Huu-ay-aht First Nation - HFN Development LP€¦ · HFN Limited Partnership • Application for a Community Forest Agreement – Management Plan • Page 2 HFN Forestry Limited Partnership

HHuuuu--aayy--aahhtt FFiirrsstt NNaattiioonn

HFN Forestry Limited Partnership • www.huuayaht.org • 1–250–728–3080 • [email protected]

HHFFNN CCoommmmuunniittyy FFoorreesstt 11 Management Plan

Submitted as part of the application requirements for a

Community Forest Agreement

October 1, 2010

Prepared for:

The Ministry of Forests and Range Coast Forest Region 2100 Labieux Road

Nanaimo, BC V9T 6E9 Ph. (250) 751-7001 Fax (250) 751-7190

Prepared by:

HFN Forestry Limited Partnership P.O. Box 200,

Bamfield, BC VOR 1BO. Ph. (250) 728-3080 Fax (250) 728-3081

E-mail [email protected]

_____________________

A.P. Dagg, RPF

I certify that I have reviewed this document and, while I did not personally supervise the work described, I have determined that this work has been done to the standards of a member of the Association of British

Columbia Forest Professionals.

HFN Limited Partnership • Application for a Community Forest Agreement – Management Plan • Page 2


We, the Huu‐ay‐aht people, envision a proud, self‐governing sovereign Nation. Isaak will guide us as we work together to establish a healthy, prosperous, self‐sustaining community where our culture, language, spirituality and economy flourish for the benefit of all Huu‐ay‐aht.

Huu-ay-aht First Nation Vision Statement



Contents 1.0 MANAGEMENT PLAN .................................................................................................................................................. 8

1.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.2 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 ADDITIONAL MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................................... 9 1.4 LEGISLATION AND HIGHER LEVEL PLANS CONTENT REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................ 10

2.0 AREA DESCRIPTION ....................................................................................................................................................10

2.1 LICENCE AREA .................................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 GENERAL LOCATION AND AREA DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................ 10

3.0 RESOURCE INVENTORIES ...........................................................................................................................................11

3.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................................. 11 3.2 TIMBER RESOURCE INVENTORY .............................................................................................................................................. 12 3.3 TERRAIN STABILITY INVENTORY .............................................................................................................................................. 13 3.4 PHYSICAL OPERABILITY ......................................................................................................................................................... 13 3.5 RECREATION AND TRAILS ...................................................................................................................................................... 14 3.6 CAVES AND KARST INVENTORY ............................................................................................................................................... 14 3.7 VISUAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................................. 15 3.8 WILDLIFE .......................................................................................................................................................................... 16 3.9 RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT AREA CLASSIFICATION ........................................................................................................................ 16

4.0 TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM MAPPING ..........................................................................................................................16

4.1 SENSITIVE ECOSYSTEM INVENTORY .......................................................................................................................................... 16 4.2 OLD GROWTH MANAGEMENT AREAS (OGMAS) ...................................................................................................................... 17

5.0 PROPOSED ALLOWABLE ANNUAL CUT (AAC) ..............................................................................................................19

6.0 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................19

6.1 GENERAL STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................................... 19 6.2 TIMBER RESOURCE .............................................................................................................................................................. 20

6.2.1 Results and Strategies that Relate to Timber ....................................................................................................... 21 6.2.2 Forest Products ..................................................................................................................................................... 21 6.2.3 Cutting Priorities ................................................................................................................................................... 21 6.2.4 Utilization Standards and Coarse Woody Debris Management Strategies ........................................................... 22 6.2.5 Harvesting ............................................................................................................................................................ 22

6.3 NON‐TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS ........................................................................................................................................... 22 6.3.1 Definitions and Context ........................................................................................................................................ 22 6.3.2 Management of NTFPs ......................................................................................................................................... 23

6.4 NON‐TIMBER VALUES AND RESOURCE OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................... 24 6.4.1 Visual Landscape Management ............................................................................................................................ 24 6.4.2 Biological Diversity Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 24

6.5 SOIL CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................................... 26 6.5.1 Strategies to Meet Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 26

6.6 SENSITIVE ECOSYSTEMS ........................................................................................................................................................ 27 6.6.1 Background Information ....................................................................................................................................... 27 6.6.2 Objectives ............................................................................................................................................................. 27 6.6.3 Strategies to Meet Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 27

6.7 RECREATION MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................................................. 28 6.7.1 Background Information ....................................................................................................................................... 28 6.7.2 Objectives ............................................................................................................................................................. 29 6.7.3 Strategies to Meet Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 29

6.8 CULTURAL HERITAGE OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................................... 29 6.8.1 Background Information ....................................................................................................................................... 30 6.8.2 Objectives ............................................................................................................................................................. 30 6.8.3 Strategies to Meet Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 30

6.9 WILDLIFE OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................................... 30



6.9.1 Strategies to Meet Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 31

7.0 FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ..........................................................................................................................................31

7.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................................ 31 7.2 FISHERIES OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................................... 31 7.3 STRATEGIES TO MEET OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................... 32 7.4 SILVICULTURE .................................................................................................................................................................... 33

7.4.1 Basic Silviculture ................................................................................................................................................... 33 7.4.2 Incremental Silviculture ........................................................................................................................................ 33

7.5 FOREST PROTECTION ........................................................................................................................................................... 34 7.5.1 Fire Prevention ...................................................................................................................................................... 34 7.5.2 Forest Health ........................................................................................................................................................ 35 7.5.3 Forest Health Management Strategies ................................................................................................................. 36

8.0 ROAD CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND DEACTIVATION .....................................................................................37

8.1 CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE AND DEACTIVATION ................................................................................................................... 37 8.2 MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES .................................................................................................................................................... 37 8.3 DEACTIVATION ................................................................................................................................................................... 38

8.3.1 Temporary Deactivation ....................................................................................................................................... 38 8.3.2 Semi‐Permanent Deactivation .............................................................................................................................. 38 8.3.3 Waterbars ............................................................................................................................................................. 39 8.3.4 Cross‐Ditch and Ditch Block .................................................................................................................................. 39 8.3.5 Permanent Deactivation or Rehabilitation (deconstruction) ................................................................................ 39

9.0 COMMUNITY AWARENESS, SUPPORT & INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................................39

9.1 DOCUMENTATION OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND AWARENESS ..................................................................................................... 39 9.1.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 39 9.1.2 Website ................................................................................................................................................................. 39 9.1.3 Survey ................................................................................................................................................................... 39

9.2 LETTERS OF SUPPORT ........................................................................................................................................................... 40 9.3 REPORT ON THE PUBLIC INPUT EVENTS .................................................................................................................................... 41

9.3.1 House of Huu‐ay‐aht, Anacla May 19, 2010 ......................................................................................................... 41 9.4 PROCESS FOR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND CONSULTATION ............................................................................................................ 45

9.4.1 Digital Communication ......................................................................................................................................... 45 9.5 CONSULTATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND FIRST NATIONS ........................................................................................................... 45

10.0 ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY AND STRUCTURE ........................................................................................................46

10.1 MISSION STATEMENT FOR THE INTENDED CFA1 HOLDER............................................................................................................. 46 10.2 OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF THE INTENDED HOLDER OF THE CFA1............................................................................................. 47 10.3 INTENDED ADMINISTRATIVE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE AND PHILOSOPHY ........................................................................................ 48 10.4 PROPOSED PROCESSES FOR DECISION‐MAKING FOR OPERATION & MANAGEMENT OF CFA1 .............................................................. 48 10.5 PROCESSES FOR DISTRIBUTION OF BENEFITS GAINED FROM CFA1 OPERATION ................................................................................. 49 10.6 PROCESSES FOR MONITORING AND REPORTING ......................................................................................................................... 49 10.7 PROCESSES FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF CFA1 .............................................................................. 52 10.8 PROPOSED ROLES OF CFA1 HOLDER AND KEY PERSONNEL – QUALIFICATIONS IN CFA1 BUSINESS MANAGEMENT ................................... 53 10.9 SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE PROFILE ............................................................................................................................................ 53

11.0 BUSINESS PLAN ..........................................................................................................................................................55

11.1 DISCLOSURE STATEMENT ...................................................................................................................................................... 55 11.2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................................... 55 11.3 MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE ......................................................................................................................... 56

11.3.1 Governance Structure ........................................................................................................................................... 56 11.4 KEY INITIATIVES AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................ 56 11.5 FUTURE PLANS ................................................................................................................................................................... 57

11.5.1 Short Term Objectives (Years 1 through 2.5) ........................................................................................................ 57 11.5.2 Medium Term Objectives (Years 2.6 through 5) ................................................................................................... 57 11.5.3 Long Term Objectives (Years 6‐Forward) .............................................................................................................. 57

11.6 PRODUCT/SERVICE DESCRIPTION............................................................................................................................................ 58



12.0 BUSINESS PLAN COMPONENTS ..................................................................................................................................58

12.1 INDUSTRY/MARKET ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY ........................................................................................................................... 58 12.1.1 Industry Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 58 12.1.2 Market Competitors ............................................................................................................................................. 59 12.1.3 Market Challenges ................................................................................................................................................ 59

12.2 POTENTIAL RISKS AND PITFALLS ............................................................................................................................................. 63 12.2.1 General Liabilities ................................................................................................................................................. 63 12.2.2 Third Party Liability ............................................................................................................................................... 63 12.2.3 Contravention of Permits and Laws ...................................................................................................................... 64 12.2.4 Fire ........................................................................................................................................................................ 64 12.2.5 Damage to Adjacent Land Owner’s Facilities or Infrastructure ............................................................................ 64 12.2.6 Roads Under Permit .............................................................................................................................................. 64 12.2.7 Silviculture Liabilities ............................................................................................................................................ 64 12.2.8 Financial Risks....................................................................................................................................................... 65

12.3 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (START‐UP) ....................................................................................................................................... 66 12.4 HUMAN RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................................ 67

12.4.1 Human Resources Organizational Chart for HFN Forestry .................................................................................... 67

13.0 NOT FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE ....................................................................................................................................68

14.0 APPENDICES ..............................................................................................................................................................69

APPENDIX A – LEGISLATION AND HIGHER LEVEL PLANS – GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS FOR THE MANAGEMENT PLAN 14.1.1 Old Forest Objectives A.1 Vancouver Island Land Use Plan – Higher Level Plan A.2 Forest and Range Practices Act A.3 FPPR Practice Requirements A.4 Community Forest Agreement

APPENDIX B AGREEMENT HOLDER LEGAL ENTITY INFORMATION APPENDIX C HUU‐AY‐AHT BAND COUNCIL RESOLUTION APPENDIX D TIMBER SUPPLY ANALYSIS APPENDIX E SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY AWARENESS, SUPPORT, AND INVOLVEMENT SURVEY AND ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ASKED APPENDIX F LETTERS OF SUPPORT APPENDIX G PROJECTED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND BASIC FINANCIAL COST ASSUMPTIONS

G.1 Projected Financial Statements G.2 Forecast Cash Flow Statements

APPENDIX H GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS APPENDIX I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS



1.0 Management Plan

1.1 Introduction

The Management Plan is intended to incorporate integrated resource management, describe the management goals and state the strategies by which these goals can be attained, identify the higher level plans and applicable legislation governing forest stewardship on the area, describe the methods by which the licence holder will meet these objectives, and identify any existing or potential problems or opportunities within the community forest agreement area.

As part of the Community Forest application process under Section 43.3 (f) of the Forest Act, a Community Forest Agreement requires its holder to submit a Management Plan to the Regional Executive Director. Approval of a Management Plan represents approval in principle of management intent, but it does not give the authority to proceed with specific operational activities. Approval for operational activity within a Community Forest Agreement is done via the forest stewardship plan and cutting permits.

This document is the proposed Management Plan for the HFN CF1 Community Forest Agreement (CFA1) application process.

Government's Objectives for Community Forest Agreements

This form of tenure is intended to provide new opportunities for community management of Crown forest land.

By providing communities with greater flexibility to manage local forests, government seeks to:

provide long‐term opportunities for achieving a range of community objectives, values and priorities;

diversify the use of and benefits derived from the community forest agreement area;

provide social and economic benefits to British Columbia;

undertake community forestry consistent with sound principles of environmental stewardship that reflect a broad spectrum of values;

promote community involvement and participation;

promote communication and strengthen relationships between Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal communities and persons;

foster innovation; and

advocate forest worker safety.

1.2 Management Objectives

The management objective for the HFN CFA1 is to manage the timber resources in the CFA1 on a sustained yield basis using sound forest management principles, while simultaneously maintaining or enhancing the non‐timber uses, and products of the forest ecosystems of the HFN CFA1.

Forest Management Principles

HFN Forestry will manage its forest resources under three guiding principles which include: sustainability of all resource values; financial sustainability of its forest resource business and; accountability to the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation people.

Fisheries management issues and watershed issues are the key non‐timber component of forest and land use in the proposed HFN CFA1 area. Objectives are to manage and conserve water and fishery values to meet present needs without compromising the needs of future generations. Forestry activities shall minimize impacts on water



resources and respect riparian values associated with streams, lakes and wetlands. Best management practices shall be used in riparian areas.

1.3 Additional Management Objectives

The HFN CFA1 resource management objectives are as follows:

Short Term Objectives

Fulfill the cut control obligations of the licence while meeting the standards set in forest legislation and the Vancouver Island Land Use Plan (VILUP), in respect of environmental stewardship.

Encourage cooperation among stakeholders.

Optimize operations efficiencies.

Manage forest health issues.

Balance timber extraction and non timber values.

Medium Term Objectives

Identify medium and long term harvest priority areas to maximize benefits for HFN CFA1 and the Crown.

Analyze the age class and species composition of the licence area to optimize timber flows and return on development investments.

Develop a comprehensive, long‐term, harvest strategy which optimizes capital investments while reflecting the diversity of environmental values found on and adjacent to the HFN CFA1 licence area.

Develop a long‐term silviculture investment plan which will optimize the yields within the HFN CFA1 operating area to the benefit of our communities, the environment, and the Crown. Basic Silviculture will be practiced in a prompt and focused manner with regeneration of any harvested areas implemented within one year or less after harvest completion.

Incremental silviculture projects that will be considered during the term of this Management Plan include: backlog reforestation and or planting of debuilt roads, pruning, incremental spacing, and fertilization. Proposed treatments will depend on the availability of suitable candidate areas and on the availability of Forest Investment Account (FIA) funding for such projects. A candidate area for incremental silviculture treatments may be the younger age class stands within the Spencer Creek (West) polygon.

To improve ecosystem health and resiliency and improve stand vigor by controlling forest stocking levels.

Long Term Objectives

Maximize the social and economic benefits to our communities and the province of B.C. by harvesting in a prudent manner that is sensitive to the needs of our environment and our community.

To develop a sustainable economic foundation based on the use and extraction of forest resources that involves both primary extraction and secondary value added activities for the benefit of all Huu‐ay‐aht.

The management of the forests and the fisheries to meet present needs without compromising the needs of future generations.

Encourage the development of new employment opportunities in Forest Resource Management as a means for bringing citizens home.

Educate the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation community and the community at large on forest resource matters via ongoing dialogue with the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation Band Council and the communities.



Encourage links with the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Forestry Department related to education and mutually beneficial research and projects.

Promote local employment and education of Huu‐ay‐aht youth, by skills‐training support.

The full range of resources will be considered at the Forest Stewardship Planning (FSP) stage, and specific results and strategies for management of these resources will be detailed at that time. The measures listed in this Management Plan will be used to draft FSP results and strategies for MoFR approval.

1.4 Legislation and Higher Level Plans Content Requirements

HFN CFA1’s resource management on the CFA1 area must meet the government objectives defined in the current legislation and higher level plans.

The government’s objectives are revised as legislation and Higher Level Plans are amended over time. The actual objectives that the HFN CFA1 will meet will be consistent with the legislation, regulations, government orders, and Higher Level Plans that are in place at the time the Forest Stewardship Plan is prepared, or as enabled in legislation at a future date.

This Management Plan has been prepared in accordance with any directions of the Coast Forest Region, Regional Executive Director or the South Island Forest District, District Manager.

This Management Plan is consistent with this Community Forest (licence document) Agreement, current forestry legislation, the commitments made in the Community Forest Agreement (CFA) application and licence package, and Higher Levels Plans (the Vancouver Island Land Use Plan) under the Forest and Range Practices Act of BC. Plans and legislative requirements affecting planning in the community forest are summarized in Appendix A, Legislation and Higher Level Plans‐Guidance Documents for the Management Plan.

2.0 Area Description

2.1 Licence Area The proposed HFN CFA1 Community Forest Agreement (CFA) is composed of:

Schedule A Land (Private Land) N/A

Schedule B Land (Crown Land) 2,345 hectares

Map Reference: 92C.087, 92C.096, 92C.097

UTM Coordinates: 48 55 03 / 124 53 01

Table 1: Area and coordinates of proposed HFN CF1 CFA.

2.2 General Location and Area Description

The proposed HFN Community Forest Agreement A1 (CFA) 1 is mostly located within the Sarita Landscape Unit with a small area located within the Klanawa Landscape Unit. The Sarita and Klanawa Landscape Units (LUs) are located on the west coast of British Columbia south and east of Barkley Sound. The major drainage in the Sarita LU that is in the vicinity of the CFA1 is the Sarita River. Sarita Lake is the largest lake in the vicinity of the CFA1. The HFN CFA1 is comprised of four distinct polygons or Units: Spencer Creek (West Unit), Blenheim Unit, Spencer Creek (East Unit), & the Central & Harris Creek Unit. The proposed HFN CFA1 area is discontinuous and it extends from just east of Numukamis Bay and south of May Lake to the easternmost unit in the Central Main North/Harris Creek Main Unit. These areas total 2345 hectares within TFL 44. A single biogeoclimatic zone covers the Sarita and



Klanawa Landscape Units, the Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH). There are three biogeoclimatic subzones present, the CWH Submontane very wet maritime (CWHvm1), CWH Montane very wet maritime (CWHvm2) and CWH southern very wet Hypermaritime (CWHvh1). The BEC label is derived from Terrestrial Ecosystem mapping (TEM).

BEC Label from TEM Gross Area (ha) NHLB Area(ha) THLB Area (ha) % of THLB

CWH vh1 3 0 2 0.1%

CWH vm1 1,851 457 1,228 79.8%

CWH vm2 491 135 324 20.1%

Total 2,345 592 1,615 100.0%

Table 2: Biogeoclimatic Subzone Distribution in the CFA1.

The proposed CFA area spans elevations from sea level in the Spencer Creek West unit to 800 m in the Spencer Creek and Central Main North/Harris Creek main units.

Water resources within the CF1 consist of streams. There are no fisheries sensitive watersheds identified within the HFN CF1 area. Therefore, no special measures are required at this time for the management of fisheries sensitive watersheds. The Sarita River, Lakes and wetlands are outside the boundaries of the community forest but nearby. They include and provide the following values:

Salmon and resident fish‐bearing streams. Chinook, chum, coho, pink and sockeye salmon inhabit the major drainages in the Sarita Landscape Unit. Coastal cutthroat and rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, kokanee, and steelhead are also present.

Community Forest Unit Area in Hectares

Spencer Creek (West Unit) 88.1

Blenheim Unit 862.8

Spencer Creek (East Unit) 442.9

Central & Harris Creek Unit 951.2

Total: 2,345

Table 3: HFN CFA1 Operational Units Figure 1 shows an overview map of the proposed HFN CFA1 area.

3.0 Resource Inventories

3.1 Introduction

Resource Inventories are used in several phases of harvest planning, particularly in the Timber Supply Analysis (TSA) of the Management Plan. Forest resource inventories that are currently maintained by WFP Inc. for TFL 44 are: timber inventory, Ecosystems, Terrain stability, Recreation Inventory, Visual Landscape Inventory, Ungulate Winter Ranges (UWRs), Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs), Old Growth Management Areas (OGMAs), stream classification, operability, caves and karst.

Resource inventories for the community forest are from TFL 44 sources and are generally on a 1:20,000 landscape scale. The inventories are described below and are summarized in the attached 1:20,000 scale maps. A Timber Supply Analysis (TSA) of the proposed landbase for the proposed HFN CFA1 was done by Forest Ecosystem Solutions Ltd (FES) using TFL 44 data from Western Forest Products (WFP) Inc.



3.2 Timber Resource Inventory

The TFL 44 timber inventory is maintained and updated (to stay current with changes due to harvesting, silvicultural activities, property deletions and changes in tenure holders) by WFP Inc.

This inventory has been used by the HFN CFA1 for the purpose of determining the Allowable Annual Cut (AAC).

Removal of lands from TFL 44 and the establishment of other areas in TF 44 for allocations of TFL 44 AAC to organizations other than WFP Inc. have occurred. The Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation Community Forest and First Nations Woodland Licence (FNWL) Areas (CFA1 and FNWL) total 12,162 ha and 86,992 m3 of AAC. The HFN CFA 1 AAC allocation of 16,992 m3 was established from the Forest Revitalization Act. The WFP Inc. Management Plan #5 has excluded the HFN CFA1 and the FNWL from their Timber Supply Analysis.

Figure 1: CF1A Overview Location Map



3.3 Terrain Stability Inventory

Terrain stability mapping has been done for the watersheds within the Management Plan area. The terrain stability mapping uses a five class system for mapping terrain stability. Terrain classes I, II and III are considered stable, while class IV is considered potentially unstable and class V is unstable. This mapping was used to generate a proposed AAC for this licence area. Varying net downs for terrain stability management depending on the terrain class and relative climatic environment were applied to all unstable and potentially unstable terrain identified within the CFA1 area.

The Terrain Stability Inventory Map is shown in Figure 2 and it shows the extent of the CFA1 area covered by the terrain studies as well as the extent of Terrain Stability Classes 4 and 5 in the HFN CFA1 area.

Figure 2: CF1A Terrain Stability Inventory Map

3.4 Physical Operability

As part of the HFN CFA1 Timber Supply Analysis (TSA) the land base was classified into three operability classes. The classes are:

Conventional Harvest Systems which includes timber on productive, physically operable land that is harvestable by conventional methods, i.e. grapple, high‐lead or hoechuck.

Non‐conventional Harvest Systems which includes timber on productive, physically operable land that has access limitations such that it is harvestable only by non‐conventional methods. These include helicopter or long‐line cable systems.



