Download - Forest Management in the PREDA Region
PREDA Forestry SymposiumDerek Bakker, Senior Forester, Peace River Forest AreaMarch 13, 2020
Forest Management in the PREDA Region
Outline
• Forestry Timber Allocations
• Forest Management Planning
• Regional Overview
• Challenges to Forest Sustainability
• Local Economic Opportunities
• Local Competitive Challenges and Advantages
Forestry Timber Allocations
Crown Timber• Standing Timber on Forested Public Land is
owned by the Crown.
• Timber is allocated through the Forests Act by 3 types of Tenures: FMA’s, Quotas and Licences
• Green Area (58% of AB)- Public Lands managed for timber production, watershed, fish and wildlife, recreation, energy development and other uses.
• White Area (42% of AB)- Primarily agricultural uses (& Private land)
Forest Management Agreements• Area based tenure
• long term secure access to a defined forested landbase
• Rights to grow and harvest timber
• 20 Year term, renewable after 10 year
• Responsibilities to complete Forest Management Plans, and conduct reforestation and reclamation.
There are currently 20 approved FMA’s in Alberta
Quotas• Volume based tenure (m³)
• Long term secure access to a certain volume (which can vary)
• Rights to harvest timber (usually conifer or deciduous, not both)
• 20 Year term, renewable after 10 year
• Responsibilities to reforest and reclaim, conduct operations according to ground rules
• Most Quotas are “imbedded” within an FMA area.
Permits• 30 days to 5 years in duration• Generally short term timber supply• Several different types- some commercial use,
some personal use• Volume is generally under 5,000m³ (small
volume)• Can be used to allocate “endangered” timber due
to development or natural disaster. (ie. wildfire/insects)
Forest Management Planning
In Alberta our Forests are managed for Sustainability of the resources.
Forest Management Plan• Inventory of all the forest area
included in an FMA
• Models the forest growth rates
• Projects timber harvesting over a 200 year time horizon with a spatial harvest sequence in the first 70 years.
• Provides a sustainable Annual Allowable Cut
• Takes into consideration a suite of landscape and societal values.
Natural and Managed Forests• When natural forest is harvested and
reforested it becomes a managed forest.
• Most silviculture (reforestation) methods in Alberta rely heavily on natural ecological processes
• Improved planting, and tending can lead to higher yields of timber
• Forests have natural disturbance cycles (eg. Wildfire) and harvesting can be a substitute for some of this disturbance.
Regional Overview- Tenures
PREDA Area FMAs
Major FMAs• Manning Forest
Products (P20)• Mercer Peace River Pulp
(P19, P21)• Canfor (G16)• Weyerhauser (G15)• ANC Timber (W15)• Millar Western (W13)• Blue Ridge Lumber
(W14)• Tolko High Prairie (S19)• Tolko/Vanderwell/West
Fraser (S17)• West Fraser HP/SL (S20)• West Fraser/Tolko (S21)
White Vs. Green Area
• Green area is primarily allocated in FMAs for forest management.
• White area is generally private ownership with some remaining crown land
• White area has agricultural development priority
• Most suitable white area lands have been sold or leased
Major Facilities in the PREDA Region:Dimensional Lumber
• Manning Forest Products (West Fraser)• Canfor Grande Prairie
• Weyerhauser Grande Prairie• High Prairie Forest Products (West Fraser)
• Millar Western Fox Creek• Boucher Brothers Lumber
• Zavisha Lumber
Pulp• Mercer Peace River Pulp
• International Paper Grande Prairie
OSB• Norbord Grande Prairie
• Tolko High Prairie
Annual Allowable Cut (In PREDA)
Conifer: ~7.9 million m³Deciduous: ~ 5.8 million m³
Challenges to Forest Sustainabilityand Management Actions
Wildfire• Estimated long term fire
cycle of 20-100 years*
*Pre-Industrial Fire Regimes of the Western Boreal Forest of Canada, Andison 2019
Wildfire- Example Salvage Logging
Mountain Pine Beetle
• Large flights in 2006, 2009 from B.C. in Peace Region
• Infestation has reached peak in Peace Region
• Overwinter mortality has increased in 2019-2020
Mountain Pine Beetle
• Control efforts:• Level 1 Single
Tree• Level 2 (Focused
harvesting) • Pine Strategy-
Reduce Susceptible Pine to 25% in 20 years
• Salvage
Mountain Pine Beetle Management Strategy 2007
Forest Health
Disease, Insects, and Climate related Impacts
2019 Areal Overview Survey Data- Department of Agriculture and Forestry
Forest Health
Aspen Defoliation and Dieback• Combination of
drought impacts and insect infestations.
2019 Areal Overview Survey Data- Department of Agriculture and Forestry
Local Economic Opportunities
Local Economic Opportunities • Direct employment by Forestry Companies (~1450-
1500)
• Indirect Employment by Forestry Companies (~1300-1400 jobs)
• Induced Jobs (~650-700 estimate)
• About 104 business in the PREDA region operate within the Forest Industry
• Region relies on direct employment income from the forest industry ~4.4%
Local Competitive Advantages & Challenges
Local Competitive Challenges
• Log Haul Distance
• Seasonality Constraints
• Distance to market
• High % non-productive landbase
• Employee recruitment and retention
Local Competitive Advantages
• Long-term Tenures- Fibre Security
• Community support broad based
• Innovation in Forest Practices
• Reliable winter (Frozen)
season generally
• Modern facilities
/infrastructure
Questions?