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Technical Session - November 8, 2012

Seeing the Forest Through the Trees

FMA Holder Perspective: Forest Inventory as the foundation for

Forest Management Plans

Terry Kristoff and Ian Whitby

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• Background• Joint FMA Opportunities• Joint FMA Challenges• Joint FMA – The New Inventory• S17 Forest Management – Our vision• Tools for Forest Management Planning • The Next Five Years• Epilogue

Marten Hills Joint FMA – S17

Total area - 717,719 hectaresTotal active landbase – 417,410 hectaresArea and MAI by species group (RSA)

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Marten Hills Joint FMA S17

S17 Natural Sub Regions

Lower Foothills

Central Mixedwood

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History of the Marten Hills Joint FMA – S17Weldwood (1986-1992) – deciduous FMA/conifer

quotas - Phase 3 (modified)Weyerhaeuser (1993-2004) – deciduous FMA/conifer

quotas - AVI 2.1 Tolko (2004-2006) – deciduous FMA/conifer quotas

- AVI 2.1Tolko, Vanderwell, Alberta Plywood (2006 – present) -

Joint FMA - AVI 2.1.1

Marten Hills Joint FMA

In effect January 1, 2006◦ Jointly manage entire landbase to the benefit of all

Business Agreement in placeIndividual corporate interests are recognized and protectedJoint FMA administrative and regulatory responsibilities are shared

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Collaborative/cooperative planning and operations on a single common landbase

Sharing of management costs (time and money) Better ROI for companies and public sector Incorporation of new technologies Effect policy changes Improved forest management Joint research opportunities

Jointly manage the FMA to produce AAC for all three companies such that AAC of one species is not improved at the expense of the other species

Reduce costs of management (planning, operations and silviculture)

Agreement on and integration of management, operations and silviculture

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Promote policy changes to facilitate adoption of new management strategies and technologies

Develop business systems to allow flexibility in decision making within government policy

Acquire the necessary tools to make informed decisions – e.g. inventory, timber supply models and yield curves

???

ESRD approval to utilize 4 band 30 cm resolution leaf-off imagery to complete understorey inventory (GreenLinkpresentation)

Consultant capacity and expertise Expanded to complete the overstorey

inventory using same imagery Use of three layers (overstorey and two

understorey layers) to AVI standards

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Utilization of density vs. crown closure of all three layers - third layer (true understoreylayer) utilizes redefined density classes

Understorey influences polygon delineation Increased number of polygons per township LiDAR (light detection and ranging) enhanced

interpretation Ecosite classification is an integral part of the

inventory

Operations, silviculture and planning staff fully engaged

Numerous site visits and ground checks with companies and ESRD

Completion date Spring, 2014

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Manage every tree on FMA pre and post harvest – species, distribution, site, growth potential

Maximize benefit and ROI - AAC, integrated operations, other forest values e.g. caribou

Maximize silviculture cost/benefit by taking advantage of complete inventory –understorey avoidance and protection

A single landbase growing both coniferous and deciduous in pure and mixedwood stands on a landscape scale

Capitalize on technological advancements in remote sensing, inventory, growth and yield, timber supply modeling and silviculturepractices

"Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed" - Sir Francis Bacon (1561 to 1626) - take full advantage of species’ growth characteristics

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Marten Hills Joint FMA S17 secondary species replacement understorey inventory matrix

Marten Hills Joint FMA (S17) Secondary Species Replacement Understorey Inventory Matrix

Understorey Category Descriptor Operational Strategy Silvicultural Strategy TSA Implications Potential Stratum Assignment

MerchantableGreater than 14 meters and larger than 15/11(codominant)

harvest reforest both species replace MAI as per existing OS yield curve with secondary MAI D with secondary C

Greater than 14 meters and smaller than 15/11 (not codominant )