Physically Inoperable Timber areas are not likely harvestable by any system. It is comprised of timber on productive land that is steep and/or rocky and it cannot be safely felled or yarded, or a significant proportion of the volume could not be obtained.

Both conventional and non‐conventional harvest systems are included in the Total Harvestable Land Base (THLB), while physically inoperable timber was excluded. Table 10 in Appendix D (TSA) shows the operability by THLB in the CFA1.

3.5 Recreation and Trails

In 2005 a Government Action Regulation (GAR) order was established to identify designated recreation sites, trails and interpretive forest sites as resource features. A recreation inventory including all of the above sites has been maintained by WFP Inc. for TFL 44. The HFN CFA1 shall update this inventory as we collect data for the smaller CFA1 land base. GPS data shall be collected.

There is a MoFR recreation site and picnicking site at the west end of Sarita Lake and the same type of site is at the eastern end of Sarita Lake with a boat/canoe launch. There are no reductions necessary in the Timber Supply Analysis to manage for the recreation and trails inventory.

3.6 Caves and Karst Inventory

Karst is a unique topography that forms as a result of dissolving action of water on carbonate bedrock (usually limestone, dolomite or marble). Karst features include fluted sharp rock surfaces, vertical shafts, and sinkholes, sinking streams, springs, complex sub‐surface drainage systems and caves. The caves inventory is maintained by WFP Inc. at an operational; level with the assistance of the Vancouver Island Cave Exploration Group (VICEG).

Elements of Karst topography are established as resource features by the GAR Order approved December 11, 2009 section 5(1) (a) of the Government Actions Regulation (GAR) under the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). Under the GAR the following surface and subsurface elements of a karst system are identified as resource features wherever they are found within the South Island Forest District.

Karst caves,

Significant surface karst features, and

Important features and elements within high and very high vulnerability karst terrain.

Management activities are required to be in compliance with this order. Reconnaissance level (1:250,000) mapping does not indicate that there is any Karst topography in the CFA1 licence area. However karst may be present on the landscape at a finer scale as there are known karst areas to the northeast and south of the licence.

The objective is to minimize the impact of forest management activities on cave and karst features.

Strategies include:

Identification of cave and karst features usually occurs during the primary forest engineering layout. Once a potentially affected feature is identified, an assessment may be done, and/or a qualified person consulted. This information is used to design harvesting and road construction activities that protect the karst features.

Agreement holders must satisfy the annual reporting requirements for karst resource features as per Forest Planning and Practices Regulation (FPPR) s. 86(3) (b). FPPR) s. 86(3) (b) States that; before June 1 of each year, an agreement holder must report to the district manger the location of any resource feature or wildlife habitat feature in or contiguous to a cutblock or road of which feature the holder is aware during the reporting period if:



(i) the holder has not, in a previous reporting period, reported the resource feature or wildlife habitat feature; and

(ii) the order establishing the resource feature or wildlife habitat feature requires the location of the resource feature or wildlife habitat feature to be reported under this section.

3.7 Visual Resources

Visual Quality Objectives (VQO) were established for the South Island Forest District (SIFD) pursuant to section 7(2) of the Government Action Regulation (GAR) by an approved GAR Order dated December 15th, 2005. These VQOs apply to the Scenic Areas identified as known in the South Island Forest District (SIFD), District Manager’s letter dated November 13, 1998 and grand‐parented under Section 180 of the FRPA. These objectives apply to the crown land portion of the SIFD and to the private land within Woodlot Licences and Tree Farm Licensees (TFL).

A visual landscape inventory map was obtained from WFP Inc. Management Plan #5. The CFA1 area is a small subset of this mapping and it contains the Visual Quality Objectives (VQOs) for the proposed HFN CFA1. The VQOs for the CFA1 units are primarily defined as partial retention with a relatively small component of modification in the upper northeast corner of the Central Main North & Harris Creek Main Unit. The objective with visual quality is to reconcile where possible harvest operations with visual landscape values. A cutblock or road will be designed to blend with the landscape as much as possible to minimize the affects on visual quality.

The easternmost portion of the Central & Harris Creek Unit is not in a visual polygon in the available TFL 44 Visual Landscape Inventory. The westernmost portion of the Central & Harris Creek Unit is within visual polygon #0225 in the available TFL 44 Visual Landscape Inventory. The VQO is retention here. The most open viewpoint will be from the junction of the Spencer Creek mainline and Bamfield mainline. The most open view of the operational area in the Blenheim Unit will be from the Bamfield mainline travel corridor but this general area is not in a visual polygon. The upper part of the Spencer Creek (East Unit) will likely be in Visual polygon #0219 where the recommended VQO is modification. The most open views of this landform will likely be along the Bamfield mainline travel corridor near Br. 910. The Spencer Creek (West Unit) is in a known scenic area (Alberni SMZ), Port Alberni to Bamfield travel corridor. It is within Visual polygon #0874 where the VQO is partial retention.

The map in Figure 3 shows the Visual Quality Objectives within the CFA1 area.

Figure 3: CF1A Visual Inventory Map



3.8 Wildlife

Inventories of Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs) including Ungulate Winter Ranges (UWRs) and Marbled Murrelet Habitat Areas (MAMU) are maintained by the Ministry of Forests and Range and they are also in WFP Inc. TFL 44 Management Plan #5 map appendices. Spatial mapping data can be downloaded from their websites. These inventories are shown on the Non Timber Resources Map (NTR Map) in Figure 4.

There are no legally confirmed MAMU WHAs within the HFN CFA1. Planning for MAMU WHAs in this area is integrated with planning for OGMAs. Discussions between WFP Inc., BC Ministry of Environment Regional Wildlife Habitat Area Biologist, the Integrated Land Management Branch (ILMB) and HFN on OGMA and MAMU WHA planning are ongoing involving the review of draft OGMAs and MAMU WHAs. There is one UWR confirmed under order #U‐1‐013. This UWR was approved Oct. 18, 2004 and it is located in the Spencer Creek (East Unit) just north of Sarita Lake. UWR areas are excluded from the timber harvest land base.

3.9 Riparian Management Area Classification

WFP Inc. Port Alberni Forest Operations (PAFO) maintains an operational inventory of stream classifications for TFL 44 (S1 to S6) and fish presence at a scale of 1:20,000 which has been accessed and made available to the HFN CFA1. Over time this database has been continuously updated with 1:50,000 scale data and the HFN CFA1 will maintain this spatial data collection.

4.0 Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping

Ecosystem mapping is the stratification of a landscape into map units, according to a combination of ecological features, primarily climate, physiography, surficial material, bedrock geology, soil, and vegetation. Common scales of ecological mapping are 1:20 000 to 1:50 000, though larger scales such as 1:10 000 or 1:5000 may be used depending on project objectives.

Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping (TEM) mapping is a methodology which requires direct air photo interpretation of ecosystem attributes by a mapper. This approach is typically used at larger scales where more detailed information is required. The TEM mapping approach to mapping provides a framework that integrates the biotic and abiotic ecosystem components of the landscape, from which valuable management interpretations can be made for instance planning resource allocation.

The TEM mapping was completed for WFP Inc. with FRBC funding in 2002/2003 on TFL 44 and it covers the HFN CFA1 land base. This data is available to the HFN CFA1.

4.1 Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory

A Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory (SEI) systematically identifies and maps rare and fragile ecosystems in a given area. The information is derived from aerial photography, supported by selective field checking of the data. SEI mapping methodology is based on original air photo interpretation for SEI polygons, or as an SEI theme based on Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping (TEM) polygons. The purpose of the Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory (SEI) project is to identify remnants of rare and fragile terrestrial ecosystems and to encourage land‐use decisions that will ensure the continued integrity of these ecosystems.

SEI is also a valuable tool that can help in the identification of potential habitat for rare and endangered species.

WFP Inc. completed a SEI for TFL 44. This data is available for the HFN CFA1 area.



4.2 Old Growth Management Areas (OGMAs)

OGMAs are a landscape‐level biodiversity management initiative. A draft OGMA has been defined for the Sarita Landscape Unit. It is located in the Spencer Creek (East Unit) of the Proposed HFN CFA1, north of Sarita Lake. OGMAs spatially define where minimum levels of old‐growth habitat are reserved by landscape unit and BEC variant. The draft OGMAs will net down the operable area for the timber supply analysis but a public and First Nations review process must be completed before becoming legal; this will likely result in refinement of the draft OGMAs. Old growth characteristics can also be recruited from second growth stands. The inventory is maintained by the Ministry of Forests and Range and spatial data can be downloaded from their website. The location of this draft OGMA is shown on the NTR Map in Figure 4 on the following page.

Figure 4: CF1A Non Timber Resources Map (see following page)



5.0 Proposed Allowable Annual Cut (AAC)

The proposed allowable annual cut for this Community Forest Agreement is: Schedule A (Private) Lands: N/A Schedule B (Crown) Lands: 16,992 m3

Schedule C (Prescribed Products): N/A The harvest level for the community forest has been represented through a timber supply projection as part of the Timber Supply Analysis (TSA). The results of the TSA are projections of timber supply in support of determining or confirming proposed allowable annual cut (AAC). The TSA report is in Appendix D.

The TSA adheres to the general management of and modeling assumptions as provided in the TFL 44 Management Plan #4 completed in 2002, as well as updates for disturbances to 2009, updated land base reductions data for new/updated resource emphasis areas (draft OGMA, UWR) and elimination of territorial overlap with other First Nations. The TSA was completed by Forest Ecosystem Solutions Ltd. (FESL) using the accepted forest estate modeling software FSOS.

The gross area of CFA1 is 2,345 ha with productive forested area of 2,213 ha (94%) and a current timber harvesting land base (THLB) of 1,618 ha (68%). The existing volume for proposed CFA1 is composed primarily of hemlock and balsam (60%), Douglas‐fir (20%) and cedar (20%). Based on projecting the inventory and accounting for harvest (approximate to 2010), 39% of the CFA1 THLB is greater than 140 years old, while 60% of the stands are less than 61 years old.

The proposed base case annual harvest projection for CFA1 is a declining even flow with a short term harvest of 16, 992 m3/yr, for twenty‐five years, then declining to 15,766 m3/yr for the remainder of the analysis horizon (250 years). The long term harvest is 86.4% of the 18,257 m3/yr Long Run Sustained Yield (LRSY).

In all phases of the analysis, the harvest flow will reflect a balance of the following objectives:

Gradually adjust harvest levels towards the best estimate of the Long Term Harvest Level (LTHL) for the forest;

Limit harvest reductions per decade to no more than 10%;

Achieve a stable long‐term harvest level; and

The HFN CFA1 commits to managing the CFA1 area in a manner that is consistent with the management assumptions made in the above harvest rate estimate.

6.0 Management Objectives

6.1 General Strategic Objectives

The management objective for the HFN CFA1 is to manage the timber resources in the CFA1 on a sustained yield basis using sound forest management principles, while simultaneously maintaining or enhancing the non‐timber uses, and products of the forest ecosystems of the HFN CFA1.

Fisheries management issues and watershed issues are the key non‐timber component of forest and land use in the proposed HFN CFA1 area. Objectives are to manage and conserve water and fishery values to meet present needs without compromising the needs of future generations. Forestry activities shall minimize impacts on water



resources and respect riparian values associated with streams, lakes and wetlands. Best management practices shall be used in riparian areas.

Additional Management goals for the HFN CFA1 are:

Short Term Objectives

Fulfill the cut control obligations of the licence while meeting the standards set in forest legislation and the Vancouver Island Land Use plan (VILUP), in respect of environmental stewardship.

Encourage cooperation among stakeholders Optimize operations efficiencies.

Manage forest health issues.

Balance timber extraction and non timber values.

Medium Term Objectives

Identify medium and long term harvest priority areas to maximize benefits for HFN CFA1 and the Crown.

Analyze the age class and species composition of the licence area to optimize timber flows and return on development investments.

Develop a comprehensive, long‐term, harvest strategy which optimizes capital investments while reflecting the diversity of environmental values found on and adjacent to the HFN CFA1 licence area.

Develop a long‐term silviculture investment plan which will optimize the yields within the HFN CFA1 operating area to the benefit of our communities, the environment, and the Crown. Basic Silviculture will be practiced in a prompt and focused manner with regeneration of any harvested areas implemented within one year or less after harvest completion.

Incremental silviculture projects that will be considered during the term of this Management Plan include: backlog reforestation and or planting of debuilt roads, pruning, incremental spacing, and fertilization. Proposed treatments will depend on the availability of suitable candidate areas and on the availability of Forest Investment Account (FIA) funding for such projects. A candidate area for incremental silviculture treatments may be the younger age class stands within the Spencer Creek (West Unit).

To improve ecosystem health and resiliency and improve stand vigor by controlling forest stocking levels.

Long Term Objectives

Maximize the social and economic benefits to our communities and the province of B.C. by harvesting in a prudent manner that is sensitive to the needs of our environment and our community.

Educate the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation community and the community at large on forest resource matters via ongoing dialogue with the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation Band Council and the communities. Encourage links with the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Forestry Department related to education and mutually beneficial research and projects.

Promote local employment and education of Huu‐ay‐aht youth, by skills‐training support.

The full range of resources will be considered at the Forest Stewardship Planning (FSP) stage, and specific results and strategies for management of these resources will be detailed at that time. The measures listed in this Management Plan will be used to draft FSP results and strategies for MoFR approval.

6.2 Timber Resource

Section 6 of the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation identifies the objectives set by government for timber as follows:



The objectives set by government for timber are to:

(a) maintain or enhance an economically valuable supply of commercial timber from British Columbia’s forests,

(b) ensure that delivered wood costs, generally, after taking into account the effect on them of relevant provisions of this regulation and of the Act, are competitive in relation to equivalent costs in relation to regulated primary forest activities in other jurisdictions, and

(c) ensure that the provisions of this regulation and of the Act that pertain to primary forest activities do not unduly constrain the ability of a holder of an agreement under the Forest Act to exercise the holder’s rights under the agreement.

6.2.1 Results and Strategies that Relate to Timber

Under Section 12(8) of the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation, a person who is required to prepare a forest stewardship plan is exempt from the requirement to prepare results or strategies for an objective set by government for timber. The Forest Stewardship Plan that will be prepared for the licence area will therefore not identify specific results and strategies that relate to timber.

6.2.2 Forest Products

The management intent for timber in the Community Forest Agreement area is to produce roundwood logs for sale as sawlogs, veneer logs, house logs, timber frame logs, poles, or any other merchantable product. Wherever possible, minor forest products will be utilized. Merchantable minor forestry products will be scaled prior to sale and marketed by HFN Forestry Limited Partnership or made available to local business. Non‐merchantable forest products will be marketed or made available to local interests for the production of firewood and specialty crafts.

Major products:

1. Sawlogs

2. Veneer logs

3. House logs

4. Timber frame logs

5. Poles

Minor products:

1. Shakes and shingles (materials salvaged by the salvage operation of HFN Forestry)

2. Fence posts and rails

3. Small diameter poles

4. Firewood

5. Other value‐added products

6.2.3 Cutting Priorities

The cutting priorities for this community forest agreement areas follows, providing that these stands meet merchantability criteria and can be feasibly harvested given operational and economic constraints:

1. Blowdown timber;

2. Harvest of diseased or insect attacked timber before volume losses to decay occurs.



6.2.4 Utilization Standards and Coarse Woody Debris Management Strategies

The current coastal utilization standards will be followed. The community forest will manage to meet or exceed the BC Coastal Utilization Standards while targeting coarse woody debris requirements in the Forest and Range Practices Act that promote wildlife and soil productivity. Log salvage and firewood cutting will be explored where the tree quality and species mix makes this diverse utilization economically viable. The HFN CFA1 is in Resource Management Zone 43 (Sarita). It is not within a Special Management Zone. Therefore VILUP Objective 1(b) and the retention of coarse woody debris at levels in accordance with section 68 of the FPPR shall apply: (retain a minimum 4 logs per ha, measured on the basis of an average per ha across a cutblock) each being a minimum of 5 m in length and 30 cm in diameter at one end). Sound and rotting logs and stumps that provide habitat for plants, animals, and insects and are a source for organic matter for future soil development will be maintained through retention trees in Wildlife Tree Retention areas and timbered leave areas, and via the distribution of logging residue across the cutblock. The current allowable limit for post harvest residue is 35m3/ha on old growth. Coarse Woody Debris (CWD) will be maintained on site provided it does not impede achieving the free growing stocking standards and does not conflict with coastal utilization standards.

6.2.5 Harvesting

Cable yarding and hoe chucking (ground based harvesting) will be the main harvesting systems used in the HFN CFA1. Helicopter yarding and long line yarding will be considered only in cases where there is no alternative and where these systems are operationally and economically feasible.

The objectives for harvesting on all parts of the Timber Harvesting Landbase (THLB) include:

Harvesting will be done in compliance with the standards and regulations detailed in the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and associated regulations;

Harvesting will not be carried out on saturated soils;

Harvesting systems will be selected and designed to minimize soil disturbance and site degradation;

Hoe chucking operations will use sufficient puncheon and brush mats to protect forest soils from detrimental soil disturbance; and

Harvesting operations will minimize damage to residual trees.

6.3 Non-Timber Forest Products

6.3.1 Definitions and Context

The term non‐timber forest products (NTFPs) refer to resources in the forest other than timber, and which are harvested for commercial, personal and traditional purposes. Over 200 species of NTFPs of are harvested from both public and private lands in British Columbia. While no formal management system exists for NTFPs, this in no way indicates that this is a new industry or that there have been no efforts to manage the commercial harvest. NTFPs include harvesting of botanical forest products (for medicinal/nutraceutical purposes, floral greenery, and horticultural applications), mushroom collection, and wild foods harvesting (berries, roots, and foliage). Other potential NTFPs include: cedar oils, ethno‐botanical medicinal plants, personal care products, bio‐fuels and forage, craft and art products (for example wreaths and garlands) and forest‐based tourism. NTFPs are generally categorized according to their ‘product’ values: floral greenery (e.g., salal); edible vegetable and fruits (Vaccinium, etc.); medicinal plants; essential oils; edible and medicinal mushrooms. Other commercial NTFPs include biofuels, animal products, and even ecotourism. The key for the HFN CFA1 will be to prioritize what we are going to manage for. The HFN CFA1 tenure provides the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation with the rights to harvest and manage NTFPs. At the present time there are no regulations in place to govern the harvesting of NTFPs and the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation shall develop a management strategy for this.



Another key aspect to NTFP management that we must consider is community capacity. Who would benefit from investments in NTFPs? Who is interested and motivated to develop businesses? What about tenure and propriety, particularly with respect to traditionally‐important NTFPs and current harvesting activities?

6.3.2 Management of NTFPs

Presently there is some harvesting (particularly mushrooms and salal) of NTFPs in the area under this plan. However it is often unknown who is collecting botanical forest products or exactly where they are being collected. This makes it difficult to plan specific protection measures for these resources.

Harvesting non‐timber forest products has sustained the Huu‐ay‐aht people for thousands of years by providing items for cultural and spiritual purposes including food, medicine, shelter and clothing.

Unmonitored harvesting of NTFPs can result in over harvesting and a reduction of supply, as well as damage and/or mortality to regenerating tree plantations. The HFN CFA1 will integrate best practices silviculture management and innovative best practice criteria for botanical forest products into its developing Environmental Management System (EMS) as an aspect of operations to produce sustainable NTFPs. If damage and/or mortality to regenerating forests become a problem on the CFA1 we will work with the Compliance and Enforcement branch of the MoFR.

The HFN CFA1 management objectives with respect to NTFPs are:

1. To assess the CFA1 NTFP resource base and design a non timber forest products inventory with a focus on species with the greatest commercial potential and the greatest prominence;

2. To investigate how the HFN CFA1 can develop ecologically sustainable and economically viable NTFP activities that will enhance the long‐term economic viability of the HFN CFA1. This will be done by determining average commercial yields and by developing sustainable harvesting strategies for selected species;

3. To develop policy and regulations to guide the management of NTFPs; and

4. To conduct market research on potential product lines.

6.3.2.1 NTFPs Inventory Specifics

Sampling Design

Using a comprehensive list of potential NTFP plant species we will develop a sampling plan to link NTFP species distribution and abundance to ecosystem units delineated on the landscape.

Stratification and Data Analysis

Once we have identified our list of potential species, we will need to examine their potential distribution and abundance across the CFA1 landbase according to the ecosystems present. We will use TEM and Forest Cover inventory databases to stratify the CWHvm1 subzone by biogeoclimatic site series and by stand structural stage. Once we collect this data we will do data analysis to form the basis for estimating NTFP abundance by ecosystem type.

Measures to Protect

The Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation will develop and implement a NTFP management strategy in cooperation with local stakeholders in the NTFP sector.



The medium size of the openings and the Timbered Leave Areas (TLAs) and Wildlife Tree Retention areas (WTRAs) will provide a variety of forest conditions within the CFA and therefore a variety of sites where NTFPs may be produced.

No other specific measures are proposed to protect botanical forest products during the term of this Management Plan.

6.4 Non-Timber Values and Resource Objectives

6.4.1 Visual Landscape Management

The objective is to manage visual values identified through the Visual Landscape Inventory or planning process so that harvest operations are reconciled with visual landscape values. Visual Quality Objectives (VQOs) have been established in a higher level plan.

A visual landscape inventory map was obtained from WFP Inc. Management Plan #5. The CFA1 area is a small subset of this mapping and it contains the Visual Quality Objectives (VQOs) for the proposed HFN CFA1. The VQOs for the CFA1 units are primarily defined as partial retention with a relatively small component of modification in the upper northeast corner of the Central Main North & Harris Creek Main Unit. A cutblock or road will be designed to blend with the landscape as much as possible to minimize the affects on visual quality.

The easternmost portion of the Central Main North & Harris Creek Main Unit is not in a visual polygon in the available TFL 44 Visual Landscape Inventory. The westernmost portion of the Central Main North & Harris Creek Main Unit is within visual polygon #0225 in the available TFL 44 Visual Landscape Inventory. The VQO is retention here. The most open viewpoint will be from the junction of the Spencer Creek mainline and Bamfield mainline. The most open view of the operational area in the Spencer Creek and Blenheim Main unit will be from the Bamfield Mainline travel corridor but this general area is not in a visual polygon. The upper part of the Spencer Creek Unit will likely be in Visual polygon #0219 where the recommended VQO is modification. The most open views of this landform will likely be along the Bamfield Mainline travel corridor near Br. 910. The Spencer Creek West Unit is in a known scenic area (Alberni SMZ), Port Alberni to Bamfield travel corridor. It is within Visual polygon #0874 where the VQO is partial retention.

