right context.

Broadleaf Species Broadleaf species should not be listed as preferred or acceptable where the objectives for broadleaf establishment or retention are: · to provide a nurse crop, · promote nutrient cycling, or · for general biodiversity objectives. It is anticipated that these objectives will be achieved through the free growing guidelines, which allow for a broadleaf component, but at a stocking level where the projected impact on conifer crop tree growth is acceptable

Broadleaf Species Broadleaf species should only be listed as preferred or acceptable if deemed acceptable as a new forest crop as either pure broadleaf or mixedwood stands on the basis of: • Broadleaf species are currently or will be included in the estimation of volume contributing to a management unit’s timber supply • Long term management objectives set out in a forest development plan (or in some instances a land use plan) • Consistent with an explicit strategy that provides stated management objectives for broadleaves. These strategies should incorporate careful analysis of growth and yield implications and set out viable silviculture regimes that will achieve the management objectives

Broadleaf Species cont’d. Broadleaf species should only be listed as preferred or acceptable if deemed acceptable as a new forest crop as either pure broadleaf or mixedwood stands on the basis of: • A short-rotation interim crop to manage for root rot centres. The use of hardwood cropping for this purpose is currently considered an operational trial and is not recommended for widespread use at this time • Submission of FDP amendments listing broadleaf species as preferred may be appropriate where operational trials are to be established to manage for mixedwood or broadleaf stands (e. g. , for enhanced production of high quality wood such as birch veneer)

Well Spaced The provincial stocking standard guidelines were developed on the assumption of a 2 m minimum intertree spacing. While a 2 m minimum inter-tree spacing is suitable for most sites, a reduced inter-tree spacing may be appropriate for sites where plantable spots are limited by site characteristics, a site condition, or where clumpy stem distribution is a normal and desirable stand characteristic.

Examples of situations where a reduced minimum inter-tree spacing may be appropriate • hygric or wetter sites • very rocky sites • very harsh sites where protected microsites are critical (e. g. , shade, snow creep) • areas with a high potential for cattle congregation • sites with a significant number of large wildlife trees (e. g. , 50 uniformly distributed trees/ha) • riparian areas with a high residual component • sites where a stump avoidance strategy is employed to manage root rot • cluster planting (e. g. , grizzly bear habitat) • partial cut areas with an abundance of residual regeneration.