Defer or harvest with U/S Protection in patches

defer - let it grow U/s Prot reforest harvested area to OS

switch yield curve in deferral or create US Prot. Transition

curve Defer to U/S Transition or D

with secondary C or DC

Unmerchantable

8 to14 meters unifor mly distributed > 800 sph

Defer or patch or strip cut in wind firm pattern

defer - let it grow U/s Prot reforest harvested area to OS

Transition Yield Curve or U/S Prot. Yield Analysis

Defer to U/S Transition or D with secondary C or DC OR

CD or C

8 to14 meters unifor mly distributed 300 - 800 sph

patch or strip cut in wind fir m pattern

reforest harvest area to OS retain U/S U/S Prot. Yield Curve D with secondary C or DC OR

CD

8 to14 meters unifor mly distributed 100 - 300 sph

avoidance in wind firm patches or strips

reforest harvest area to OS retain U/S RSA derived MAI D with secondary C or DC

8 to14 meters unifor mly distributed < 100 sph

avoidance reforest harvest area to OS RSA derived MAI D with secondary C

8 to 14 meters distributed in clumps > 100 sph

planned avoidance in patches reforest harvest area to OS RSA derived MAI

8 to 14 meters distributed in clumps < 100 sph

avoidance reforest harvest area to OS RSA derived MAI D with secondary C

Regeneration Unifor m< 8 meters > 800 sph

U/S Protection reforest harvest area to OS U/S Prot. Yield Curve U/S Transition or D with secondary C or DC or CD or C

< 8 meters 300 to 800 sph

U/S Protection and Patches reforest harvest area to OS retain U/S U/S Prot. Yield Curve U/S Transition or D with

secondary C or DC or CD

< 8 meters 100 to 300 sph

Avoidance and Patches reforest harvest area to OS RSA derived MAI U/S Transition or D with secondary C or DC

< 8 meters <100 sph

Avoidance reforest harvest area to OS RSA derived MAI U/S Transition or D with secondary C

Regeneration Clumped

< 8 meters > 100 sph

U/S Protection and Avoidance in clumps

reforest harvest area to OS retain U/S U/S Prot. Yield Curve U/S Transition or D with

secondary C or DC or CD

< 8 meters <100 sph

Avoidance reforest harvest area to OS RSA derived MAI U/S Transition or D with secondary C

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Understorey Category Descriptor Operational Strategy Silvicultural Strategy TSA Implications Potential Stratum Assignment

Regeneration Uniform < 8 meters > 800 sph

U/S Protection reforest harvest area to OS U/S Prot. Yield Curve

U/S Transition or D with secondary C or

DC or CD or C

< 8 meters 300 to 800 sph

U/S Protection and Patches

reforest harvest area to OS retain U/S U/S Prot. Yield Curve

U/S Transition or D with secondary C or

DC or CD

< 8 meters 100 to 300 sph

Avoidance and Patchesreforest harvest area to OS RSA derived MAI

U/S Transition or D with secondary C or

DC

< 8 meters <100 sph

Avoidance reforest harvest area to OS RSA derived MAI U/S Transition or D

with secondary C

• Inventory – 4 band 30cm, leaf off– Understorey – 3rd layer– Density classes/distribution patterns– Overstorey/Understorey – stems/hectare– Overstorey/Understorey relationship– Ecosite classification

• LiDAR• Growth models – GYPSY and MGM• Timber supply models

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• Continued collective desire for better forest management

• Limited only by imagination and innovation• More complete and accurate inventory

leading to more complete and accurate yield projections leading to ………..

• Examples of enabling policy changes – Leaf off imagery for full inventory– Stems/hectare– Multi-layer polygons– Ecosite classification

• Reforestation declarations and assignments– Post harvest strata transitions

Post harvest yield projections Understorey yield curves Operationally acceptable methods for

overstorey removal and understoreyprotection/avoidance

Understorey RSA standards ???

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Ambitious undertaking – full corporate support and guidance◦ Albert Plywood - Gord Sanders◦ Vanderwell - Con Dermot and Mike Haire, ◦ Tolko – Allan Bell◦ Woodlands staff

Continued regulatory agency involvement, support, acceptance, adaptation and approval

Easy Questions Constructive Comments

Only?!?!

Seeing the Trees Through the Forest