6.4.1.1 Visual Landscape Objectives

Mitigate the visual impact of harvesting and road building in scenic areas.

6.4.1.2 Strategies to Meet Objectives

Plan cutblock designs to meet the categories of alteration allowed in the visual polygons of the TFL 44 Visual Landscape Inventory.

Incorporate visual design characteristics and wherever possible use foreground topography and vegetation to screen the cutblocks and roads.

Minimize road density and widths.

The distribution of visual quality classes on the Timber Supply Analysis (TSA) THLB in the proposed HFN CFA1 is shown in the TSA Report in Appendix D or on the Visual Quality Objectives Map in Figure 3.

6.4.2 Biological Diversity Objectives

The broad objective is to sustain healthy biologically diverse forests and ecosystems.



Biodiversity is defined as the full range of living organisms, in all their forms and levels of organization, and includes the diversity of genes, species and ecosystems and the evolutionary and functional processes that link them. Biodiversity will be assessed and managed at both the landscape and stand levels.

6.4.2.1 Landscape Level Biodiversity

The following objective has been set by government for biodiversity at the landscape level (Section 9 of the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation):

The objective set by government for wildlife and biodiversity at the landscape level is, without unduly reducing the supply of timber from British Columbia’s forests and to the extent practicable, to design areas on which timber harvesting is to be carried out that resemble, both spatially and temporally, the patterns of natural disturbance that occur within the landscape.

Landscape Units and Biodiversity Emphasis Options (BEOs) were designated through the order Establishing Provincial Non‐Spatial Old Growth Objectives effective June 30, 2004 (NSOG Order). This order is in effect until Old Growth Management Areas (OGMAs) are spatially determined through Landscape Unit planning. A draft OGMA has been identified for the Sarita LU to meet the NSOG order. The gross area of the draft OGMA within the HFN CFA1 inside the Sarita Landscape Unit is 135 ha.

For the forest types in the CFA1 and TFL 44, old forest is defined as stands >250 years old. The old seral target is based on the combination of BEO, BEC variant, and the natural disturbance type (NDT) of the variant. The draft OGMAs for landscape units with a low BEO such as the Sarita, identify enough area to meet the old seral target drawn down to 1/3 for the first rotation (80 years). The target for the end of the second rotation (160 years) will be 2/3 of the full target, with the full old seral target being achieved by the end of the third rotation (240 years). Intermediate and high BEO landscape units will be subject to the full target constraint throughout the analysis period.

Achieving landscape‐level biodiversity objectives involves maintaining forests with a variety of opening sizes, seral stages, and forest stand attributes and structures, across a variety of ecosystems and landscapes. A major consideration in managing for biodiversity at the landscape level is leaving sufficient and properly located reserves of old‐growth forests for species dependent on or strongly associated with, old‐growth forests. Landscape Unit planning is proceeding in TFL 44 and the proposed HFN CFA1 area.

** See Appendix A Sarita Landscape Unit Plan, for further description of the Sarita Landscape Unit Plan.


Ensure consistency with maximum cutblock size and adjacent stand green‐up requirements under FRPA legislation.

If funding is available for landscape level planning, in biogeoclimatic zones where old growth is below the provincial requirement, identify areas of second growth that have old growth characteristics that are appropriate for old growth recruitment.

Work with the Ministry of Environment and other regulatory agencies to relocate some draft OGMAs and consult on alternate locations of draft OGMAs to arrive at the final legislated OGMA locations.

6.4.2.3 Stand Level Biodiversity

Stand level biodiversity objectives are attained through the retention of Riparian Management Areas (RMAs), Wildlife Tree Retention Areas (WTRAs), and Timber Leave Areas (TLAs). Coarse Woody Debris (CWD) will be



maintained on site provided it does not impede achieving the free growing stocking standards and does not conflict with coastal utilization standards.

6.4.2.4 Objectives

Retain structural variety in every cutblock through the preservation of wildlife trees, timbered leave areas and riparian areas.


Plan cutblocks using the retention silviculture system and place a portion of reserve areas in Riparian Management Areas. This will provide a biological legacy of old growth forest attributes within the stand.

Reserve at least the legislated minimum level of retention in each cutblock for Wildlife Tree Retention Area (WTRA) in order to maintain stand level structural diversity.

Wherever practicable, in second growth stands with limited diversity in species and stand structure, plan for the WTRA to be located in an area with characteristics suitable for old growth recruitment. In this way we will be planning for second growth forests to take on the characteristics of old growth forests.

6.5 Soil Conservation Objectives

The following objective has been set by government for soils under Section 5 of the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation (FPPR):

The objective set by government for soils, without unduly reducing the supply of timber from British Columbia’s forests, to conserve the productivity and the hydrologic function of soils.

The HFN CFA1 will adopt the results and strategies listed in sections 35 and 36 of the FPPR, which sets limits for soil disturbance and permanent access structures, and specifies the rehabilitation strategies that are to be used.

The overall objective is to maintain the productivity of the landbase. To protect forest soils from detrimental soil disturbance during ground based harvesting, cable yarding or mechanical felling and site preparation activities by keeping disturbances to levels below those that may:

be detrimental to long term site productivity; or

contribute to erosion and sedimentation.

Background Information: Sensitive soils are defined as soils with fine texture, or with continuous or intermittent seepage, soils with imperfect to poor drainage and shallow soils over bedrock.

6.5.1 Strategies to Meet Objectives

Permanent and temporary access structures are planned to minimize the total amount of road required to safely and economically harvest the timber.

Ground protection measures will be utilized as required to ensure that no detrimental impacts occur. Harvesting and site preparation operations will cease immediately should observable compaction and/or rutting occur. If required, rehabilitation will be scheduled once the soils are sufficiently well drained.



During grapple yarding, avoid excessive ground lead gouging where high surface erosion potential has been identified and ensure adequate deflection. Ground based harvesting systems should only be used where indicated on a harvesting plan map.

Sensitive soils shall be highlighted on the harvest plan maps.

Conduct terrain stability Field Assessments on high hazard sites to identify areas of potential slope failure.

Retain forest cover on confirmed sensitive and unstable areas.

Follow wet weather shutdown guidelines for shutdowns.

Match harvesting practices to soil sensitivity.

Operators should be cautious that some sensitive soils may not be identified on the harvest plan map and therefore operators need to be made aware of signs of sensitive soils. Some of the signs of sensitive soils: ponds of standing water on the forest floor, seepage out of road cuts, black humus, vegetation such as skunk cabbage, sedge or devil’s club, windthrown trees that have shallow root systems.

Establish contingency plans for wet weather and inoperable soil conditions (i.e. move to another area, do alternative work or shut down).

Prioritize higher‐risk areas (wet areas or steep slopes) for dry weather operations.

Avoid rutting and puddling of forest soils as it frequently results in stream siltation.

6.6 Sensitive Ecosystems

6.6.1 Background Information

The Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory (SEI) done for TFL 44 and covering the area of the HFN community forest systematically identifies and maps rare and fragile ecosystems. The purpose of the SEI project is to identify remnants of rare and fragile terrestrial ecosystems and to encourage land‐use decisions that will ensure the continued integrity of these ecosystems. Rare, endangered and fragile ecosystems are called “sensitive ecosystems”. Figure 5 is the SEI map.

6.6.2 Objectives

As sensitive ecosystems are confirmed by ground truthing, develop conservation plans to preserve components of sensitive ecosystems based on the relative rarity of the ecosystem type and the probability of occupancy by red and blue listed species.


Ground truth the SEI areas within individual cutblocks to see if rare ecosystems or red and blue listed species occur in the area.

Design the harvesting to retain and protect components of rare and endangered ecosystems.



6.7 Recreation Management


In 2005 a Government Action Regulation (GAR) order was established to identify designated recreation sites, trails and interpretive forest sites as resource features. A recreation inventory including all of the above sites has been maintained by WFP Inc. for TFL 44. The HFN CFA1 shall update this inventory as we collect data for the smaller CFA1 land base. GPS data shall be collected.

Recreation sites and trails are considered “resource features” under FRPA. The HFN CFA1 will comply with section 70 of the FPPR and section 5 of the GAR, which essentially requires that primary forest activities (timber harvesting, silviculture treatments, or road construction, maintenance and deactivation) do not damage or render a resource feature ineffective.

There are only two recreation sites outside but near the HFN CFA1 landbase. They are: a MoFR recreation site and picnicking site at the west end of Sarita Lake and the same type of site is at the eastern end of Sarita Lake with a boat/canoe launch. Hunting and fishing will be other activities that will occur in the HFN CFA1.

The HFN CFA1 has one exclusive guide outfitting tenure within its boundaries. Port Hardy resident Sean Lingl of Canadian Guide Outfitters Ltd. has the Guide Outfitting licence in the HFN CF1 (www.canadianguideoutfitters.com) within guide outfitting management Unit 1‐3 . The Ministry of Environment issues the Outfitting Area ID, which is #100674 for Sean Lingl.

Sean Lingl’s area extends from Comox Lake down to Qualicum Beach over to Nitinat Lake, up the Alberni Canal, over to Sproat Lake, all of the Great Central Lake area and back up to Comox Lake. The areas in the HFN CFA1 represent Mr. Lingl’s best spring bear hunting areas.

Mr. Lingl stated that the maintenance of both four wheel drive and ATV access to hunting areas are always his number one concern for his business. Installation of waterbars on roads is always essential to keep the roads washout free and to provide access into the cutblocks. Reclaimed roads that are planted with grass and clover are always the favorite for bear, deer and elk and the roads that have the ditches and cross ditches planted in grass and clover feed all the species as well.



Figure 5: CF1A Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory Map

6.7.2 Objectives

The objective is to integrate forest management activities with recreation values. Maintain road networks used for recreational activities, and to mitigate visual impacts from cutblocks on recreational landscapes.


Provide road signs to assist the public in accessing the forest and using forest roads safely.

Co‐operate with guide‐outfitters where access is required.

Work with the MoFR and local residents to develop reasonable prescriptions for public access to specific areas. Issues include road deactivation (environmental risk), road maintenance and safety.

6.8 Cultural Heritage Objectives Section 10 of the Forest planning and Practices Regulation identifies the objectives set by government for cultural heritage resources:

The objective set by government for cultural heritage resources is to conserve, or, if necessary, protect cultural heritage resources that are

(a) the focus of a traditional use by an aboriginal people that is of continuing importance to that people, and

(b) Not regulated under the Heritage Conservation Act.




The CFA1 area is exclusively in Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation Traditional Territory as shown on the map in Figure 1.

The proposed CFA1 lands have been used by the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation since time immemorial. The general area of the CFA1 is considered to have a high cultural value to the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation because of historical use which includes gathering sites, hunting and fishing areas, camps, meeting sites, and archaeological and sacred sites.

The HFN Forestry management team for the HFN CFA1 will report on a regular basis and provide annual reports to the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation Chief and Council representing the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation people. This will ensure that the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation’s guiding five principles of sustainability will be upheld in the management of the CFA1.

The Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation participation in resource management is based on their cultural values of good stewardship, sustainable use and sharing.

6.8.2 Objectives

The objective is to identify and manage known sites of historic and cultural significance. The management of the cultural resources will follow the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation’s guiding five principles of sustainability. Management of any identified cultural heritage resources will be based on the HFN having the opportunity to provide input on any forest development activities.


Strategies Include:

Planned roads and cutblocks will be referred to the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation to provide an opportunity for review and comment in order to help ensure that development does not impact traditional use activities or cultural heritage resources.

To ensure conservation and or protection of important First Nations cultural heritage sites, the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation will consider any HFN cultural resources located within the proposed developments of CFA1 and adopt a Management Plan they deem appropriate.

We will regularly review our practices and procedures to monitor and report to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council on cultural heritage resource and environmental performance. This will constitute the appropriate internal consultation process.

Archaeological Impact Assessments (AIAs) of cultural heritage resources will be conducted in accordance with the Heritage Conservation Act and they shall be provided to the HFN Chief and Council for review and comment.

Management of any identified cultural heritage resources will be based on the HFN having the opportunity to provide input.

Balancing forest values to meet economic and cultural needs of peoples within the ha‐houlthee of the Huu‐ay‐aht Ha’wiih, including the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation peoples.

6.9 Wildlife Objectives

Many wildlife species must be considered when managing for wildlife in the HFN CFA1.

The objective is to minimize the impact of forest management activities on wildlife habitat and to protect wildlife habitat features.



Provide habitat for large mammals and other wildlife, and maintain ecosystem processes. Preserve ungulate winter ranges, maintain adequate visual screening of preferred habitats, allow for continuous forage and, through various retention systems and WTRAs, incorporate stand level biodiversity goals.


We will maintain wildlife and biodiversity attributes through the retention of Timbered Leave Areas (TLAs) and Wildlife Tree Retention Areas (WTRAs) that are representative of the ecosystems to ensure that habitat potential exists for a large variety of wildlife species.

Respect provincially designated Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs), OGMAs, UWRs and MAMUS.

Maintain functioning riparian areas including streams, lakes, bogs and wetlands.

Maintain visual cover for ungulates where it is appropriate.

High quality active or recently inactive bear dens shall be buffered and protected in a WTRA or a windfirm TLA. All trees within 20 meters of the bear dens shall be left intact. In all cases the 20 meters shall be left in front of the bear den entrance. All inactive bear dens may be altered for safety reasons if there are other potential bear den trees in the vicinity.

7.0 Fisheries Management

7.1 Background Information

Water resources within the CFA1 consist of streams. Most of the HFN CFA1 is not located in a fisheries sensitive watershed. However the southernmost tip of the Central and Harris Creek Unit has a very small overlap into the Klanawa Fisheries Sensitive Watershed (FSW) portion of the FDU. This overlap is at the height of land and therefore the streams therein flow away from the Klanawa FSW.

Therefore, no special measures are required at this time for the management of fisheries sensitive watersheds. Refer to Table 4 for the management of riparian areas for fish‐bearing streams that are not within fisheries‐sensitive watersheds. The Sarita River, lakes and wetlands are outside the boundaries of the community forest but nearby. They include and provide the following values:

Salmon and resident fish‐bearing streams. Chinook, chum, Coho, pink and sockeye salmon inhabit the major drainages in the Sarita Landscape Unit. Coastal cutthroat and rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, kokanee, and steelhead are also present.

Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation clamming at Numukamis Bay within HFN IR #1 (The Spencer Creek West operating area drains via Carnation Creek into Numukamis Bay).

Aquatic ecosystems supporting biodiversity.

Aesthetics and scenery.

Recreation uses such as camping, fishing, swimming and boating.

7.2 Fisheries Objectives

Objectives are to manage and conserve water and fishery values to meet present needs without compromising the needs of future generations. Forestry activities shall minimize impacts on water resources and respect riparian values associated with streams, lakes and wetlands. For watershed management we will not be using Equivalent Cutover Area (ECA) targets as they have not been used since the early 2000s. Instead we will manage watersheds



with noted concerns or issues by using terrain stability and sediment source management practices. Best management practices shall be used in riparian areas.

The objective set by government for water, fish, wildlife, and biodiversity within riparian areas is identified in section 8 of the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation (FPPR), as follows:

The objective set by government for water, fish, wildlife and biodiversity within riparian areas is, without unduly reducing the supply of timber from British Columbia’s forests, to conserve, at the landscape level, the water quality, fish habitat, wildlife habitat and biodiversity associated with those riparian areas.

Specific measures to manage for riparian areas will be as per Sections 47 to 51 and 52(2) of the FPPR, and they are summarized in Table 4 below.

Table 4: Riparian reserve zones and management zones to be retained in riparian areas.

Riparian Class Riparian Management

Area (meters) Riparian Reserve Zone

(meters) Riparian Management Zone

(meters)

Fish stream or stream in a community Watershed (S1‐S4)S1‐A

(stream width > 100m) 100 0 100

S1‐B (stream width > 20 m)

70 50 20

S2 (stream width 5‐20 m)

50 30 20

S3 (stream width 1.5‐<5m)

40 20 20

S4 (stream width <1.5 m)

30 0 30

Non‐fish stream or stream outside of a community watershed (S5, S6) S5

(stream width >3 m) 30 0

30

S6 (stream width < or =3 m)

20 0 20

LakesL1‐A

(> or = 1000ha) 0 0 0

L1‐B (5‐<1000ha)

10 10 0

L3 (1‐5 ha)

30 10 20

WetlandsW1

(>5ha) 50 10 40

W3 (1‐5 ha)

30 0 30

W5 (wetland complex)

50 10 40

7.3 Strategies to Meet Objectives

HFN has standard operating procedures (SOP) designed to protect water quality and the environment in general. Sedimentation from soil entering the water either from harvesting, road construction or maintenance will deteriorate water quality for human consumption or fish habitat. Practices that minimize soil sedimentation will



be used. The application of herbicides for brush control and fertilizers for growth enhancement will be restricted such that there is no opportunity for these chemicals to enter any streams or water bodies.

Road construction shall be carefully monitored to reduce sediment wherever stream crossings are required. Timing windows shall be strictly adhered to around fish streams.

Maintain the natural surface drainage patterns during and after the construction of temporary or permanent landings, roads, culverts and bridges.

Streamside trees and/or understorey vegetation shall be retained to provide ongoing shade to temperature‐sensitive streams. It is important to anticipate risks to retained trees. Road deactivation plans reduce erosion through dry seeding or hydroseeding and planting roadsides and road surfaces on permanently deactivated roads.

7.4 Silviculture

7.4.1 Basic Silviculture

Stocking standards will be consistent with the current South Island Forest District stocking standards, and will be specified in the Forest Stewardship for the agreement area.

To adequately restock denuded areas reforestation will be accomplished by planting. Larger stock types (e.g. 410s, 412As, 412Bs and 512As) will be favored to improve survival and reduce free‐growing and green‐up periods.

All harvested cutblocks shall be planted within one year after harvest completion and all seedlings will be fertilized with 10 gram 25‐9‐9 individual seedling fertilizer teabags to achieve a better growth response and reduce brush competition problems. These measures will ensure rapid regeneration and they will help to reduce brush competition problems.

We will plant seedlings with genetic gain of 5% or more. Currently there is genetic gain seed for western red cedar, yellow cedar, Douglas fir and hemlock. This will help us to grow trees faster and with better attributes.

Every planted opening shall receive the first regeneration/survival assessment after one growing season and an over‐winter period to determine if the opening has achieved the approved legal stocking standards and to confirm that the planted trees are firmly established and healthy.

If there are areas from the survey that are not satisfactorily stocked, then we will map the problem areas and schedule the appropriate treatment(s) to ensure that the opening remains on track to achieve regeneration stocking standards and free growing status as quickly as possible.

Multi species planting mixes (at least 2 tree species) and genotypes will be managed for within each opening, where ecologically suitable. Laminated root disease is rare in the CFA1 area but for areas with a high incidence of Phellinus (laminated root disease); preferred species that are resistant to Phellinus (cedar and white pine) will be prescribed in conjunction with a stumping treatment where necessary.

7.4.2 Incremental Silviculture

HFN Forestry intends to explore a number of incremental silviculture options and will begin to implement the most viable of these options after it has established a solid operational and economic foundation. HFN Forestry will first begin to look at options in free‐to‐grow openings inherited from WFP Inc. In the longer term, it will assess similar options in openings developed under its own tenure.

Potential incremental silviculture projects that will be considered during the term of this Management Plan include: backlog reforestation and or planting of debuilt roads, pruning, precommercial thinning, commercial thinning, and fertilization. These programs provide good opportunities for local employment. However, decisions



to implement particular programs will not be predicated upon social engineering efforts. All programs must be selected on the basis of sound forest management data and strategies. HFN Forestry is contemplating strategic silviculture plan. The plan shall include:

Definitions of wood quality for various species.

Wood quality objectives related to possible end‐products.

Possible treatments to achieve wood quality objectives.

Proposed treatments will depend on the availability of suitable candidate areas and on the availability of Forest Investment Account (FIA) funding for such projects.

7.5 Forest Protection

7.5.1 Fire Prevention

The objective is to minimize the number of hectares burned due to accidental fires. To be prepared to safely and effectively respond to woodland fires or fires in a remote location, Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation Limited Partnership and its contractors undertake fire prevention and management responsibilities that are consistent with the Forest and Range Practices Act, the Wildfire Act, the Wildfire Regulation and the Occupational Health & Safety Regulation 26.19.

Under Section 4 of the Wildfire Regulation, before March 1st of each year, licensees under the Forest Act, including community forest agreement holders, are required to provide the local forest protection officer with a 24 hour a day contact telephone number if the licensee proposes to carry out an industrial activity on or after March 1 and before November 1 of that year. The HFN CFA1 shall supply this information to the local forest protection officer each year.

Under Section 5 of the Wildfire Regulation, If there is a risk of a fire starting or spreading on an area that is forest land or grass land, or within 300 m of forest land or grass land, a person who carries out an industrial activity at a site in that area must ensure that fire fighting tools are available at that site in a combination and type to properly equip each person at the site with a minimum of one fire fighting hand tool.

In addition HFN Forestry Limited Partnership has prepared an annually updated Fire Preparedness Plan for its historical operations and we shall do the same for the CFA1. This plan will be distributed to all management staff, Board members and all of our forestry contractors. This plan includes the emergency fire contact list, preparedness and suppression procedures, and identifies local contractor contact numbers and equipment that may be available for fire suppression on the licence area. The location of HFN Forestry Limited Partnership fire fighting equipment cache is at Spencer Dry Land Sort.

As per section 6 of the Wildfire Regulation, the Fire Danger Class will be determined for each industrial activity, and that activity will be carried out in accordance with the applicable restrictions and for the duration set out in Schedule 3 of the Wildfire Regulation for the Fire Danger Class. If there is a risk of fire starting or spreading, the Huu‐ay‐aht CFA1 will keep at the activity site sufficient fire fighting tools and an adequate fire suppression system.

Strategies to reduce fire hazard include disposing of landing and roadside logging debris as soon as practicable following harvest completion. Roadside slash piling will be done soon after harvest completion and then roadside slash pile burning will be done as soon as practicable this will constitute an appropriate hazard abatement treatment.

