Prince Albert FMA Forest Management Plan April 2015 Update

Prince Albert Forest Management Area (FMA)

Sakâw Askiy Management Inc.

Outline

• FMP Status Update

• Key Management Strategies Idenified

• Natural Forest Pattern Management

• Old Seral Retention

• In Block Retention

• Interior Old

• Event Sizes

• Caribou Management Approach

• Management of Visuals

• Proposed Harvest Levels (Timber Supply Modeling)

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FMP Process

• Develops strategic management direction for FMA (next 20 yrs)

• Guides:

• Harvesting

• Renewal

• Management of values such as wildlife, recreation, visually sensitive areas, etc.

• Commits to targets and monitoring/reporting

• Seeks public input

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FMP Progress

• Key Milestone Dates

• Submitting Forest Estate Modeling Report next week.

• Actively working on Tactical Plan and Draft Plan Document

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NATURAL FOREST PATTERN MANAGEMENT

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NFP Management: Objectives

• Approximate natural landscape conditions (stand ages and spatial patterns) through active forest management.

• Provide habitat and ecosystem conditions similar to what existed historically such that biodiversity is maintained.

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Forest Retention

• Stand Level (Provide Structure)

• 9% in block retention

• Landscape Level (Representation)

• Old and Very Old Seral Stage Requirements

• For each ecodistrict/group species combination

• 15% old and very old

• 5% of the 15% must be Very Old

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Ecological Management Units (Old Seral)

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Old Seral Retention (Example)

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Interior Old (>=20% of Old Stands)

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Old Seral Interior Forest

Adjacent Mature Forest

– No edge effect

Note:Interior not counted <10 ha

Harvest Events

• Natural patterns have a wide range of ‘patches’ or events on the landscape .

• Its as important to focus on how we design harvesting as it is to design what we leave behind. M

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Events (Mimicking Natural Patterns)

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Event Size Class Natural

Estimate Proposed

FMP Targets <100ha 18% 10%

100-1500 ha 36% 50%

1501-3500 ha 10% 20%

3501-8000 ha 11% 20% 8000+ 24% -

Current Landbase

Patterns:

Reflection of past

events /disturbances

(10 yr age classes)

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Harvest Event Sizes

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• Distribution of harvest size is important for natural patterns.

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CARIBOU MANAGEMENT APPROACH

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Caribou Management: 2015-2025

• Strategy presented here is an interim one aimed at minimizing habitat fragmentation as the Province develops range plans.

• The 2025 plan will use guidance from the completed Range Plans to replace this strategy. It is expected to identify the required age class structures that need to be maintained dynamically across the FMA.

• This FMP strategy is aimed at preserving future options.

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Caribou Habitat Maintenance Zones Contributing Classification

~500,000 ha Gross, 117,000 ha net (8% of total Net)

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Caribou Habitat Suitability

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Caribou Habitat Patches

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MANAGEMENT OF VISUALS

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Visually Sensitive Areas – Previous FMP

Initial mapping

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Visually Sensitive Areas

Current Mapping

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PROPOSED HARVEST LEVELS

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Key Management Assumptions

• Renewal within 2 years to the same stand type.

• Protection of riparian areas, heritage sites

• Retention around cabin sites /recreation areas

• Consider viewscapes around important recreation lakes

• Consider wildlife habitat needs (caribou, moose, fisher, etc)

• Emulate Natural Forest Patterns

• In-block Retention (9%)

• Old Seral Stand retention (15%, 5% of which to be very old)

• Interior Old Forest Habitat (Min of 20% of total old for FMP term)

• Event Size / Harvest Patch Size (Diversity of sizes)

• Cut to Length Utilization for Softwood

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Proposed Harvest– Preferred Strategy

• Preferred Scenario

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Age Class Distribution Over Time

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Year Zero Age

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Year Fifty Age

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Year 100 Age

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Year 200 Age

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Harvest Area by Stand Types

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Harvest Area by Stand Age (Over Time)

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Old Seral Over Time (Example MU)

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Moose Habitat Over Time

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Caribou and Fisher Habitat

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