Cheakamus Community Forest Ecosystem Based Management Case Study - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Cheakamus Community Forest

Ecosystem Based Management Case Study

BC Land Summit, May 2009

The Opportunity

• BC Ministry of Forests Community Forest Program
• Joint Partnership: Lil’wat Nation, Squamish Nation &

Resort Municipality of Whistler

• 20,000 m3 Annual Allowable Cut
• Cheakamus Community Forest tenure signed April 9,

2009

The Land Base

• Protected Area

14,983 ha

• Managed Area

– Old Growth 7,569 – Second Growth 5,671 – NSR 334 – Non productive 4,289 – Total 17,846 ha

• Total Land Base

32,846 ha

The Goals

• Ecosystem Based Management approach
• Strengthened Relationships between communities
• Employment & Capacity Building for First Nations
• Public Education
• Revenue to enhance the Community Forest

The Common Values

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The EBM Approach

So, what is Ecosystem Based Management?

Coast Information Team definition …an adaptive approach to managing human

activities that seeks to ensure the coexistence of

healthy, fully functioning ecosystems and human communities.

The EBM Approach

Ecotrust Canada (ecotrust.ca)

Building the conservation economy in coastal BC The intersection of conservation and community economic development promoting innovation and providing services to green and grow local economies

The EBM Approach

WHY EBM?

Aligns with the partners’ existing land use plans and community values. Desire to move away from “business as usual” Forest Stewardship Council certification

The EBM Approach

Challenges

Moving to a fundamentally different management model Limited resources for implementation Dealing with complex systems

The EBM Approach

• 1. Identify current ecosystem representation & protected

areas

• 2. Analyze seral stages of existing forest
• 3. Highlight sensitive ecosystems
• 4. Develop management directions

The EBM Approach

And…..

Integrating Human Well-Being Objectives of the three communities: – First Nations’ cultural values – Sustainability – Recreation – Visuals

The EBM Approach

• 1. Identify current ecosystem representation &

protected areas at multiple scales.

• Eco region
• Eco section
• Soo, Callaghan, and Whistler Landscape Units
• Cheakamus Community Forest

C heakam us C

• m

m unity Forest F ish stre am s & Lakes (b uffe re d) B luelisted E cosystem s* F luvial U nits* W etland s R edlisted E cos ystem s* L egal O G M A M

• u

nta in G

• a

t M ule D eer

U ngulate W inter R ange

S 2S LR M P W ildlan ds S ho w h Lak es R

• ec. R

eserve C ultural M ana g em ent A reas

The EBM Approach

• 1. Identify current ecosystem representation & protected

areas

• 2. Analyze seral stages of existing forest

The EBM Approach

• 1. Identify current ecosystem representation & protected

areas

• 2. Analyze seral stages of existing forest
• 3. Highlight sensitive ecosystems

The EBM Approach

Highlight sensitive ecosystems

• Under-represented seral stages/BEC variants
• Red & blue listed ecosystems and species
• Riparian & aquatic habitats
• Sensitive soils

The EBM Approach

• 1. Identify current ecosystem representation & protected

areas

• 2. Analyze seral stages of existing forest
• 3. Highlight sensitive ecosystems
• 4. Develop management directions

The EBM Approach

Management Direction Examples

• All red-listed plant communities should be reserved from

harvest.

• Within blue-listed plant communities, 70% of the area

should be reserved from harvest.

The EBM Approach

Management Direction Examples

• Within cutblocks, >15% of the basal area should be

retained as long term structural diversity.

• S1 to S3 fish streams and lakes should be buffered with

a riparian reserve zone 1.5 times the height of the dominant trees.

A Variety of Approaches

Mixed retention Mixed retention -

• 16%

16% Group retention Group retention -

• 13%

13% Mixed retention Mixed retention -

• 19%

19% Two Two-

• pass retention

pass retention -

• 53%

53% Group selection Group selection Standing stem harvesting Standing stem harvesting

A Variety of Approaches

• How much and what pattern: landscape

context, natural disturbance, riparian

• Effectiveness for biodiversity: lifeboating

species, structure, windthrow

• Growth impacts: group vs dispersed
• People factors: safety, costs, public acceptance

Adaptive Management

A formal process for continually improving management practices by learning from the

• utcomes of operational

and experimental practices.

Bunnell et al. 2003

Adaptive Management Cycle

Assess problem Design Implement Monitor Evaluate Adjust

Next Steps

• Developing Targets for Seral Stage Distribution
• Identifying the High Value Conservation Forests

– i.e. Important Wildlife Habitat

• Integrating the Human Well-Being Objectives of the

three communities: – First Nations’ cultural values – Recreation – Visuals

Thank you