Wildfire Regulation for the Fire Danger Class. If there is a risk of fire starting or spreading, the Huu‐ay‐aht CFA1 will keep at the activity site sufficient fire fighting tools and an adequate fire suppression system.



7.5.2 Forest Health

The objectives of forest health stewardship are to:

Acknowledge the ecological roles of endemic levels of forest pests and disease;

To protect timber resources from damaging forest pests and diseases;

To avoid treatments that encourage the growth of pathogen populations;

To maintain or restore natural ecosystem function and structure necessary to ensure long term forest health; and

To conduct salvage harvesting in areas impacted by unacceptably high levels of insect or disease related mortality to recover timber values and if feasible, to reduce total pathogen size and/or rate of spread.

The forests of CFA1 have been relatively free of major insect or disease infestations. There have been no major catastrophic outbreaks causing major unsalvaged mortality or volume losses except for the hemlock looper outbreak in the Sarita area in the mid 1940s. The main active pests have been defoliators and bark beetles.

Spruce weevil (Pissodes strobi) has severely attacked Sitka spruce plantations in sections of TFL 44. However in the CFA1 area the infestation levels are negligible. HFN has done mixed planting of Sitka spruce in appropriate sites using weevil resistant spruce planting stock to promote species diversity and fast growth.

The primary diseases within the HFN CFA1 area are hemlock dwarf mistletoe and scattered incidences of laminated root rot (Phellinus weirii).

Current levels of infestation are as follows:

Hemlock Dwarf Mistletoe

Hemlock dwarf mistletoe is widespread throughout merchantable size stands. It is especially prevalent in mature to over mature western hemlock stands. Sanitation treatments of advanced regeneration are sometimes required to prevent the spread in newly regenerated western hemlock stands.

Where the incidence of hemlock dwarf mistletoe (DMH) is moderate to heavy in a cutblock, then possible strategies to reduce the spread of DMH involve: regeneration of non‐susceptible species along edges where the DMH hazard is high, removing or girdling infected trees, or leaving a vegetative or rock barrier between high hazard trees and susceptible regeneration. Regeneration of non‐susceptible species such as cedar shall be planned as a general rule in these cases. Where appropriate, one or more strategies will be implemented before susceptible regeneration is 3m in height.

Laminated Root Rot (Phellinus weirii)

Laminated root rot is only scattered and at low endemic levels throughout the operating area, and it is associated with Douglas fir of which there is not a large component in the HFN CFA1. However, root diseases sometimes result in small pockets of mortality. Reforestation with less susceptible species such as cedar and white pine blister rust resistant white pine seedlings can be used in root rot pockets. Laminated root rot is much more common in the CWH xm1 biogeoclimatic zone, which does not exist in the HFN CFA1.

Ambrosia Beetle

Ambrosia beetle attack degrades the value of logs in dryland sorts or storage. Maintaining low inventories of felled and bucked timber and processing logs quickly is the best method of control. Pheromone baited traps are sometimes used around dryland sorts and booming grounds to trap adult beetles.



Historic Hemlock Looper outbreak in the Sarita area

Bloedel Stewart and Welch Co. Ltd (BS&W Ltd.) was the predecessor company of MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. In 1951 BS&W Ltd. became MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. In the early 1940’s BS&W Ltd. purchased most of the Sarita Division. At first BS&W did nothing with this division because the species mix was very different from Franklin River. The predominant species in this area is Hemlock, Balsam, Cedar and a minimal amount of Fir. Most of this wood was of marginal value in the early days and of marginal interest for BS&W. They were focused on the higher Douglas Fir content in Franklin River and did not really need the Sarita wood at first.

The major reason that the Sarita Division started was that BS&W discovered an extreme Hemlock looper outbreak in the area and they began salvage logging operations there around 1945.

7.5.3 Forest Health Management Strategies

Biotic – Hemlock Dwarf Mistletoe (DMH)

See section (7.5.2) above.

Abiotic Damage

The objective is to minimize losses from abiotic factors such as windthrow, snowpress, drought and sunscald in a cost effective manner.

Wind

Windthrow assessments shall be completed by the engineering field crew using windthrow field cards for all of the edge/boundary segments. If it is determined that the level of expected windthrow is unacceptable then prescriptions may include:

Locating reserves and edges to reduce the risk of windthrow.

Leaving large buffers and allowing natural feathering (with a plan to salvage windthrown trees).

Using partial cutting systems to retain windfirm tree.

Where edge/ boundary segments have a high windthrow potential from winds a heli pruning treatment shall be prescribed for old growth timber or a topping treatment in second growth timber on the particular boundary segment(s). Treatment will consist of pruning dominant and co‐dominant conifers, removing 50% of the branches evenly distributed on the top 30‐50% of the crown.

Where significant areas of windthrow has occurred, salvage the merchantable timber where it is practicable to do so and in a timely manner to ensure that further degradation of the timber resource does not occur.

7.5.3.1 Detection

Detection of insect and disease incidence normally happens during the site plan field work or during the collection of data during silviculture surveys. Silviculture instructions will include defined actions for dealing with insects or diseases noted. Any increased incidence of insect or disease activity observed during operational activity will be dealt with by a specific action plan. Where outbreaks are identified HFN will seek assistance from specialists at the Canadian Forestry Service, MoFR, universities, and consultants as required.



7.5.3.2 Minimize Loss

Losses due to insect or disease outbreaks will be minimized by:

Implementing harvesting and sanitation activities in areas identified as disease centers subject to environmental and economic considerations;

Maintaining regimented inventory control to keep the volume of logs susceptible to ambrosia beetle attack to a minimum;

Managing as per provincial guidelines for Balsam Wooly Adelgid and Sitka Spruce Weevil; and

Trapping insects such as ambrosia beetle, where it is appropriate.

7.5.3.3 Browse Damage to Seedlings

Deer browse on seedlings can be a significant damaging agent in some areas. Seedling shelters for browse protection are expensive. Red and yellow cedar seedlings are impacted the most because these species are most palatable to deer.

Less palatable species such as weevil resistant Sitka spruce will be planted where appropriate in areas of high browse hazard. Current practices to protect seedlings from deer browse include shelter devices such as Sinocast tubes and the use of liquid repellants such as Plantskydd. We use larger cedar planting stock in some areas to help with seedling resistance to deer browse.

8.0 Road Construction, Maintenance and Deactivation

8.1 Construction Maintenance and Deactivation

Road construction, maintenance, deactivation and rehabilitation operations will be conducted in accordance with the prevailing legislation and they shall be subject to rainfall shutdown criteria requirements. Rainfall shutdown criteria will be strictly adhered to. Best practices are to shut down if drainage systems are overflowing or if surface sediments are saturated. Much of the CFA1 is already roaded so the primary focus will be on reactivation of old roads, eventual deactivation of those roads following completion of harvesting activities, deactivation of roads that shall be removed from road permits and new road construction.

Frequent inspections during wet weather and timely road repairs will be part of normal operations.

Revegetation of road cut slopes to reduce soil erosion and mitigate sedimentation will be done where required to preserve water quality.

8.2 Maintenance Activities

Maintaining the road systems is essential to permit safe operation of logging trucks, to provide safe access to the public, and to prevent environmental damage. This is achieved by completing the following activities as needed:

Grading road surfaces,

Clearing ditches,

Cleaning culverts to ensure optimal water flow,

Inspecting and maintaining bridges and major culverts,

Removing slide and slough material,



Repairing tension cracks and stabilizing road banks,

Brushing roadsides to maintain good visibility,

Falling danger trees adjacent to roads,

Spot gravelling, and

Sign maintenance.

Regular inspections are completed on roads and the maintenance levels are somewhat dependant on the road use. For example roadside brushing will be completed quite frequently on the main haul roads but infrequently on the lesser used spur roads. Regular inspections shall be completed on roads following heavy rainfall events and wind events or in the spring at the higher elevation areas during snow melt to ensure that drainage structures are functioning properly.

8.3 Deactivation

HFN Forestry considers roads to be an investment in the land base and thus they will be protected and managed as with any other forest investment until the next entry.

The following definitions of deactivation categories are from the Forest Road Engineering Guidebook second edition produced by the MoFR in June 2002.

8.3.1 Temporary Deactivation

Temporary or seasonal deactivation is defined as roads that “may be used when regular use of the road is to be suspended for up to three years. The temporary deactivated road must be field inspected at a frequency commensurate with the risk to the user safety and forest resources. If inspections indicate inadequate deactivation or damage to deactivation work, repairs must be made to correct the deficiencies”.

Typically culverts and drainage structures are left in place, cross ditches, water bars and ditch blocks are utilized for water management. This type of deactivation will typically be done by HFN on each cutblock after harvesting is completed. For safety ensure that all required signs are maintained / replaced as needed (e.g. warning signs, delineators, speed limits, power line clearances and road names).

8.3.2 Semi‐Permanent Deactivation

Semi‐permanent deactivation is defined as placing “the road in a self maintaining state that will result in minimal adverse impact on forest resources during the time that regular use of the road is suspended. Similar to temporary deactivation, regular inspections of semi‐permanent deactivation works are required. Identification of deficiencies needs to be followed by any necessary corrective measures within a reasonable timeframe, considering the risk to the road, its users and the environment. Semi‐permanent deactivation shall be used for roads that are to be deactivated beyond three years or as described above for roads in isolated areas. In addition to the range of measures commonly used in temporary deactivation, semi‐permanent deactivation requires that greater attention should be placed on the risk to adjacent resources through more aggressive application of water management techniques and possibly road fill pullback”.

With semi‐permanent deactivation, culverts and drainage structures are removed. Waterbars, cross‐ditches and ditch blocks are typically used for water management. Fill slope pullback and cut slope stabilization techniques may also be used for slope stabilization where required. For safety ensure that all required signs are maintained / replaced as needed (e.g. warning signs, delineators, speed limits, power line clearances and road names).



8.3.3 Waterbars

The purpose of a waterbar is to intercept surface water on the road and convey it across the road onto stable non‐erodible slopes below the road.

8.3.4 Cross‐Ditch and Ditch Block

The purpose of a cross‐ditch is to intercept road surface and ditch line water and convey it across the road onto stable, non‐erodible slopes below the road. A well‐compacted ditch block should be installed immediately downslope of the cross‐ditch inlet. For permanent or semi‐permanent deactivation, the ditch block is usually higher than the road surface.

8.3.5 Permanent Deactivation or Rehabilitation (deconstruction)

Permanent deactivation is defined as “placing the road in a self‐maintaining state that will indefinitely protect adjacent resources that may be at risk”. Permanent deactivation commonly involves a range of measures that are similar to semi‐permanent deactivation, but are often more aggressively applied where roads traverse areas of steep terrain or erodible soils, especially in geographical areas that receive high levels of precipitation. Permanent deactivation is done with the expectation that the road will no longer be used. As such the road will receive no further inspections or maintenance. Permanent deactivation of mainline roads is seldom done since these higher‐order roads provide access for future development. Permanent deactivation is therefore usually limited to within‐cutblock roads and cutblock access roads, and to road that provide duplicate access to areas.

For safety at all times when a road is being deactivated (removing culverts and bridges), a sign must be posted that warns of the deactivation. The sign can be removed once the work is completed. Barricading the road surface width to prevent access by regular motor vehicles is also necessary.

9.0 Community Awareness, Support & Involvement

9.1 Documentation of Community Support and Awareness

9.1.1 Introduction Public consultation was required to determine the forest management goals and objectives for the CFA1 which also helped guide the preparation of the Management and Business Plans in this licence application.

9.1.2 Website HFN Forestry Limited Partnership started the public consultation with the introduction of a website on May 11, 2010 with a link to the survey on the LEFT MENU of the Huu‐ay‐aht home page at www.huuayaht.org. The web site contains draft versions of the CFA1 Management Plan and CFA1 application documents with maps included in the documents. The website will have the approved Management Plan and application documents added later.

9.1.3 Survey The introduction of the website was followed by an open house held at the Huu‐ay‐aht village of Anacla at the House of Huu‐ay‐aht on May 19, 2010. Residents of Bamfield and from the Huu‐ay‐aht village of Anacla came out to speak directly to members of the HFN Forestry team about the community forest. Attendees were given the link address for the online community forest survey and they were encouraged to complete the survey. Other members of the local public were informed of the web based survey by email memos.



The results of the web based survey are found in Appendix E Summary of Community Awareness, Support, and Involvement Survey and Answers to Questions Asked.

Results from the “Community Awareness, Support, and Management Survey” showed that 93.8% of the respondents voted “yes” to the question “Do you support the concept of a community forest, managed and operated for the benefit of the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation community and the community at large?”

Thirty‐two surveys were completed during the period from May 11, 2010 to September 15, 2010.

Of those responding, 93.8% think that the proposed land base for the Huu‐ay‐aht community forest located on the west coast of British Columbia south and east of Barkley Sound is appropriate. 3.1 % of the responders do not think that the land base is appropriate; while 3.1% were unsure.

When asked to rank the importance of 13 potential uses for the community forest land base, the following responses were obtained: Water quality and fish habitat protection, creation of economic benefit for the community and the creation of small‐scale local forestry employment are their top three forest values for the community forest land base. Skills training opportunities was ranked fourth. Protection and/or creation of wildlife habitat and cultural heritage values were tied and they ranked fifth.

All forest values are important, but this ranking shows that the local community members are willing to strive for a balanced approach between non‐timber values and benefits of the forest and the receipt of revenue from the forest by harvesting timber and non‐timber forest products. Water quality and fish habitat protection is of the highest priority for protection, and the local community members will not tolerate any degradation of water quality, timing and flow or damage to fish habitat due to industrial forestry operations.

The full summary of the online survey results as well as the 32 individual online survey responses are found in Appendix E, Summary of Community Awareness, Support, And Involvement Survey And Answers to Questions Asked. Survey answers have been used to develop the forest management goals and objectives defined in the Management and Business Plans.

9.2 Letters of Support The formal letters of support are included for review in Appendix F, Letters of Support. Tables 5, 5a and 5b below summarize the categories within which the support letters are grouped and the number of letters obtained within each group.

Table 5 LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM LOCAL FORESTRY CONTRACTORS

CATEGORY SUPPORT LETTERS RECEIVED

Road Building/Harvesting Contractors Two

Geoscience Specialists One

Hydroseeding Firm One

TOTAL Four

Table 5a

LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM OTHER LOCAL FORESTRY RELATED BUSINESSES


Licensees (adjacent tenure holders) One

Tree Seedling Nursery One

Log Marketing Firms One

TOTAL Three



Table 5b

LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM OTHER LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE ORGANIZATIONS


Recreational and Interest groups One (from the chair of the Alberni Valley Outdoor Club)

TOTAL One

9.3 Report on the Public Input Events

9.3.1 House of Huu‐ay‐aht, Anacla May 19, 2010

The first opportunity for residents of Bamfield and from the Huu‐ay‐aht village of Anacla to speak directly to members of the HFN Forestry team about the community forest occurred at the House of Huu‐ay‐aht at Anacla on May 19, 2010. The Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation community at Anacla and the village of Bamfield had posters announcing the community forest open house time and place. Folks had an opportunity to look at the Management Plan maps, comment and ask questions regarding forest management issues. They were given the link address for the online community forest survey and they were encouraged to complete the survey and all visitors signed the guest book. Two take away handouts were available, one from the BC Community Forest Association and one from the HFN CFA1 that was specifically on HFN Forestry Limited Partnership Safe company certification and safety management and on environmental certification that HFN Forestry Limited Partnership is actively pursuing.

The open house attracted a fairly diverse cross‐section of the local population as well as some MoFR researchers, and it facilitated communications with people whose input is certainly valued.



Figure 6: The CFA1 Management Plan Open House at the House of Huu‐ay‐aht. Stan Coleman, RPF answers questions from a local Bamfield resident.

Figure 7: The CFA1 Management Plan Open House at the House of Huu‐ay‐aht. Darren Hiller, RFT reviews Management Plan maps with local Bamfield residents.

Figure 8: The CFA1 Management Plan Open House at the House of Huu‐ay‐aht. Huu‐ay‐aht members form the village of Anacla Roseanne Young, Bruce Nookemus and Stephen Smith review Management Plan maps.



Figure 9: Huu‐ay‐aht Community Forest Open House Poster.



9.4 Process for Public Involvement and Consultation

Discussions have been held with stakeholders and an open house meeting for further consultation occurred at the Village of Anacla with Huu‐ay‐aht members and the residents of Bamfield as part of the initial application process.

HFN has implemented a broad‐based strategy to ensure community awareness of the application, consisting of direct outreach by mail, notices on public notice boards, publishing of materials on the HFN CFA website and a community survey on the web site. Documentation of community support and awareness is included in the CFA application as well as information on the web site, the open house, the community survey, and letters of support, stakeholder consultation and First Nations’ consultation. Public consultation will play a vital role in the success of HFN Forestry’s management strategy by increasing the organization’s public credibility, improving public awareness and expanding the knowledge base to develop new ideas and workable strategies.

Opportunities for public participation and involvement in the community forest will be varied and ongoing.

Public awareness will continue to increase and evolve once the licence is issued, and the HFN CFA1 embarks on harvesting and road construction activities.

HFN Forestry Limited Partnership (HFN Forestry) is in charge of the management of the forestry business for the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation and it shall be in charge of the day to day decision‐making for the operation and management of the CFA1. HFN Forestry shall report to the HFN Forestry Limited Partnership Board of Directors and the Board of Directors shall report to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council. The Board of Directors of HFN Forestry Limited Partnership is accountable to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council.

HFN Forestry shall prepare the Forest stewardship plan for the CFA1, the five year and twenty year harvest plans as well as the annual harvest plans. The Forestry board shall review and or approve CFA1 annual harvest plans and they shall review and approve the following financial statements:

Projected Financial Statement Summary, Profit and Loss Forecast based on Projected Income Statement, Cash Flow Forecast, Balance Sheet Forecast, Projected Capital Expenditure Budget; and Company Assets.

The Chief and Council shall review the five and twenty year harvest plans.

9.4.1 Digital Communication

To ensure that the community forest maintains good communication links with the community, the website developed during the public review and comment period shall be maintained. The annual report produced for the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council will be available on the website as will harvest plans. Significant milestones such as the completion of the Forest Stewardship Plan will also be on the website.

The web site will provide an opportunity for direct feedback and information to the management team and the Board of Directors.

9.5 Consultation with Stakeholders and First Nations

The Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation (HFN) respects First Nation rights and culture and understands that cultural heritage resources are very important to all First Nations people. The MoFR has concluded their consultation on the application, Management Plan, and AAC of the HFN CFA1 with the three neighboring First Nations. However, consultation will still be required for other administrative and statutory decisions related to the CFA1.

The objective is to identify and manage known sites of historic and cultural significance. During the cutblock development stage referrals to the Huu‐ay‐aht CMT survey crew will occur. The CMT survey crew will do their



Archaeological reconnaissance and CMT inventory field assessments. CMTs and areas with potential for subsurface archaeological deposits will be searched for. If the area if determined to contain potential cultural heritage values, then an Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA) will be required to be done by a certified Archaeologist. The AIA report will make recommendations for the proposed cutblock development. Usually there are two options: Avoidance of the archaeological site and CMTs within the development area; or in cases where CMTs cannot be avoided and/or development activities will take place within the boundary of the recorded archaeological site then an Alteration Permit shall be applied for with the Ministry of Tourism Culture and the Arts, Archaeological Branch. Then alterations to archaeological sites can be conducted under the authorization of the Heritage Conservation Act, Section 12, Site Alteration Permit, issued by the Archaeology Branch of the Ministry of Tourism Culture and the Arts. As is the requirement of a Site Alteration Permit, a selection of the CMTs will be disc round sampled and analyzed for dating purposes.

A “green letter” must be provided by the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council to authorize any forest development and timber harvesting within any proposed cutblock. This “green letter” is a key part of the CMT Management Plan for a cutblock. This green letter will make Huu‐ay‐aht recommendations/requests and compliance with the requests and recommendations constitutes a coding of “Green”. The management of the cultural resources will follow the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation’s guiding five principles of sustainability.

Sustainable use of forests within the Huu‐ay‐aht traditional territory means:

Managing forest and fishery values to meet present needs without compromising the needs of future Huu‐ay‐aht generations.

Managing forest based on Huu‐ay‐aht values “Hish uk tsa wak” (everything is one).

Balancing forest values to meet economic and cultural needs of peoples within the ha‐houlthee of the Huu‐ay‐aht Ha’wiih, including the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation peoples.

Restoring the damaged ecologies and 35 watersheds within the ha‐houlthee of the Huu‐ay‐aht Ha’wiih.

Conserving biological diversity, soil, water, fish, wildlife, scenic diversity and other forest resources within the ha‐houlthee of the Huu‐ay‐aht Ha’wiih.

10.0 Administrative Authority and Structure

10.1 Mission Statement for the Intended CFA1 Holder

To profitably manage the HFN Community Forest in a sustainable, safe, effective and environmentally sensitive manner while promoting local employment of Huu‐ay‐aht youth, by skills‐training support.

HFN Forestry is an organization that cares about protecting the air, water, wildlife and soils on the lands they manage. To meet the goal of “hish uk tsa wak”, everything is one, we will:

Define the impacts our operations have on the Huu‐ay‐aht values and the environment;

Promote and train our employees and contractors in good environmental practices;

Comply with all relevant legislation and regulations to which we subscribe;

Implement standards which compliment our safety and quality objectives; and

Continually improve our results.

To achieve our goal, we will set targets for our environmental objectives and review our performance annually.



10.2 Overview of the History of the Intended Holder of the CFA1

From the year 2000 until the present time HFN Forestry Limited Partnership (HFN Forestry) has grown from a small scale salvage company to a full phase logging and road building contractor capable of harvesting in excess of 100,000 m3.

Consistently on an annual basis HFN Forestry has been one of BC’s leading First Nation companies in annual harvest volumes via the acquisition of various tenure agreements and innovative management in safety, harvesting, regeneration and stand maintenance treatments. HFN Forestry is continually taking significant steps to ensure that it maintains a competitive edge in the challenging and ever changing forest industry. In the fall of 2006 a full time safety coordinator was hired to develop and manage our comprehensive safety program and in late 2006 HFN Forestry earned the SAFE Certified company designation from the BC Forest Safety Council. As a condition of employment all contractors and individuals working for HFN Forestry must be SAFE Certified.

HFN Forestry is a goal oriented organization with the ability to set and achieve its goals. Some key achievements that are contributing to HFN Forestry’s forest industry success are:

1. The implementation and formal certification of SAFE COMPANY status from the BC Forest Safety Council;

2. The acquisition of the Spencer creek Dry Land Sort in 2006;

3. Successful negotiation for short and long term tenure opportunities; and

4. Flexible and innovative management team.

The purchase of Spencer Creek Dry Land Sort has proven to be one of the best strategic moves that HFN Forestry has made in recent years, providing HFN with the opportunity to sort, boom and market their wood products. HFN Forestry was the first Safe Certified First Nation owned company in BC.

Since 2004 HFN Forestry has successfully built road, harvested and promptly regenerated seventeen cutblocks under the following licences: a TSL, a FLTC and two NRFLs. Harvesting and regeneration will be completed in a cutblock associated with a third NRFL by the fall of 2010. Falling, road construction and harvesting shall begin on our fourth NRFL (comprised of two cutblocks) in April/May of 2010 followed by prompt planting.

HFN Forestry negotiated a market logging contract with WFP Inc. (by purchasing timber off the stump), in 2009/2010 to harvest 90,000 m3 of timber and to develop and build road for most of the cutblocks.

The Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation is proceeding well with the implementation planning process for the Treaty Select Area.

General HFN Forestry Principals:

Promote sustainability of all resources.

Practice Best Practices Watershed Management.

All logged cutblocks shall be planted within one year after harvest completion to ensure rapid regeneration and minimize brush problems. All seedlings will be fertilized with 10 gram 25‐9‐9 individual seedling fertilizer teabags to achieve a better growth response and reduce brush competition problems.

Every planted opening shall receive the first regeneration/survival assessment after one (1) growing season and an over‐winter period to determine if the opening has achieved the approved legal stocking standards and to confirm that the planted trees are firmly established and healthy.



If there are areas from the survey that are not satisfactorily stocked, then we will map the problem areas (for example weak stocking or brushy areas, deer browsed trees or dead trees) and schedule the appropriate treatment which may be a fill plant or a brushing treatment, or installation of tree cones for deer browse protection.

Declaration of the regeneration milestone via results to the MoFR shall be done as soon as the regeneration/survival survey confirms that all SUs have achieved approved standards and the planted trees are firmly established and healthy. Future stand maintenance assessments shall be forward planned/conducted based on the risk factors associated with the opening. Timelines, brush hazard, site conditions and local knowledge will determine the timing of future assessments. A free growing survey shall be forward planned for the early Free Growing date or as early in the Free Growing assessment period as practicable. The Free growing results will be reported to the MoFR by SU as per reporting protocols.

HFN Forestry operates as a good corporate citizen by being a responsible employer and operating with integrity and fairness with suppliers, contractors and employees. Sustainable management of financial resources is practiced for the long term viability of the company.

We look forward to managing long term tenure.

10.3 Intended Administrative Governance Structure and Philosophy

HFN Forestry shall be managed and directed in a manner that reflects the principles of integrity, open communication within the organization, teamwork, continuous pursuit of corporate excellence and adherence to the Company’s Code of Conduct.

10.4 Proposed Processes for Decision-Making for Operation & Management of CFA1

The existing management structure is as follows and it shall be covered in more detail in Section 10.8.

Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council

Forestry Board

The general Partner (568157 B.C. Ltd.) within HFN Forestry Limited Partnership (HFN Forestry) Manages the Forestry Business and shall manage the CFA1 along with the Safety‐Environmental Management System (EMS) department & coordinator (A

department of HFN Forestry)

The Community Forest will be held and operated by the General Partner (568157 B.C. Ltd.) within HFN Forestry. HFN Forestry is comprised of the following:

General Partner 568157 B.C. Ltd. and Limited Partner 568159 B.C. Ltd. (568159 B.C. Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary that represents the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation in the Limited Partnership).

The Incorporation No. for 568157 B.C. Ltd. is BC0568157. The HFN Forestry Limited Partnership was incorporated as a limited company on July 13, 1998 to pursue forest based business opportunities. The Board of Directors of HFN Forestry is: Chief Councillor Robert Dennis, Lawrence Johnson, Derek Peters, and Connie Waddell. The officers of the Company are appointed by the directors, with their duties defined in the articles of the Company.

The Board of Directors will also be responsible to decide how much of HFN Forestry’s annual profit will be distributed externally within the Huu‐ay‐aht community for select business ventures or projects. One of their tasks



will be an annual evaluation of eligible business ventures and projects according to a set of pre‐determined guidelines. At present, the officers of the Company are:

Name Title

Robert Dennis President

Connie Waddell Secretary

HFN Forestry is in charge of the management of the forestry business for the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation and it shall be in charge of the day to day decision‐making for the operation and management of the CFA1. HFN Forestry shall report to the HFN Forestry Board of Directors and the Board of Directors shall report to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council. The Board of Directors of HFN Forestry is accountable to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council.

HFN Forestry is a Safe Certified Company under the BC Forest Safety Council. HFN Forestry is currently working to obtain ISO 140001 EMS certification.

Within HFN Forestry there is a full time Safety/Environmental Management System (EMS) coordinator. HFN Forestry shall prepare the Forest stewardship plan for the CFA1, the five year and twenty year harvest plans as well as the annual harvest plans. The Forestry Board shall review and or approve CFA1 annual harvest plans; annual EMS ISO 14001 audit reports and they shall review and approve the following financial statements:

Projected Financial Statement Summary, Profit and Loss Forecast based on Projected Income Statement, Cash Flow Forecast, Balance Sheet Forecast, Projected Capital Expenditure Budget; and Company Assets.

The Chief and Council shall review the five and twenty year harvest plans.

10.5 Processes for Distribution of Benefits Gained from CFA1 Operation

Division of Profits

The HFN Forestry Board of Directors will be responsible for how any company profits will be used internally. HFN Forestry’s first priority will be to establish a substantial reserve fund. This reserve fund will be used to a) buffer the company against market volatility, and b) provide equity for possible capital expansion (i.e. improvements to the log sort yard and the purchase of a new excavator). It is suggested that all company profits be targeted for reserve fund allocation in the first two years of operations. After two years, a substantial percentage of annual profits may be placed in the reserve fund until the reserve fund is capped at an agreed to target. The Community Forest will be held for the benefit of the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation and HFN Forestry shall be accountable through ongoing reporting to the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors shall report to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council.

10.6 Processes for Monitoring and Reporting

Monitoring Process

HFN Forestry management will be responsible for monitoring all operational activities. In doing so, it will ensure that compliance is being achieved with all of the requirements and/or targets outlined in the following documents:

1. Forest Act;

2. Forest and Range Practices Act;

3. Forest Planning and Practices Regulation;

4. Vancouver Island Land Use Plan (VILUP);

5. HFN CFA1 Forest Stewardship Plan;

6. HFN CFA1 Management Plan;

7. HFN CFA1 Business Plan;

8. BC Forest Safety Council’s approved Safe Work Procedures;



9. ISO 14001 – The international environmental certification standard;

10. Cutting permit documents;

11. Workplace safety plan for each operational phase by cutblock number;

12. Contractor agreements; and

13. Fire Protection Strategy.

Monitoring will take place by the following means:

1. Regular field inspections using the EMS inspection forms for road construction, falling, yarding and loading, deactivation, salvage harvest and forestry activities;

2. EMS Pre‐start sign off meeting and checklist with contractors for each operational phase;

3. EMS Post harvest assessment;

4. Waste and residue assessment;

5. Planting quality assessments;

6. Various silviculture surveys during the life of a stand: a formal regeneration/survival on planted trees scheduled one (1) growing season and an over‐winter to obtain data to declare regeneration milestone as met; stand maintenance assessment to confirm stocking levels and the progress toward achieving free growing status; a free growing assessment to confirm the free growing stocking status required to declare the free growing milestone as met; and

7. Regular comparison of financial targets with financial results.

Reporting Process

HFN Forestry Limited Partnership (HFN Forestry) management will also be responsible for the reporting of all monitored information. Compliance checklists covering legal requirements and workplace safety issues will be documented and filed for all operations. Any issues of significant non‐compliance will be reported to the Board of Directors and other appropriate bodies (i.e. BC Forest Safety Council, Ministry of Forest and Range Compliance and Enforcement, electronic scale reports to the MoFR harvest billing system, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Archaeology Branch).

Monthly financial reports will be prepared for the Board of Directors.

HFN Forestry management will also be responsible for filing an annual report which will detail the following:

1. Degree of success achieved in implementing specific directives or recommendations put forward by the Board of Directors;

2. Statistical data on planning, road building, harvesting and silviculture operations;

3. Complete financial reports; and

4. Planned activities and strategic goals for the following year.

The company will file an Annual Report detailing all relevant financial and other information related to the company during the previous fiscal year.

Auditing Process

HFN Forestry management will hire an auditor each year to substantiate its financial statements and to make necessary changes to ensure adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

HFN Forestry will use its monitoring and reporting results to prepare a comprehensive annual audit of all of its operations. The audit will track non‐compliance trends and make recommendations for improvement.



Once we have achieved our ISO 14001 certification we will undergo an annual external audit to maintain our certification status. This audit will also track non‐compliance trends and make recommendations for improvement.

Environmental Management System (EMS)

To aid HFN Forestry in securing the highest financial return over the longest possible timeframe and to ensure it is done inside of the Huu‐ay‐aht principals of sustainability, HFN Forestry will need to seek certification.

There are three types of certification that the Huu‐ay‐aht may consider.

ISO 14001 – The international environmental certification standard;

SFI – Sustainable Forestry Initiative (to ensure planning is sound); and

CSA Z809 – ensures a focus on public involvement.

FSC – is a certification system that provides internationally recognized standard‐setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services to companies, organizations, and communities interested in responsible forestry.

We will start with ISO 14001 certification, as it is the one most associated with companies who have the highest operational standards in all areas and is recognized worldwide. Major buyers in the international market place expect this standard. Other reasons to have an EMS (Environmental Management System) include better implementation of the environmental policy, reducing environmental impact, improving compliance with legislation and regulations, improving operational efficiency and improved public trust.

In order to achieve ISO 14001 certification by the second quarter of 2011, HFN Forestry needs to have the following in place:

Training for crews and contractors in the standard operating procedures;

A system of documentation and its control established;

A continual improvement system incorporating the Plan, Do, Check, Respond criteria;

Training for management in the audit process; and

Third party verification (External Audit) for initial certification.

To be certified by the second quarter of 2011 to the ISO 14001 standard we must do the following:

Contractors and employees will work to:

Comply with applicable environmental laws, regulations and other commitments; and

Continuously improve environmental performance.

Key environmental goals:

Practice sustainable forestry;

Reduce pollution; and

Conserve natural resources through recycling and waste reduction.

Key elements include protection of:

Water quality;

Fish and critical wildlife habitat; and

Soil productivity.



The key elements of EMS:

The EMS meets the ISO 14001 standard, which is based on three fundamentals:

o DOCUMENTATION – “Say what you do, do what you say, and prove it”;

o CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT – Plan, Do, Check, Respond;

o THIRD PARTY VERIFICATION – An accredited registrar verifies the EMS through auditing.

After we have achieved ISO 14001 certification external audits will be conducted on annual basis to ensure conformance with the ISO 14001 EMS in order for us to maintain our certification.

Our forestry team will conduct field inspections for conformance with EMS as well as compliance with environmental and forest legislation.

Employees and Contractors must know the following:

All workers must review, understand and follow the standard operating procedures (SOP’s) and emergency procedures related to their job(s);

All crews must participate in and carry out pre‐work meetings to ensure communication of project or plan information;

All crews are required to have in their possession, a project map (Logging Plan, Road Construction Plan, forestry plan, etc);

Various checklists are used with a sign‐off as a record of communication;

Work will be subject to routine inspections to ensure conformance to the operating procedures, laws and regulations; and

Items requiring corrective or preventative action will be tracked to ensure completion and also to track continual improvement.

Workers must be aware of:

How their job can affect the environment;

Which procedures apply to prevent or minimize environmental impact;

Potential consequences for not following procedures (environmental, legal, and disciplinary); and

How to report issues to your supervisor.

10.7 Processes for Conflict Resolution Regarding Implementation of CFA1

A clearly defined conflict resolution policy will help our organization move more quickly towards a resolution. An organization with the capacity to resolve differences will increase its long–term sustainability.

A three step conflict resolution process is proposed.

Step 1 Dialogue and Negotiation.

The first step in conflict resolution is through dialogue in which the parties seek to understand the “why” beneath the conflict. The major goal in such negotiations is not to personalize the conflict but to focus on the issue rather than on the individuals. Negotiation shall be designed to make trade‐offs and thus find an outcome that all parties can live with. People shall be encouraged to practice consensus decision making to balance the values of community members. In practice we can say: Can everyone live with the decision? Consensus does not mean everyone likes or prefers the decision, but that they can live with it. A decision forged through consensus is more likely to be long lasting because it meets the main concerns of the parties and the participants agree that they can accept it.



Step 2 Mediation.

If efforts at resolution are unsuccessful, the next step shall be to seek mediation. The mediation process involves an independent third party (a mediator) with no decision‐making power who attempts to obtain a mutually acceptable settlement between disputing participants. An agreement or consensus reached in mediation must be voluntary. The responsibility for the outcome of mediation rests with the participants themselves. In mediation the participants must agree to make a serious attempt at resolving the dispute by identifying underlying interests, isolating points of agreement and disagreement, exploring alternative solutions, and considering compromises and accommodations.

Step 3 Arbitration.

If mediation is unsuccessful in conflict resolution, either the community forest or the contractor should be entitled to seek arbitration. Arbitration is a legal alternative to the courts, whereby the parties in conflict agree to submit their respective positions (through agreement or hearing) to a neutral third party for resolution.

10.8 Proposed Roles of CFA1 Holder and Key Personnel – Qualifications in CFA1 Business Management

The Community Forest will be held and operated by HFN Forestry. HFN Forestry is comprised of the following:

General Partner 568157 B.C. Ltd. and Limited Partner 568159 B.C. Ltd. (568159 B.C. Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary that represents the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation in the Limited Partnership.)

The Incorporation No. for 568157 B.C. Ltd. is BC0568157. The mailing address is HFN Forestry Limited Partnership P.O. 200, Bamfield, BC VOR 1BO. The HFN Forestry was incorporated as a limited company on July 13, 1998 to pursue forest based business opportunities. The Board of Directors for HFN Forestry is comprised of: Chief Councillor Robert Dennis, Lawrence Johnson, Derek Peters, and Connie Waddell. The officers of the Company are appointed by the directors, with their duties defined in the articles of the Company. Generally, the officers are entrusted by the Board of Directors with the day to day management of the Company. The standard of care which must be exercised by an officer in his activities in guiding the Company is the same as that of a director. In other words, an officer must act honestly and in good faith and in the best interests of the Company. Every company must have a president and secretary who, except in the case of a company with only one member, must be different persons. At present, the officers of the Company are:

Name Title



10.9 Skills and Experience Profile

Appointments to the Board of Directors of HFN Forestry will be guided by the following selection criteria:

Statutory Qualifications

Persons appointed to the board must be “qualified individuals”. Specifically, this means an individual who:

Is not an employee or an officer, other than the President, of HFN Forestry or of the Shareholder; and

Does not hold elected public office of any type.

All potential appointees to the HFN Forestry Board must agree to comply with the provisions related to Director qualification and conflicts addressed in the Corporate Governance Policy concerning the Code of Conduct of Directors.



Personal Attributes

All directors should possess the following personal attributes:

1. High ethical standards and integrity in professional and personal dealings;

2. Ability and willingness to raise potentially controversial issues in a manner that encourages dialogue;

3. Flexibility, responsiveness ands willingness to consider change;

4. Ability and willingness to listen to others;

5. Capability for a wide perspective on issues; and

6. Ability to work as a team member.

Core Competencies

All Directors should possess the following core competencies:

1. Well‐developed faculty for critical analysis;

2. Basic financial literacy, including the ability to read financial statements and the ability to understand the use of financial ratios and other indices to measure performance;

3. Appreciation of the unique role of HFN Forestry as the entity operating the Huu‐ay‐aht First nation Community Forest;

4. Thorough knowledge of the responsibilities and duties of a director; and,

5. Ability to distinguish corporate governance from management.

Key Skills & Experience

The composition of the Board of Directors should reflect the diversity of the people within our Community. As a whole, the Board should possess the following skills and experience, while individual Directors must possess more than one.

1. Leadership – experience at a senior level managing the operations of a small to medium commercial entity.

2. Business – experience in operating a business in British Columbia.

3. Board Experience – previous experience as a member of a Board of Directors of a commercial entity.

4. Accounting and Finance – accounting and financial expertise.

5. Legal – a law degree or experience in managing legal issues of a commercial nature.

6. Forestry – knowledge and experience in addressing forestry issues in BC, including environmental and safety issues.

7. Communications – experience in developing and/or leading communications programs.

8. Regulatory – experience working in or significant knowledge of issues associated with, a commercial entity regulated by statute.

9. Community and Aboriginal Relations – experience in leading consultation processes with local governments and/or aboriginal interests in BC.

10. Non‐timber Resource Knowledge – experience and knowledge of non‐timber resource activities such as recreation, biodiversity, botanical forest products and environmental sustainability.



Expectations & Commitments

1. Directors are required, at all times, to act in the best interests of HFN Forestry.

2. Directors must bring some needed expertise to the Board.

3. Directors are expected to listen to and respect the thoughts of other Board members.

4. Directors must respect the decisions/conclusions of the majority.

5. Directors must:

(a) Be supportive of logging and other forestry activities;

(b) Have an interest in both timber and non‐timber activities of the Community Forest;

(c) Support the use of the Community Forest for educational and recreational uses;

(d) Be committed to promoting innovative, value‐added opportunities of the Community Forest in the local Community; and

(e) Be interested in expanding the benefits provided by the Community Forest to the local Community.

6. Directors are expected to attend all Board meetings. Missing three meetings in a twelve month period is grounds for their removal by the Board.

11.0 Business Plan

11.1 Disclosure Statement Disclosure Statement

HFN Forestry has thoroughly considered the financial risks involved with operating the proposed Community Forest.

The Management Plan implications have been factored into the Business Plan, and if this Business Plan is implemented, it will provide the applicant with a reasonable chance of operating a successful forestry business.

11.2 Executive Summary Business Description

HFN Forestry seeks provincial approval for a Community Forest Agreement. The provincial government has extended an invitation to the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation to apply for a Community Forest Agreement. The licence will provide for an operational area for the annual harvest of 16,992 cubic meters of mixed species timber to be sold on the open market.

The Community Forest’s licence area will be contained within the Crown land negotiated for deletion from Western Forest Product Inc.’s TFL 44. The HFN CF1 is comprised of four distinct polygons or Units: Spencer Creek (West Unit), Blenheim Unit, Spencer Creek (EAST UNIT), and the Central and Harris Creek Unit. These areas total



2345 hectares. The area is shown outlined by a pink boundary in Figure 1. Attached to this plan are 1:20,000 scale maps of the proposed HFN CF1 units, including forest cover.

11.3 Management and Governance Structure

The Community Forest will be held and operated by the General Partner (568157 B.C. Ltd.) within HFN Forestry. HFN Forestry is comprised of the following:

General Partner 568157 B.C. Ltd. and Limited Partner 568159 B.C. Ltd. (568159 B.C. Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary that represents the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation in the Limited Partnership.) The Community Forest will be held for the benefit of the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation.

The Incorporation No. for 568157 B.C. Ltd. is BC0568157. The mailing address is HFN Forestry Limited Partnership P.O. 70, Bamfield, BC VOR 1BO. The HFN Forestry was incorporated as a limited company on July 13, 1998 to pursue forest based business opportunities.

11.3.1 Governance Structure

11.3.1.1 The Board of Directors

HFN Forestry shall be accountable through ongoing reporting to the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors shall report to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council. The Board of Directors will report results to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council at regularly scheduled council meetings.

The Board of Directors of HFN Forestry is: Chief Councillor Robert Dennis, Lawrence Johnson, Derek Peters, and Connie Waddell. The officers of the Company are appointed by the directors, with their duties defined in the articles of the Company.

The Board of Directors will also be responsible to decide how much of HFN Forestry’s annual profit will be distributed externally within the Huu‐ay‐aht community for select business ventures or projects. One of their tasks will be an annual evaluation of eligible business ventures and projects according to a set of pre‐determined guidelines. At present, the officers of the Company are:

Name Title



HFN Forestry is in charge of the management of the forestry business for the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation and it shall be in charge of the day to day decision‐making for the operation and management of the CFA1. HFN Forestry shall report to the HFN Forestry Board of Directors and the Board of Directors shall report to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council. The Board of Directors of HFN Forestry is accountable to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council.

11.4 Key Initiatives and Objectives

HFN Forestry’s primary business objective will be to maximize the social and economic benefits to our communities and the province of British Columbia by harvesting in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. We will maximize profits from log sales through the aggressive pursuit of diversified log markets. HFN Forestry is committed to helping stabilize the local forest industry by providing employment opportunities for local forestry and wood manufacturing businesses.



Mission Statement for the Intended CFA1 Holder

To profitably manage the HFN Community Forest in a sustainable, safe, effective and environmentally sensitive manner while promoting local employment of Huu‐ay‐aht youth and the local community at large, by skills‐training support. We will practice aboriginal stewardship of the forest resources and protect traditional use practices. We will ensure that the environmental values and standards required by the Forest and Range Practices Act are upheld. The HFN Forestry will seek to fulfill its mission statement by meeting the following broad strategic goals and objectives:

11.5 Future Plans

11.5.1 Short Term Objectives (Years 1 through 2.5)

Complete and obtain approval for a Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) by the 4th quarter of 2010.

Implement ISO 14001 certification by August 2011.

Establish working relationships with any stakeholder group(s) affected by CP development.

Establish working relationships with non‐timber forest resource users.

Start harvest operations by February 2011.

Meet all forest stewardship related commitments.

Begin to build a cash reserve from HFN Forestry CFA1 profits.

11.5.2 Medium Term Objectives (Years 2.6 through 5)

Develop Long‐term marketing strategy by December 31, 2010.

Continue to build cash reserve and cap at 1 million dollars.

Establish one interpretive forest site or trail network.

Continue to meet all forest stewardship related commitments.

Harvest 84,960 m3 5 Year Cut Control.

Continue to fine tune all original goals and amend them to meet changing demands.

11.5.3 Long Term Objectives (Years 6‐Forward)

Implement a long‐term marketing strategy.

Implement appropriate incremental silviculture projects.

Become a recognized leader in provincial and community forestry in the implementation of innovative and sustainable forest practices.

Continue to fine tune all original goals and amend them to meet changing demands.

Improve our database of forest inventory to guide our future planning.

Expand and enhance our website – the information, the ease of use and the overall effectiveness to provide even more comprehensive information about our HFN CFA1 activities.



11.6 Product/Service Description

The timber profile will produce a combination of roundwood logs for sale as sawlogs, pulp logs, veneer logs, house logs, timber frame logs, poles, or any other merchantable product. Wherever possible, minor forest products will be utilized. Merchantable minor forestry products will be scaled prior to sale and marketed by HFN Forestry. HFN Forestry’s area of operations has a fairly even distribution of age classes with old growth plus matures plus early merchantable age classes occupying about the same proportion of the Timber Harvesting Landbase (THLB) as the immature to sapling/pole sized age classes.

The primary product that the HFN CFA1 will produce will be old growth and second growth logs to sell into the local domestic log market.

The proposed landbase of the HFN CFA1 contains a variety of timber species and age classes, which affords opportunities to match the business to the demands of the marketplace. As the old growth component of the licence is harvested, the reliance of the HFN CFA1 on second growth harvesting will increase. The species profile has a significant hemlock balsam component. The over mature age class hemlock will yield a significant pulp component. The second growth hemlock is generally of very good quality and it is as of April 2010 yielding a good market price.

Many of the second growth hemlock areas will be ideal candidates for ground based mechanized falling and processing for increased efficiency. We may move this product to market using highway logging trucks.

The timber that we harvest will be scaled, graded, sorted and watered at the HFN Forestry Spencer dryland sort. The wood will be sold from the Spencer dryland sort. The HFN Forestry contract logging crews are comprised of local skilled loggers and this ensures local participation in the work.

Since 2004 HFN Forestry has been managing several licences successfully as an efficient logging and silviculture firm. We have implemented log merchandising practices at Spencer dryland sort to gain the status of a preferred supplier to a local major licensee sawmill.

Each harvest area will have a specific marketing plan to match the profile of the timber. The timber may be sold directly by the management team or as we have sometimes done in the past, we can utilize a log broker to market the timber.

12.0 Business Plan Components

12.1 Industry/Market Analysis and Strategy

12.1.1 Industry Overview

HFN Forestry and the CFA1 will be part of a provincial industry that annually harvests 80 to 85 million cubic meters of timber. The vast majority of this timber is harvested by large tenure holders with existing mill holdings. As a small tenure holder without any mill holdings, HFN Forestry’s challenge will be to maximize harvest revenues by continuing to be an efficient producer and by ensuring that logs are accessible to all potential buyers. Our mission is to grow our established successful forestry business by continuing to build capacity for the Huu‐ay‐aht First nation in timber harvesting, planning, engineering and management. HFN Forestry will ensure a high standard of environmental stewardship and safety while managing the Community Forest. We will develop and harvest 16,992 m3 of timber per year from the HFN Community Forest. This will provide a consistent revenue base allowing social, cultural, spiritual and economic circumstances to improve for the Huu‐ay‐aht First nation community and the community at large. We will continue to work to be a preferred supplier in the market by fully leveraging our log



merchandising and our ISO 14001 brands when we gain our certification. We strive to continue to provide our customers with top quality wood, to earn a reputation as one of BC’s premier producers.

HFN Forestry will seek to upgrade a component of its volume from sawlog grade to specialty or custom products to obtain a premium price whenever possible. Key markets that may be targeted include Douglas‐fir peelers and timber frame products, cedar poles, and clear cypress for Japanese temple timbers.

Demand for HFN Forestry’s CFA1 timber will come from a variety of sources. HFN Forestry anticipates that sawlog and pulp sales will mainly be made to large mills while sales of higher value products will be made mainly to smaller producers.

Part of the challenge for HFN Forestry will be to continue to adapt to changing markets and market conditions.

12.1.2 Market Competitors

Other area licensees include Western Forest Products Inc., Coulson Forest Products, Island Timberlands, Interfor and the Teal Jones Group. Most of their harvested annual quotas are used to support their individual mill capacities, with some logs being traded.

BC Timber Sales Strait of Georgia Business Unit , Port Alberni Field Team sold 143, 000 cubic meters of timber in their 2009‐2010 fiscal year so far from its licence area with 220,000 cubic meters in total available for sale.

Other First Nations with new tenures will also begin their harvest operations in the Port Alberni area. These other new licensees, together with established licensees will be producing logs that will compete with those produced by HFN Forestry from CFA1.

12.1.3 Market Challenges

HFN Forestry identifies two principle market challenges it will face in making the community forest a profitable venture. These challenges are:

Maximizing value from harvested timber; and

Cyclical nature of timber markets.

The following represents more information about each of these challenges and the fundamental strategies that HFN Forestry has adopted to meet each challenge.

12.1.3.1 Maximizing Value from Harvested Timber

Revenues and profits in the Projected Income Statement 2011‐2015 (Appendix G) have been derived assuming the anticipated product mix. However, adjustments to the available product mix can seriously alter revenues and therefore profits. While HFN Forestry will focus closely on efforts to optimize its product mix, it recognizes that the actual product mix obtained from a given stand of timber can be quite different from what is initially projected based on area reconnaissance, timber cruising and engineering. For this reason, “best case” and “worst case” scenarios shall be used in projected log profile and revenues. Species and product mix are two variables that need to be adjusted to reflect the potential range in revenues.

HFN Forestry is fortunate to have an excellent harvesting and road construction track record due to careful management and supervision and the use of excellent tried and true road contractors, loggers and the skilled HFN Spencer dryland sort crew.



12.1.3.2 Cyclical Nature of Timber Markets

Product pricing used to derive revenues for the Projected Income Statement 2011‐2015 has been based on normalized price for each product over the course of the business cycle. However, HFN Forestry understands that it is an industry featuring both highly volatile pricing and cyclical markets. For this reason, product pricing (along with species and product mix as described above) shall be adjusted in the depiction of “best‐case “worst‐case” scenarios for Projected Log Profile and revenues.

Log Sales Values and Trends

Chart 1 – CSP Coast Species AMVs

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Chart 2 – CSP Coast Species Volumes

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Chart 3 – CSP Coast Species Volume Percents

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Chart 4 – CSP Coast Total AMV

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Chart 5 – CSP Coast Total Volume

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HFN Forestry intends to take advantage of the mixed species profile that it will inherit by using a high product mix as a buffer against instability caused by the highly cyclical nature of timber markets. The variety of timber types in the CFA1 may still allow some harvest opportunities when one or more species is doing poorly in the marketplace. For example if old growth Douglas Fir is doing poorly in the market then harvesting may be re‐directed to forest types that contain old growth Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock and Balsam species, or into second growth Western Hemlock stands. HFN Forestry will respond to these types of conditions by not starting any harvest operations when the markets do not provide for a profitable operation.

Historic Log Sales Values

Hemlock and balsam, representing 60% of the volume on the HFN Community Forest licence, have had an average sales price of $54.01/m3 over the past ten years. The lowest price during this period was approximately $45.51/m3 and the highest price was approximately $62.51m3. Hemlock and balsam are now selling slightly above the average price range over the past ten years at approximately $47.20/m3.

Cedar, representing 20% of the volume has had an average sales price of $128.91/m3 over the past ten years. The lowest price during this period was approximately $85.42/m3 and the highest price was approximately $172.41/m3. Cedar is presently selling at $116.03/m3 which is below the average price range over the past ten years.

Douglas fir, representing 20% of the volume has had an average sales price of $96.29/m3 over the past ten years. The lowest price during this period was approximately $63.08/m3 and the highest price was approximately $129.50/m3. Douglas fir is presently selling at $93.90/m3 which is below the average price range over the past ten years.

Average Selling Price

The average selling price for logs produced from the HFN Community Forest is estimated at $93.06/ m3 for 2011 and it is projected at $92.68/ m3 for 2012, $88.08/m3 for 2013, $84.31/m3 for 2014 and $91.56/m3 for 2015. The ten year 3 month average market values for logs were used to determine the average selling prices. The pricing data was obtained from the timber pricing analyst, from the pricing branch of the BC MoFR and the charts under log sales values and trends section show the ten year 3 month average market values for logs graphically.

Stumpage Determination

The stumpage rate for the HFN Community Forest has been calculated in accordance with the Coast Appraisal Manual. The Coast Appraisal Manual Section 7.2 (1a) indicates the tabular sawlog stumpage rate ($/m3) for each species of coniferous timber and zone harvested under a cutting authority issued under a CFA and their associated road permits. This CFA is in the Southern Coast Zone. As per the Coast Appraisal Manual Southern Coast Zone, the stumpage rate determined under this subsection shall be re‐determined on March 1st of each year in accordance with this subsection.

Table 6 shows the most current version of the Coast Appraisal Manual (Amendment No. 8 effective May 15, 2010) with sawlog stumpage rates ($/m3 ) for each species of coniferous timber in the Southern Coast Zone harvested under a cutting authority issued under a community forest agreement and associated road permits.



Table 6 Sawlog Stumpage Rates ($/m3) for each species of coniferous timber in the Southern Coast Zone harvested under a cutting authority issued under a community forest agreement and associated road permits.

Zone

Species Southern Coast Zone

Balsam 0.66

Hemlock 0.47

Cedar 1.00

Cypress 0.61

Fir 0.52

Spruce 0.62

Other 0.64

Effective May 15, 2010

The average stumpage rate for March 1, 2010 to February 28, 2011 is less than $1.00/m3 as indicated in the above table. However after February 28, 2011 the average stumpage rate is likely to change. An average stumpage rate of $1.00/m3 per year has been used for calculating stumpage revenues payable to the province in the section entitled Projected Financial Statement Summary as well as in the following projected financial statements: income statement, forecast cash flow statement, and the proforma balance sheet.

12.2 Potential Risks and Pitfalls

The primary business risks associated with the community forest are general liability issues, and financial risks. These risks and the strategies to manage them are detailed as follows.

12.2.1 General Liabilities

As a licensee, HFN Forestry will need to address a number of liability issues. These include third party liability, contravention of permits and environmental laws, fire, damage to adjacent land owner’s facilities or infrastructure, roads under permit, and silviculture liabilities. Strategies to ensure that liabilities are prevented, reduced or managed are detailed as follows. HFN Forestry has three different types of insurance that are required:

1. Directors and Officers liability Policy: $2 million Coverage. This policy will protect directors should they be sued for activities conducted on behalf of the organization.

2. Office Package: $2 million Coverage. Policy covers office contents, valuable papers, accounts receivable, computers, and tenant’s legal liability.

3. Commercial General Liability with forest firefighting expense: $2 million in liability with $500,000 forest firefighting expense.

12.2.2 Third Party Liability

HFN Forestry is already a “Safe Certified Company” under the BC Forestry Safety Council. All of our contractors must also be “Safe Certified Companies” as a condition of employment with HFN Forestry.

Ensure that all contractors are current and in good standing with their WorkSafe BC Coverage.

Ensure that all contractors are appropriately insured for their specific work.



12.2.3 Contravention of Permits and Laws

HFN Forestry uses a professional and competent forestry management team to ensure that plans are professionally done and that they are executed according to plan.

HFN Forestry has an Environmental Management System (EMS) in place. This EMS system goes a long way to ensure that plans are communicated and followed. An EMS release package is produced and signed off by each employee or contractor at each phase of our forestry operations. Field audits on our field operations are conducted regularly as follow up to ensure compliance with our plans.

12.2.4 Fire

The community forest will ensure that our operations are consistent with the Wildfire Act of BC and we will ensure that all contractors carry appropriate fire fighting equipment and insurance and that their operators and crew are up to date with the required training as per the regulations. HFN Forestry has an up to date Fire Preparedness Plan and all of our contractors and employees are up to date with their S‐100 Basic Fire Suppression and Safety Training.

12.2.5 Damage to Adjacent Land Owner’s Facilities or Infrastructure

Operations adjacent to the Carnation Creek Watershed and any that encroach onto the area of the research watershed will involve discussions on forestry developments with the research team to ensure that planned operations do not affect the integrity of the on‐going research by impacting Carnation Creek’s hydrology, hillslope stability, and sediment delivery into its channel network. Careful road building, harvesting and access road drainage management shall be practiced.

Operations adjacent to the hydro lines that run along the Bamfield Mainline within the area will be in compliance with WorkSafeBC Regulations regarding limits of approach.

Signage will be in place for roads that connect with other licensees roads and also to the Bamfield main road.

Harvest areas adjacent to private land may require legal surveys to be done. Quality engineering and maps together with the use of checklists will help prevent trespasses.

12.2.6 Roads Under Permit

Once roads are under permit to The CFA1, any repairs or maintenance including damage to a road or a bridge structure during storm events, normally become the responsibility of HFN Forestry. Insurance is likely available for damage to this infrastructure.

HFN Forestry has a well developed EMS system that includes road and infrastructure inspection forms and procedures. A regular inspection schedule is used so that any road or bridge issues are found and maintenance is implemented before they become a significant cost and any environmental impacts are avoided. Frequent inspections during wet weather and timely road repairs will be part of normal operations.

Roads that are not required for long term timber access, recreation, or other forest user’s access, shall be de‐activated and removed form the road permits.

12.2.7 Silviculture Liabilities

Long term silviculture obligations to ensure that harvested areas are reforested with healthy trees become the licensee’s responsibility as soon as the first trees are felled in a cutblock. Basic silviculture is comprised of the



treatments required to establish a free‐growing crop, as specified in the Forest Act, for lands harvested under the HFN Community Forest licence. Basic silviculture treatments include:

Post harvest inspections including plant‐ability, regeneration/survival, brushing and weeding and free‐to‐grow surveys;

Site preparation (rehabilitation of hoe chuck trails, slash piling & roadside slash pile burning);

Planting and fill planting, if required; and

Brushing and weeding.

The estimated contract rate to carry out basic silviculture is $2.80/m3.

The first milestone to meet with the silviculture liabilities is the attainment and declaration of regeneration delay achieved. On average this is within two years for the average plantation. The second milestone to meet is the achievement of free growing status. The average plantation reaches free‐growing in 11 years.

The community forest must ensure that sufficient revenues are maintained to manage the ongoing silviculture liabilities. The HFN CFA1 Proforma Balance Sheet shows the accounting for the silviculture accrual liability under long‐term liabilities for this purpose. HFN Forestry has a very good silviculture management track record due to good planning and the use of excellent tried and true silviculture contractors.

All harvested cutblocks shall be planted within one year after harvest completion and all seedlings will be fertilized with 10 gram 25‐9‐9 individual seedling fertilizer teabags to achieve a better growth response and reduce brush competition problems. These measures will ensure rapid regeneration and they will help to reduce brush competition problems.

We will plant seedlings with genetic gain of 5% or more. Currently there is genetic gain seed for western red cedar, yellow cedar, Douglas fir and hemlock. This will help us to grow trees faster and with better attributes.

Every planted opening shall receive the first regeneration/survival assessment after one growing season and an over‐winter period to determine if the opening has achieved the approved legal stocking standards and to confirm that the planted trees are firmly established and healthy.

If there are areas from the survey that are not satisfactorily stocked, then we will map the problem areas and schedule the appropriate treatment(s) to ensure that the opening remains on track to achieve regeneration stocking standards and free growing status as quickly as possible.

12.2.8 Financial Risks

Financial risk is normally any risk associated with any form of financing. Risk is the probability of unfavorable condition; in the logging sector it is the probability of actual return being less than expected return. There will be uncertainty in every business; the level of uncertainty present is called risk.

Timber is bought and sold in the global market. B.C.’s key markets are the United States, China, Japan and Europe. Depending on changes in economies worldwide and the demand for timber, the price of timber rises and falls. If the overall market conditions are poor such that timber cannot be profitably harvested, then the Community Forest is best served by deferring harvest until log prices are favorable again.

The forestry sector, which includes the pulp and paper and lumber industries, was hit hard by the slump in the U.S. housing market. This has directly affected log prices. There is still uncertainty in the market, especially in the U.S.



Activity in the U.S. housing market remains close to historic lows, with no appreciable movement in U.S. housing starts since the end of 2008 despite government incentives.

However business conditions are much better than they were at this time last year or the immediately preceding quarter. The combination of an increase in demand and better prices has helped the logging industry somewhat.

There are several stages in the harvest cycle where financial risk can peak. Once a cutblock and road is engineered or laid out in the field, HFN Forestry must carry the cost of this development under the timber is harvested and sold. Therefore the management team has to ensure that the timelines from layout to harvest are managed tightly, and that cutblocks that are not profitable or cannot be harvested due to existing constraints, are not laid out.

The phase with the greatest financial risk is when roads are being constructed. The capital outlay for roads is significant as seen in the projected start‐up worksheet in Appendix G Projected Financial Statements and Basic Financial Cost Assumptions. If roads are built and the log market falls such that harvest will be deferred, it is possible that the timber value may not cover the cost of the road construction. The impact of this type of scenario may be lessened by ensuring that the pro‐forma income statement for a cutblock includes “best case” and “worst case” scenarios to allow for a price decrease. Another option may be to pre sell the timber to lock in the price. It is critical that road construction be kept as current with harvest as safety and scheduling allows as this will decrease the exposure to falling log markets.

Arguably the biggest single financial risk to the business is a change in the stumpage system.

If the British Columbia Government changes the stumpage system by revising the stumpage rate schedule, or the calculation method, it will have significant implications for the HFN CFA1. The HFN CFA1 will be an active member in the BC Community Forest Association so that anticipated stumpage system changes and the impacts on community forests are considered.

If changes to the stumpage system occur we will be proactive by revising the make up of cutting permits to ensure that our proposed operations remain financially viable.

We shall minimize financial risk by establishing financial controls coupled with prudent operational and harvest planning, and by continuing our well developed contractual relationships.

Every cutblock will be scrutinized for viability as the planning is undertaken. The start of harvest operations will not be approved unless a cutblock or a group of cutblocks is expected to be profitable.

12.3 Implementation Plan (Start-up)

As with any business, HFN Forestry’s greatest challenge will occur during the start‐up phase of operations. Once the Community Forest Licence is awarded, funds to complete a Forest Stewardship Plan pay the first year’s AAC rental, and layout the first cutblocks will be required. Careful forecasting of start‐up costs and a solid plan for the procurement of funds is essential in order to ensure that the company does not suffer a cash shortfall before revenues begin to accrue sufficiently to cover costs.

Total start‐up costs are forecasted to be $1,018,361. Appendix G contains a detailed list of the anticipated start‐up costs on the HFN Community Forest Projected Start‐up costs worksheet.

HFN Forestry is well positioned for the required start‐up funding. However if needed part of the operating capital can be acquired from sources used by other small licensees who include:

Log brokers provide operating capital in return for the commission rights to sell the timber. The fees for this are usually in the neighbourhood of prime rate plus 2%, and $3 per m3 to sell the wood; and



Contract with a larger customer for advances against the purchase price of the logs.

Once the community forest is operating, HFN Forestry intends to hold cash reserves equal to the cost of planning for one year’s AAC, building 1.44 kilometers of road, and planting the previous year’s harvested area. Retaining approximately $279,470 in the business will allow for self financing of operations, and provide the needed flexibility to manage the forestry business.

12.4 Human Resources

The challenge of ensuring effective management will fall to the HFN Forestry Board of Directors.

As described in the Management and Governance Structure section, our human resources will continue to be composed of: the HFN Forestry General Manager, the managerial team, our full time contract safety coordinator and the contract engineering services of DRH Forestry Ltd. These people will manage the licence.

12.4.1 Human Resources Organizational Chart for HFN Forestry

General Manager

(HFN Forestry Staff)

HFN Forestry Administrative Assistant

(HFN Forestry Staff ‐Payroll/Accounting and Office

Management)

Road and Harvesting Contract Supervisor


Planning Forester


Huu‐ay‐aht Member Excavator Operator


5 person Spencer Dryland Sort Crew

(HFN Forestry Sort Crew)

DRH Forest Ltd.

(Contract Engineering Company)

Contract Road Builders

Contract Logging Contractors (1 ‐ 2 are used

at any given time)

Log Hauling Contractor

(has 5 trucks)

Safety and EMS Coordinator (Consultant) Full Time

12.5 Projected Financial Statement Summary

Appendix G provides the projected financial statements using basic financial cost assumptions for the business plan. The appendix includes the projected harvesting plan, the projected income statement for 2011‐2015, the proforma balance sheet for 2011‐2015 and the 2011‐2015 HFN CFA1 cash flow analysis.

The projected sales volume of 16,992 m3 annually from a variety of old growth and second growth stand cutblocks.



Approximately $16,992 per year payable in stumpage revenues to the province.

Anticipated annual gross revenues of approximately $1,581,445.

Activities on the licence will be done largely by the HFN Forestry management team and the balance shall be done with established contractors that we already work with.

Net income is anticipated to be $412,254 per year for 2011 and $443,211 in 2012.

13.0 Not for Public Disclosure

HFN Forestry requests that the names of individuals who provided comments on this application are not disclosed, to protect their privacy. It is our understanding that this information is excepted from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Privacy Act.



14.0 APPENDICES

Appendix A – Legislation and Higher Level Plans – Guidance Documents for the Management Plan Planning

The Management Plan is required to be consistent with Higher Level Plans like the Vancouver Island Land Use Plan that applies to the HFN CFAI. Landscape Unit Plans and Forest Stewardship Plans also provide direction for management in the HFN CFAI.

Vancouver Island Land Use Plan Higher Level Plan Order (VILUP HLP)

The Land Act and the Land Use Objectives regulation provide for the establishment of land use objectives under the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) based on requirements of the Vancouver Island Summary Land Use Plan (VISLUP) Feb. 2000.

The Vancouver Island Land Use Plan Higher Level Plan Order (effective December 1, 2000) established Resource Management Zones (RMZs) and objectives for these RMZs.

Of the eight RMZs established by the order for the TFL 44 landbase surrounding the HFN CFAI landbase, four are classified as Special Management Zones (SMZs), and four are classified as Enhanced Management Zones (EMZs). The remaining area in TFL 44 is classified as General Management Zones (GMZ’s) by the VISLUP. The zones are summarized in Table 7. The HFN CFAI landbase is almost entirely within EMZ #43 (The Sarita Resource Management Zone), with only a small (0.3 ha area in SMZ 18) which is the Alberni Canal SMZ.

Special Management Zones (SMZs)

The SMZs in TFL 44 include the Strathcona‐Taylor, Barkley Sound, Alberni Canal and Walbran Periphery SMZs, all partially within TFL 44. SMZs are areas for which conservation of one or more resource values, such as biodiversity, wildlife, cultural, recreation or scenery have been defined as a priority. Objectives specific to SMZs include:

Sustaining forest ecosystem structure and function. The emphasis is on creating or maintaining stand structure and forest attributes associated with old forests;

The target is to maintain at least 25% of the productive are in each SMZ in mature and old forests;

A variety of silvicultural systems are applied, subject to maximum cutblock size of 5 ha for clearcut, clearcut with reserves or seed tree silvicultural system and 40 ha for shelterwood, selection or retention silvicultural systems; and

Priority is on the management of visual landscapes in the Barkley Sound and Alberni Canal SMZs.

Enhanced Management Zones (EMZs)

The Corrigan and Klanawa EMZs are largely within TFL 44. The Sarita EMZ is partially within the TFL. Objectives specific to EMZs allow for more flexibility on cutblock size and adjacency requirements. This includes:

A cutblock is greened‐up if it is adequately stocked and the average height of the trees is at least 1.3 meters; and



A cutblock may be larger than 40 ha where hydrology, wildlife, biodiversity, scenic or recreation values are not impacted significantly.

The VILUP HLP also allows for variation in old seral constraints in the Sarita EMZ.

In the Sarita (with a low biodiversity emphasis option) there may be additional retention requirements for marbled murrelet habitat.

Table 7: Vancouver Island Resource Management Zones – TFL 44

RMZ Type and # RMZ Name Productive Forest Area (ha)

SMZ 14 Barkley Sound 1,225

SMZ 17 Strathcona‐Taylor 4,851

SMZ 18 Alberni Canal 2,486

SMZ 21 Walbran Periphery 444

Sub‐Total 9,006

EMZ 42 Corrigan 14,635

EMZ 44 Klanawa 23,442

EMZ 43 * Sarita 11,416

EMZ 38 Effingham 1,521

Sub‐Total 51,014

GMZ 34 E&N South 30

GMZ 35 Ash / Great Central 14,868

GMZ 37 Henderson 9,319

GMZ 45 Nitinat 22,919

GMZ 41 Cameron–China 377

GMZ 46 Gordon‐Caycuse‐San Juan 10,627

Sub‐Total 58,140

Total 118,162

The HFN CFAI is almost entirely within EMZ 43, with only a very small portion in SMZ 18 (Alberni Canal) SMZ. Sarita Landscape Unit Plan

The proposed HFN Community Forest Agreement A1 (CFA) 1 is mostly located within the Sarita Landscape Unit with a small area located within the Klanawa Landscape Unit. Government has developed a Landscape Unit Planning Strategy for the Coast Forest Region. The HFN CFA1 is covered under the Sarita Landscape Unit (LU) Plan. The Sarita LU covers a total area of ha. 12,933 ha 18.1% (2345 ha) are in the community forest. This initiative defines landscape units and assigns Biodiversity Emphasis to each unit. A low Biodiversity Emphasis Option (BEO) was assigned to the Sarita LU and an Intermediate BEO was assigned to the Klanawa LU based on a combination of factors including the amount of protected area within the LU percent of old forest ecosystem complexity, sensitivity to development, connectivity, forest productivity and timber operability. Within TFL 44 there are nine landscape units (LUs); these and associated BEOs are listed in Table 9 and the Sarita Landscape Unit is shown in Figure 5.

The focus is on establishing Old Growth Management Areas (OGMAs) and objectives for Wildlife Tree Retention Areas (WTRAs) for each landscape unit. OGMAs are intended to provide a foundation for representation of different habitat types and a distribution across the forest landscape of a range of structural (habitat) elements. WTRAs ensure that habitat and structural elements are present on the landbase. WTRA targets are defined in the respective FSP relative to the appropriate legislation.

Objectives have been established for the Caycuse, Nitinat and Walbran landscape units as part of the Ministerial Order for Land Use Objectives for the Renfrew Sustainable Resource Management Plan dated January 2007.



Work is proceeding with refinement of draft OGMAs for the other landscape units in TFL 44. It is expected that several will be ready for public and First Nations review in 2010. In the meantime the Order establishing Non‐Spatial Old Growth Objectives (NSOG) (June 30, 2004) specifies targets for maintenance of old forest by biogeoclimatic variant within each landscape unit. The targets vary according to biodiversity emphasis and variant. Within TFL 44 OGMAs have been established in the Nitinat, Caycuse and Walbran landscape units. Draft OGMAS in the Klanawa, Sarita, Corrigan, Great Central and Henderson landscape units have been identified to meet the NSOG order. The gross area of the draft OGMA within the HFN CFA1 inside the Sarita Landscape Unit is 132 ha.

These draft OGMAS will be used in the timber supply analysis but a public and First Nations’ review process must be completed first before becoming legal.

Old forest is defined as stands > 250 years old. The old seral target is based on a combination of BEO, BEC variant and the natural disturbance type of the variant. The draft OGMAs for landscape units with a low BEO (Sarita) identify enough area to meet old seral targets drawn down to 1/3 for the first rotation (80 years). Targets for the end of the second rotation (160 years) and the end of the third rotation (240 years) will be addressed as forest cover constraints. Intermediate and High BEO landscape units will be subject to the full target constraint throughout the analysis period. Table 10 indicates the landscape biodiversity constraints that will be applied for old seral forest.

Plan objectives have become legal objectives by Government Order through the Land Act. Sarita LU objectives will mainly be addressed through the establishment of OGMAs and setting targets for Wildlife Tree Retention as follows:

Objective 1 – Old Growth Management Areas

1. Complete the public and First Nations’ review process for the designation of the Sarita OGMA.

Finalize the location of the OGMA and explore the recruitment of old growth forest attributes from suitable candidate second growth forests.

2. Permissible Activities

a) Minor OGMA boundary adjustments for operational reasons:

To accommodate operational requirements for timber harvesting and road or bridge construction, boundaries of OGMAs that are 10 ha or greater in size may be adjusted, provided that

i) the boundary adjustment does not affect more than 10 per cent of the area of the OGMA,

ii) road or bridge construction is required to access he resource values beyond or adjacent to the OGMA and no other practicable option for road or bridge location exists, and

iii) Suitable OGMA replacement forest or at least equivalent quantity is identified either (in order of priority) directly adjacent to, or in the same variant and landscape unit as the adjusted OGMA.

In the case of ii) above, as an alternative to finding replacement area the licensee may permanently deactivate and rehabilitate a temporary road or bridge site within four years after construction.

b) Other permissible activities:

i) Boundary pruning of trees to improve wind firmness.



ii) Timber harvesting to prevent the spread of insect infestations or diseases that pose a significant threat to forested areas outside OGMAs. Salvage within OGMAs will be done in a manner that retains as many old growth forest attributes as possible.

iii) Maintenance, deactivation, removal of danger trees, or brushing and clearing on existing roads under active tenure within the right‐of‐way for safety reasons.

iv) Felling of guyline clearance, tailhold anchor trees, or danger trees 9except high value wildlife trees) along cutblock boundaries or within the right‐of‐way on new road/bridge alignments to meet safety requirements.

v) Construction of rock quarries an gravel pits under authority of forest tenure where the development will be located immediately adjacent to existing roads under tenure and will affect the OGMA by less than 0.5 ha in total.

vi) Intrusions, other than those specified that affect an OGMA by less than 0.5 ha in total.

OGMA replacement forest is required as a result of activities under 2b) above, if the total net change to the OGMA exceeds 0.5 ha in size. Replacement forest must be biologically suitable, of at least equivalent and situated (in order of priority), either immediately adjacent to the existing OGMA, or in the same variant and landscape unit as the existing OGMA.

Objective 2 – Wildlife Tree Retention

Maintain stand‐level structural diversity, by retaining Wildlife Tree Retention Areas (WTRAs).

The holder of an agreement under the Forest Act, except a woodlot licence agreement, who completes harvesting in one or more cutblocks, except minor salvage cutblocks1, located within the LU during an 60 month period beginning on January 1 of any calendar year following the establishment of this objective, must ensure that, at the end of that 60 month period, the total area covered by wildlife tree retention areas that relate to the cutblocks, meets or exceeds the percent of the total area of the cutblocks by subzone presented in Table 8 below.

In addition:

1. WTRAs must be well distributed across the BEC subzone.

2. When designated at the operational site plan level, WTRAs must be located within or immediately adjacent to a cutblock.

3. No timber harvesting, including single tree selection is to occur within WTRAs, except as noted in (4) below

4. Salvage of windthrown timber is permitted within WTRAs where windthrow impacts 255 to 50% of the dominant or co‐dominant stems. Salvage of windthrown timber and harvesting of remaining standing stems is permitted within WTRAs where windthrow exceeds 50% of the dominant or co‐dominant stems; or where forest health issues pose a significant threat to areas outside the WTRA. Where salvage/harvesting is planned and authorized, suitable replacement WTRA of at least equivalent quantity must be identified concurrently to achieve the retention target.

1 A minor salvage cutblock is defined as less than 2.0 ha of harvesting and/or less than total volume of 2000m

3 excluding volume from any road

clearing width, if the road is required to facilitate the removal of the timber within the minor salvage cutblock.



5. WTRAs should include, if present, remnant old‐growth patches and live or dead veteran trees (excluding danger trees).

6. WTRAs must include, representative larger trees for the stand (dbh> average operational cruise) and any moderate to high value wildlife trees if available (excluding danger trees).

7. BEC subzones and variants will be determined by operational site plan information.

8. In WTRAs with a likelihood of windthrow, pruning and/or topping may be carried out to maintain the integrity of the WTRA.

Table 8: Wildlife Tree Retention by BEC subzone in the Sarita Landscape Unit

Biogeoclimatic Subzone % WTRA Requirement

CWH vm1 Coastal Western Hemlock Submontane very wet maritime

7

CWHvm2 Coastal Western Hemlock Montane very wet maritime

7

CWHvh1 Coastal Western Hemlock Southern very wet Hypermaritime

7

In order of priority, LU objectives override objectives set by government or regulation via FRPA and LU objectives must be consistent with resource management zone objectives outlined in a Higher Level Plan (HLP).

Table 9: TFL 44 OGMA Status and Areas

Landscape Unit

Biodiversity Emphasis (BEO)

OGMA Status (May 2009)

OGMA Areas (ha)

Productive Area Reduction

Caycuse Intermediate Established 1,180

677

Nitinat Intermediate Established 2,040 1,2000

Walbran Intermediate Established 470 320

Established OGMAs (subtotal) 3,690 2,197

Corrigan Intermediate Draft 2,777 2,015

Great Central Intermediate Draft 2,247 1,604

Henderson Low Early Draft 1,261 1,006

Klanawa Intermediate Draft 3,322 2,428

Sarita ** Low Draft 1,034 594

Draft OGMAs (subtotal) 10,641 7,647

OGMAs Total 14,331 9,844

Effingham Intermediate None ‐

** The HFN CFA1 is mostly located within the Sarita Landscape Unit with a small area located within the Klanawa Landscape Unit.

14.1.1 Old Forest Objectives

Old forest objectives are applied by BEC variant / landscape unit. In the CFA1 Timber Supply Analysis (TSA) BEC variants were derived from the Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping for TFL44 and the provincial Abec coverage was used to fill some small gaps in the terrestrial ecosystem mapping. Most of CFA 1 is within the low biodiversity



emphasis option (BEO) Sarita landscape units, while a small area is within the intermediate Klanawa landscape unit (Table 10). The full old seral constraint will be tested as a sensitivity analysis in the TSA for CFA1.

Table 10: Old Seral Targets

BEO, LU, BEC CFLB Area

(ha) THLB Area

(ha) Old Seral Constraint (minimum %)(1)

Intermediate, Klanawa, CWHvm2 2.3 2.0 13%

Low, Sarita, CWHvh1 2.5 2.2 13%

Low, Sarita, CWHvm1 1745.1 1288.5 13%

Low, Sarita, CWHvm2 456.9 322.5 13%

(1) In the low BEO units the requirement is to achieve one third of the target now and to meet the full target by the end of three rotations. Forest Stewardship Plan

The HFN CFAI Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) will address objectives and corresponding results and strategies for forest areas in CFAI. As set out by FRPA, the FSP addresses objectives for cultural heritage resources, biodiversity, soils, fish, timber, forage and associated plant communities, community watersheds, water, timber, wildlife, recreation resources, resource features, and visual quality.

This Management Plan will take the lead from the FSP for the objectives covered by the FSP. If there is any inconsistency between the MP and the FSP, then the FSP takes precedence.

Forest Certification

Forest certification provides structure and discipline to achieve responsible forest stewardship including an emphasis for on‐going improvement. It provides customers and the public with third party verification that HFN Forestry management systems meet or exceed specific standards.

HFN Forestry is currently seeking ISO 14001 certification.

ISO 14001 standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) – ISO stands for the International Organization for Standardization;

Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (Chain of Custody) which assures the customers that the products originated in a Certified Forest.

Major components of the ISO certification include:

The ISO 14001 EMS provides a framework for actively managing environmental risks. Policies, procedures, responsibilities, monitoring and training are all clearly defined.



A.1 Vancouver Island Land Use Plan – Higher Level Plan

The Land Act and the Land Use Objectives regulation provide for the establishment of land use objectives under the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) based on requirements of the Vancouver Island Summary Land Use Plan (VISLUP) Feb. 2000.

The VISLUP established Resource Management Zones (RMZ) and objectives including Special Management Zones (SMZ), was not a legal document. A HLP order signed in October 2000 outlined land use objectives from the VISLUP that are legally binding under the FRPA.

The HFN CFA1 landbase is designated under the HLP as being within Enhanced Forest Management Zone RMZ #43 (the Sarita Resource Management Zone) and only a very small portion is in SMZ 18 (Alberni Canal SMQ. This RMZ #43 contains “enhanced regimes” for the management of the following values or resources:

Timber harvesting (the objective for Enhanced Forest Management Zones) is to increase the short‐term availability of timber. Enhanced resource management areas are managed to produce higher volumes and values while respecting environmental protection standards of FRPA.

Silviculture management prompts reforestation and stand maintenance treatments to ensure prompt regeneration with healthy, vigorous stands of timber.

Of the eight RMZs established by the order for the TFL 44 landbase surrounding the HFN CFAI landbase, four are classified as Special Management Zones (SMZs), and four are classified as Enhanced Management Zones (EMZs). The remaining area in TFL 44 is classified as General Management Zones (GMZ’s) by the VISLUP. The zones are summarized in Table 7.

A.2 Forest and Range Practices Act

Under FRPA objectives for resource management have been proposed by government. Strategies to achieve objectives, and expected measurable results for relevant forest and non‐forest resources are outlined by each licensee in their Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP). “Result” means a description of (a) measurable or verifiable outcomes with respect of a particular established objective, and (b) the situations or circumstances that determine where in a forest development unit (FDU) the outcomes under paragraph (a) will be applied. “Strategy” means a description of (a) measurable or verifiable steps or practices that will be carried out in order to meet a particular established objective, and (b) the situations or circumstances that determine where in an FDU the steps or practices will be applied. Under FRPA and FSP must propose results and strategies that address objectives set by government (OSBG). OSBG includes objectives prescribed in the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation (FPPR) and ones established under the Land Act. The OSBG in the FPPR are limited to the following subjects:

(a) soils; (b) visual quality; (c) timber; (d) cultural heritage resources; (e) forage and associated plant communities; (f) water; (g) fish; (h) wildlife;



(i) biodiversity; (j) recreation resources; and (k) resource features.

The Management Plan must be consistent with the Acts, regulations, and standards in effect at the time that the plan was prepared. Thus, the Management Plan and any additional proposed objectives must be consistent with FRPA, and with the OSBG. The timber supply analysis ( TSA) included with the Management Plan must take into account net‐downs resulting from proposed FSP results and strategies to address OSBG and practice requirements (strategies) legislated in the FRPA. For the HFN CFA1 the Management Plan objectives and the results and strategies to achieve objectives provide the terms of reference for the TSA and the resulting AAC determination. However, these are prepared with a future FSP in mind as the HFN CFA1 cannot be covered by a FSP until a licence agreement is established.

A.3 FPPR Practice Requirements

The FPPR practice requirements are strategies to achieve outcomes outside of the FSP that must be followed by the licensee (unless an exemption is granted).

Practice requirements are predetermined steps to take to achieve OSBG. For example, FPPR s.36 requires that “an agreement holder must ensure that the area in a cutblock that is occupied by permanent access structures built by the licence holder or used by the holder does not exceed 7% of the cutblock.” This practice requirement is aimed to achieve an OSBG to “to conserve the productivity and the hydrologic function of soils.”

The HFN CFA1 Management Plan AAC calculation must take into account any practice requirements that will reduce the available Timber Harvesting Land Base (THLB).

A.4 Community Forest Agreement

The Community Forest Agreement is the licence outlining the harvesting rights and obligations of the community forest. It is a 25 year, replaceable licence agreement. A minimum harvest volume for cut control purposes must be negotiated with the agreement holder.

Bill 13, Forest Amendment Act, 2009 was passed in the BC Legislature March 26th. It removed the mandatory 5 year probationary period for Community Forest Agreements.

The legislation will transition all existing Probationary Community Forest Agreements into 25 year Agreements. Communities with a probationary agreement must signal their intention to transition to a long term agreement to the Ministry of Forests and complete any updates to their Management Plan that are required to qualify for the 25 year term.

Community forests are different from other tenures because they are managed by the community, for the benefit of the community. We have a higher level of accountability to the people around us, our friends, our neighbours and our children. We manage in a very personal way.

As stewards of the local forests, we will work to sustain biodiversity, to protect watersheds, cultural heritage resources, and visual quality, and to enhance recreational and other non‐timber values.



Appendix B Agreement Holder Legal Entity Information

The Community Forest will be held and operated by the General Partner (568157 B.C. Ltd.) within HFN Forestry Limited Partnership. HFN Forestry Limited Partnership is comprised of the following:

General Partner 568157 B.C. Ltd. and Limited Partner 568159 B.C. Ltd. (568159 B.C. Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary that represents the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation in the Limited Partnership.)

The Community Forest will be held for the benefit of the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation and HFN Forestry Limited Partnership shall be accountable through ongoing reporting to the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors shall report to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council.

The Incorporation No. for 568157 B.C. Ltd. is BC0568157. The mailing address is HFN Forestry Limited Partnership P.O. 200, Bamfield, BC VOR 1BO. The HFN Forestry Limited Partnership was incorporated as a limited company on July 13, 1998 to pursue forest based business opportunities. The Board of Directors of HFN Forestry Limited Partnership is: Chief Councillor Robert Dennis, Lawrence Johnson, Derek Peters, and Connie Waddell. The officers of the Company are appointed by the directors, with their duties defined in the articles of the Company. At present, the officers of the Company are:

Name Title



HFN Forestry Limited Partnership (HFN Forestry) is in charge of the management of the forestry business for the Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation and it shall be in charge of the day to day decision‐making for the operation and management of the CFA1. HFN Forestry shall report to the HFN Forestry Limited Partnership Board of Directors and the Board of Directors shall report to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council. The Board of Directors of HFN Forestry Limited Partnership is accountable to the Huu‐ay‐aht Chief and Council.

Documentation for the legal entity is as follows:













Appendix C Huu-ay-aht band Council Resolution

Endorsing HFN Forestry Limited Partnership to represent the Huu‐ay‐aht interests for the Community Forest Agreement as enclosed below:



Appendix D Timber Supply Analysis

HUU-AY-AHT COMMUNITY FOREST AGREEMENT 1 South Island Forest District Coast Forest Region Timber Supply Analysis Report – Final June 1, 2010 Prepared for: Huu-ay-aht First Nation 3483 3rd Avenue Port Alberni, BC V9Y 4E4 Submitted by: Forest Ecosystem Solutions Ltd. #227-998 Harbourside Drive North Vancouver, BC V0N 2W1 Prepared by:

Chris Niziolomski, RPF #227-998 Harbourside Drive RPF# 3233 North Vancouver, BC V7P 3T2

Huu-ay-aht CFA1 Timber Supply Analysis June 1, 2010

ii

Executive Summary

This report presents the timber supply analysis for the proposed Community Forest #1 (CFA1) for the Huu-ay-aht First Nation. The analysis adheres to the general management of and modelling assumptions as provided in TFL 44 Management Plan #4 completed in 2002, as well as updates for disturbances to 2009, updated land base reductions for new/updated resource emphasis areas (draft OGMAs, UWR) and elimination of territorial overlap with other First Nations. The timber supply analysis was completed by Forest Ecosystem Solutions Ltd. (FESL) using the accepted forest estate modelling software FSOS. The gross area of CFA 1 is 2,345 ha with productive forested area of 2,213 ha (94%) and a current timber harvesting land base (THLB) of 1,618 ha (68%). The existing volume for proposed CFA 1 is composed primarily of hemlock and balsam (60%), Douglas-fir (20%) and cedar (20%). Eighty percent of the THLB is within the CWHvm1 while twenty percent is within CWHvm2. Based on projecting the inventory and accounting for harvest (approximate to 2010), 39% of the CFA1 THLB is greater than 140 years old, while 60% of stands are less than 61 years. Based on profile comparisons with TFL 44 and Alberni East, CFA 1 exhibits a similar operability and harvest system distribution. In terms of stand ages, CFA 1 has a higher proportion of old forest but also exhibits a more significant age class gap than does the TFL or Alberni East. Based on area weighted by leading species, the CFA has a higher proportion of western hemlock and lower proportions of cedar and Douglas-fir. However, based on volume, the CFA is relatively similar to TFL44 while Alberni East exhibits a slightly higher proportion of cedar and hemlock/balsam volume and less Douglas-fir volume. The CFA has a higher proportion of moderate sites with less good and high sites than the TFL and Alberni East. Three alternative harvest projections were completed for this report including a maximum short-term, gradual step down, and a target AAC. The maximum short-term is a declining even flow with a short-term harvest of 18,828 m3/yr for the next twenty years, then a one time decline to 15,766 m3/yr for the remainder of the analysis horizon (250 years). The long-term harvest for this scenario is 86.4 % of the 18,257 m3/yr LRSY and almost 11% higher than the proposed AAC for CFA1. A similar scenario was completed which incorporated a gradual decline (1%/year) and illustrated that the same short/long term harvest projection can be maintained with a declining growing stock after 250 years. Finally, a target AAC scenario was completed which illustrated that 16,992 m3/year can be maintained for 45 years and decline gradually to the same long-term harvest level of 15,766 m3/year.


iii

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ...................................................................................................ii Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... iii Figures ........................................................................................................................v Tables ........................................................................................................................vi Introduction ................................................................................................................1 Huu-ay-aht Community Forest Area 1.......................................................................2 Information Preparation for the Timber Supply Analysis .........................................3

Land Base Inventory ....................................................................................................................3 Timber Supply Model ..................................................................................................................3 Source Data ..................................................................................................................................3 Inventory ......................................................................................................................................4 Administrative..............................................................................................................................4 Operational ...................................................................................................................................4 Recreation.....................................................................................................................................4 Wildlife.........................................................................................................................................4 Strategic Plans ..............................................................................................................................4 Water Resources...........................................................................................................................5 Resultant Data Set ........................................................................................................................5 Recent Depletions ........................................................................................................................5

Timber Harvesting Land Base....................................................................................6 Summary of Community Forest Area Netdown ..........................................................................7 Non-Forest, Non-Productive, and Inoperable ..............................................................................7 Roads, Trails and Landings..........................................................................................................7

Determining Reductions for Future Roads...............................................................................8 Mature Areas (stand age > 125 years)......................................................................................8 Second-Growth Areas (stand age > 60 years and < 125 years) ...............................................8 Proposed Future Roads.............................................................................................................8

Inoperable.....................................................................................................................................9 Recreation.....................................................................................................................................9 Ungulate Winter Range................................................................................................................9 Marbled Murrelet .........................................................................................................................9 Riparian Reserves and Riparian Management Zones ..................................................................9 Uneconomic Areas .....................................................................................................................11 Draft Old Growth Management Areas .......................................................................................12 Slope and Terrain .......................................................................................................................12 Wildlife Habitat Area .................................................................................................................12 Stewardship Zones .....................................................................................................................12 Deciduous...................................................................................................................................12 Unmapped streams .....................................................................................................................13 Wildlife tree patches...................................................................................................................13 Culturally modified trees............................................................................................................13

Land base Characteristics.........................................................................................14 Biogeoclimatic subzone .............................................................................................................14


iv

Operability Classification...........................................................................................................14 Age Class Distribution ...............................................................................................................14 Leading Species Distribution .....................................................................................................15 Profile Comparisons between CFA1 and TFL 44......................................................................16

Management Objectives ...........................................................................................21 Integrated resource management................................................................................................21 Visual quality objectives ............................................................................................................21 Coastal watershed assessment procedures (CWAP) ..................................................................21 Landscape Biodiversity ..............................................................................................................21

Old Growth Management Areas ............................................................................................22 Old Forest Objectives.............................................................................................................22

Carnation Creek Deferral ...........................................................................................................22 Management Assumptions - Harvesting Rules ........................................................23

Minimum Merchantability Criteria ............................................................................................23 Harvest Scheduling Rules ..........................................................................................................23 Harvest Flow Rules ....................................................................................................................23 Unsalvaged Losses .....................................................................................................................23

Growth and Yield .....................................................................................................25 Analysis Units ............................................................................................................................25 Base Yield Tables.......................................................................................................................27

Silviculture Systems...............................................................................................................28 Utilization Levels ...................................................................................................................28

Operational adjustment factors...................................................................................................28 Results ......................................................................................................................30

CFA 1 Preliminary Harvest Forecasts........................................................................................30 CFA 1 Old Seral Forest Sensitivity............................................................................................39

Conclusion................................................................................................................46


v

Figures

Figure 1: Location of the proposed Huu-ay-aht Community Forest Agreement 1 Tenure..............2 Figure 2: Age class distribution in 2006 ........................................................................................15 Figure 3: Leading species by THLB and NHLB area in CFA1.....................................................16 Figure 4: Operability/harvest system comparison..........................................................................17 Figure 5: Age class comparison .....................................................................................................17 Figure 6: Leading species comparison ...........................................................................................18 Figure 7: Species volume comparison ...........................................................................................19 Figure 8: Site productivity comparison..........................................................................................20 Figure 9: Inventory age class distribution by future analysis unit in CFA1 ..................................27 Figure 10: Preliminary harvest forecasts........................................................................................30 Figure 11: Preliminary base case transition from mature to second growth stands.......................31 Figure 12: Alternative harvest forecasts growing stock.................................................................32 Figure 13: Base case annual harvest area.......................................................................................33 Figure 14: Base case age class distributions ..................................................................................36 Figure 15: Base case average forecasted harvest age.....................................................................37 Figure 16: Base case harvest by age class......................................................................................37 Figure 17: Base case average forecast harvest volume ..................................................................38 Figure 18: Base case, estimated harvest by volume class ..............................................................39 Figure 19: Old forest sensitivity transition from mature to second growth stands ........................40 Figure 20: Old forest sensitivity total growing stock, compared to base case ...............................40 Figure 21: Old forest sensitivity annual harvest area, compared to base case ...............................41 Figure 22: Old forest sensitivity average forecasted harvest age, compared to base case .............42 Figure 23: Old forest sensitivity average forecasted harvest volume, compared to base case ......42 Figure 24: Old forest sensitivity age class distributions ................................................................45


vi

Tables

Table 1: Summary of source data for the CFA Timber Supply Analysis ........................................4 Table 2: Land base classification, CFA1 .........................................................................................7 Table 3: Spatial road, status and buffer width assumptions.............................................................8 Table 4: Stream Reserve and Management zones..........................................................................10 Table 5: Lake and Wetland Reserve and Management zones........................................................11 Table 6: Economic operability definitions(1) ..................................................................................11 Table 7: Terrain stability and slope netdowns (partial)..................................................................12 Table 8: Biogeoclimatic subzone distribution in CFA1.................................................................14 Table 9: Operability by THLB area in CFA1 ................................................................................14 Table 10: Site Class Categories......................................................................................................19 Table 11: RMZ targets within CFA1 .............................................................................................21 Table 12: Summary of VQO by THLB and NHLB area in CFA1 ................................................21 Table 13: Old Growth Management Area distribution in CFA1 ...................................................22 Table 14: Old Seral Targets ...........................................................................................................22 Table 15: Average (THLB area weighted) BSIM site index for CFA1 .........................................25 Table 16: Regeneration yield tables used in the analysis, from Table 8.2 of the Timber Supply

Analysis Information Package for Tree Farm Licence 44: Management Plan No. 4 ............26 Table 17: Utilization level for mature and second growth stands..................................................28 Table 18: Summary of existing stands operational adjustment factors..........................................28 Table 19: Summary of operational adjustment factors for regeneration (future) stands ...............29


1

Introduction

The Huu-ay-aht First Nation has been offered a community forest through the Forest Revitalization Act as an outcome of their treaty. In order to support the formal application for the community forest a management plan and timber supply analysis must be completed. This report presents the timber supply analysis for the Community Forest Agreement 1 (CFA1) area based management unit.

The proposed CFA1 would allow the Huu-ay-aht First Nation to access an area based forest tenure supporting an Allowable Annual Cut (AAC) up to 16,992 m3/yr. The proposed CFA 1 area was originally located within TFL 44 held by Western Forest Products Ltd and Management Plan 4 (and associated timber supply analysis), provides much of the reference for this analysis.

Prior to this analysis, the Huu-ay-aht First Nation undertook preparatory timber supply analysis to support treaty negotiations for cedar supply, cultural use and harvest levels within the Huu-ay-aht traditional territory and treaty settlement lands. This involved the development of a benchmark model and dataset for TFL 44 (provided by Western Forest Products Ltd.) and then more localized analysis which concluded with preliminary boundary identification for this CFA. The data, model and assumptions used in this analysis were also used during those procedures. The modeled boundaries have then been revised to account for territorial overlaps with other First Nations as well as for logical boundary location.

Data and assumptions for this analysis are derived from the TFL 44 Management Plan No. 4 Timber Supply Analysis with the following exceptions:

• Old Forest Requirements are replaced by a netdown for Draft OGMAs (to meet 1/3 of the target);

• Updated Ungulate Winter Range linework; • Additional netdowns for new and proposed roads; • Relative Oldest First harvest scheduling instead of Oldest First; and • Logging depletions to December 31, 2009 are spatially accounted for within the model as

fixed harvest.


2

Huu-ay-aht Community Forest Area 1

The Huu-ay-aht Community Forest Agreement area is located within TFL 44 on Vancouver Island. CFA1 is approximately 20km north east of the town of Bamfield and consists of four separate parcels, as depicted in Figure 1. It is adjacent to the Huu-ay-aht treaty settlement lands and within the core territory.

Figure 1: Location of the proposed Huu-ay-aht Community Forest Agreement 1 Tenure


3

Information Preparation for the Timber Supply Analysis

Land Base Inventory

In general, the data and assumptions used in this analysis are consistent with the MP No. 4 Timber Supply Analysis for TFL44. The section outlines the assumptions used in the timber supply analysis and where they vary from MP No. 4.

Timber Supply Model

Model Name: Forest Simulation and Optimization System (FSOS) Model Developer: Dr. Guoliang Liu Model Development: UBC, Hugh Hamilton Limited, Forest Ecosystem Solutions Ltd. Model Type: Landscape Design Model

All analysis presented in this report was conducted using Forest Simulation and Optimization System (FSOS), a proprietary forest estate model used by Forest Ecosystem Solutions Ltd. Although FSOS has both simulation and heuristic (pseudo-optimization) capabilities, the time-step simulation mode was used in this analysis. Time-step simulation grows the forest based on growth and yield inputs and initiates “harvesting” based on user-specified harvest rules and constraints that cannot be exceeded. Applying “hard” constraints and harvest rules instead of targets (as would be applied in the heuristic mode of FSOS) gives results that are repeatable and more easily interpreted, and also provides similarity to the modeling approach used in MP#4.

A formal comparison of FSOS and FSSIM using a benchmark dataset was performed and submitted to the MoF Timber Supply Branch in 1998. Notification of acceptance was provided by Dave Waddell in September 1998, authorizing FSOS for use in Timber Supply Analysis to support AAC determinations in British Columbia. Since then 7 provincial timber supply reviews (TFL and TSA) have been conducted with FSOS along with numerous other analysis projects throughout BC, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.

Source Data

Table 1 lists the source data used in this project along with the data vintage.


4

Table 1: Summary of source data for the CFA Timber Supply Analysis Coverage Name FESL Source Vintage Update

Inventory

Forest Cover Western Forest Products 1995 2000 Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification

MOFR 2003

Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping Western Forest Products 2001

Administrative

BCTS Takeback Areas MoF 2006 TFL 44 Working Circles Western Forest Products 2005 Core Territory Huu-ay-aht First Nation 2005 2009 Treaty Settlement Huu-ay-aht First Nation 2008 Hahoulthee Huu-ay-aht First Nation 2005 CFA boundaries MOFR 2010 Tenure Western Forest Products 2000 Uneconomic Western Forest Products 2001 Operability Western Forest Products 1993 Landscape Units Western Forest Products 2000 Stewardship Zones Western Forest Products 1998

Operational

Depletions Western Forest Products, DRH Consulting

2006 2009

Planned blocks Western Forest Products, DRH Consulting

2009

Roads Western Forest Products 1996 2005

Recreation

VQOs Western Forest Products 2000 Recreation Western Forest Products 1995

Wildlife

Marbled murrelet Western Forest Products 2000 Ungulate Winter Range Western Forest Products 2004 Wildlife Habitat Areas Western Forest Products 2001

Strategic Plans

CWAPs Western Forest Products 2000 Nahmint OGMA Western Forest Products 1980 Draft OGMAs Cascadia 2005 Resource Management Zones Western Forest Products 2000


5

Coverage Name FESL Source Vintage Update Avalanche Western Forest Products 2000 Terrain Western Forest Products 2000

Water Resources

Community watersheds Western Forest Products 2000 Riparian reserve Western Forest Products 2001 Stream management Western Forest Products 2001 Lake & wetland management Western Forest Products 2001

Resultant Data Set

The spatial data (Table 1) for this timber supply analysis was compiled into a single GIS file called a resultant data set. The resultant data for the study area represents a combination of the linework from 48 unique source coverages, creating 344,679 unique polygons. Polygons less than 0.1 hectares in size were removed unless they provided important detail.

The original boundary of the resultant data set was TFL44 used for the MP No. 4 timber supply analysis; however, for the purposes of this analysis, the CFA1 boundary will be used.

Recent Depletions

The source inventory data provided by Western Forest Products Ltd. has been continuously updated and improved since the original inventory was completed in 1956, re-inventoried in 1973-77, and updated for harvest to 2000.

To account for logging since 2000, depletions were provided by the Huu-ay-aht First Nation via DRH Consulting (up to 2009) and were incorporated into the resultant data set. Since the inventory was not physically updated for harvest, the depletions were set as fixed harvest areas within the model to account for the removal and growth. The model runs were initiated in 2001 with fixed harvest through to the end of 2009 to account for depletions.


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Timber Harvesting Land Base

Hierarchical reductions were applied to the CFA1 area to arrive at the Crown forest land base (CFLB) and timber harvesting land base (THLB). The CFLB is the forested area available to meet forest cover objectives, such as VQOs and biodiversity targets, while the THLB is the area available for timber harvesting. The THLB is determined by the netdown process, in which stands ineligible for harvest are sequentially removed from the total land base. Once an area has been removed, it cannot be deducted further along in the process. For this reason, the gross area of any given land type (e.g. Marbled Murrelet) is often greater than the net area removed.

The netdown as shown in Table 2 includes several partial reductions, where a percentage of applicable polygons are removed (netted out) but the remainder contributes to the timber harvesting land base. The netdown procedure for the CFA analysis includes two types of partial reductions: those that overlap and those that are sequential. For the six overlapping partial reductions the “highest netdown” rule was applied and when a polygon contains more than one partial reduction, only the largest of the reductions is applied. For the remaining sequential partial reductions, the percentage reduction for the polygon was removed from the THLB area remaining in the polygon at that point in the netdown process.

This corresponds to the netdown order and logic used for TFL 44, in Management Plan #4.


7

Summary of Community Forest Area Netdown

Table 2: Land base classification, CFA1

Net Area (ha)

Gross Area (ha)

Percent net reduction from

total area

Percent net reduction from

CFLB area Study Area 2,345 2,345 Non-Forest 2 2 0.1% Roads 94 94 4.0% Non-Productive 36 36 1.5% Crown Forested Land Base (CFLB) 2,213 Reductions (100%): Inoperable 57 60 2.4% 2.6% Ungulate winter range 60 69 2.6% 2.7% Marbled Murrelet 23 54 1.0% 1.0% Riparian Reserve 10 11 0.4% 0.5% Uneconomic 26 50 1.1% 1.2% Draft Old Growth Management Areas 0 135 0.0% 0.0%

Reductions (partial, overlap): Stream management 60 69 2.6% 2.7% Slope / Terrain 208 302 8.9% 9.4%

Reductions (partial, sequential): Stewardship zones 89 117 3.8% 4.0% Unmapped streams 17 23 0.7% 0.8% Wildlife tree patches 42 59 1.8% 1.9% Culturally modified trees 4 6 0.2% 0.2%Current Timber Harvesting Land Base (THLB) 1,618 Proposed Roads 5 6 0.2% 0.2% Future Roads 53 85 2.3% 2.4%Future Timber Harvesting Land Base (FTHLB) 1,560

Non-Forest, Non-Productive, and Inoperable

Non-forested areas and non-productive land designations such as alpine (A), alpine forest (AF), clearing (C), clay bank (CL), gravel bar (G), mud flat (MUD), non-productive (NP, NPBR, NPBU), no typing (NTA), open range (OR), rock (R), swamp (S), urban/road (U) along with non-productive descriptor areas such as lakes (L) and rivers (RI) and inoperable areas as defined in TFL44 MP No. 4 are excluded from the CFA forested land base area.

Roads, Trails and Landings

Existing and proposed roads, trails and landings not captured in the forest cover were identified and spatial buffers were applied using GIS functionality to available road line work from recent forest development plans and road network inventories. Average road widths, based on local experience, were provided by road type.


8

Table 3: Spatial road, status and buffer width assumptions

Road Status Length

(m) Buffer Width

(m) Gross

Area (ha) EXISTING Deact - Semi 3,855.5 13.4 5.09

Deact - Temp 3,577.1 13.4 4.68 Deact - perm 14,663.8 13.4 19.39 Maintained 14,740.6 13.4 19.47 Non Maintained 97.6 13.4 0.13 Unknown 36,325.2 13.4 48.58

PLANNED Engineered 4,565.1 13.4 6.03 Information 93.7 13.4 0.13 Total 77,919 103.5

In total, there are 132 ha of non-forest, non-productive and inoperable lands in the Huu-ay-aht CFA 1 area, including roads, trails and landings.

Determining Reductions for Future Roads

To account for future road requirements, upon harvesting, a proportion of each stand will remain in a disturbed state in perpetuity. Generally these stands will provide harvest volume on the first entry but not on further entries. The area contributing to the long-term sustainable harvest will be net of this area. In the timber supply model, a percentage reduction was applied to reduce the area of each forest class (mature, second growth) the first time it is harvested. Area reductions for future roads are based on the following:

Mature Areas (stand age > 125 years)

For conventional harvesting areas, a 7% reduction was applied following initial harvest. This assumption was derived by surveying road disturbances in TFL 44. No reductions are required for future roads in non-conventional harvest areas as these areas are harvested by aerial systems which are typically accessed by roads that are developed for adjacent conventional harvest areas.

Second-Growth Areas (stand age > 60 years and < 125 years)

For areas established prior to 1940, the productive area was reduced by 5% after the initial harvest. Since these areas were mostly harvested before the advent of truck logging they are often of relatively easy terrain, with partial access provided by existing road systems.

Proposed Future Roads

Spatial linework was also supplied by Western Forest Products Ltd. showing the locations of proposed roads. These features were buffered by 6.7m and the resulting polygon files were overlaid with the resultant dataset. The affected resultant polygons were identified and the productive areas were reduced accordingly.


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Inoperable

Physical inoperable areas are those that are too steep and/or rocky to be safely felled and yarded; these areas were removed from the THLB. Physical operability was based on a 1993 assessment of productive forests for TFL 44.

Recreation

There are no recreation reductions within the CFA1 land base.

The recreation inventory was completed in 1995 based on 1991 MoF standards. While new MOFR standards existed at the time of preparing MP4, they were not applied but MoF District and Regional recreation specialists and Weyerhaeuser staff agreed to review and revise the recreation reductions. A review of all C1A polygons was undertaken and netdowns applied specifically to each polygon. These revised netdowns contribute to the area netdowns and the timber harvesting land base. The main reasons for reducing the netdowns for specific C1A polygons included:

• Many polygons along streams and shorelines are excessively wide; • Some were rated C1A because of visual values and subsequently covered off by visual

landscape inventories; and • Many relatively large polygons identify areas where activities such as trail use, wildlife

viewing and driving or camping may occur, but these activities apply to small specific areas within the entire polygon.

Ungulate Winter Range

Areas have been identified and mapped in TFL 44 as being valuable to Roosevelt elk and black-tailed deer for winter habitat. These areas have been excluded from the timber harvesting land base to provide shelter and browsing areas for the ungulates identified under the legislative order U-1-013. There are 69 ha of land within CFA1 area for ungulate winter range; the net reduction to the THLB is 60 ha

Marbled Murrelet

The Marbled Murrelet is considered a red-listed species in the CFA areas and identified forest areas have been reserved as wildlife habitat for the species. Gross area reserved for marbled murrelet habitat is 54 ha within the CFA1 with a net reduction to the THLB of 23 ha.

Riparian Reserves and Riparian Management Zones

Under the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), riparian allowances are designed to exclude harvesting from areas immediately adjacent to water bodies, including streams, lakes, swamps and wetlands. Stream classification is typically derived from information that has been prepared during forest development. This inventory information is continually updated as operational inventories are completed for planned harvest areas. Stream reaches that are currently not


10

inventoried are classified according to local knowledge (for example of stream gradients) and by relating to inventoried stream reaches.

The presence of fish and community watersheds are recognized in classifying the smaller streams. The netdowns for riparian management areas which are applied within the CFA timber supply analysis are represented based on the maximum values defined in Table 4.

Table 4: Stream Reserve and Management zones Management Zone Stream Class(1) Stream Width

(m) Reserve Zone

(m) Width (m) Netdown (%) S1(2) 20.1 – 100 50 20 50 S2 5.1 – 20 30 20 50 S3 1.5 – 5 20 20 50 S4 <1.5 0 30 25 S5 >3.0 0 30 25 S6 3.0 0 20 5

(1) Stream classes 1 to 4 apply to fish streams and community watersheds (2) Includes S1 and S1 large (S1 large streams are identified according to local knowledge)

Lake and wetland reserve and management zones are also required under FRPA and the buffer widths and management area netdowns are consistent with the requirements for wetlands and smaller lakes. Larger management zone buffers (30m) have been applied to "L1" lakes based on local planning experience. Buffers have been created adjacent to mapped (1:20 000) lakes and wetlands and netdowns applied as described in Table 5.


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Table 5: Lake and Wetland Reserve and Management zones Management Zone Classification Size Class (ha) Reserve Zone

(m) Width (m) Netdown (%) Lakes

L1 large > 1000 0 30 50 L1 5–1000 10 30 25 L2 1–5 (dry zone(1)) 10 20 25 L3 1–5 (wet zone) 0 30 25 L4 0.5–1 (dry zone) 0 30 25

Wetlands W1 > 5 10 40 25 W2 1-5 (dry zone) 10 20 25 W3 1-5 (wet zone) 0 30 25 W4 0.5-1 (dry zone) 0 30 25 W5(2) >5 10 40 25 (1) The “dry” zone includes the CDF, CWHds, CWHdm and CWHxm biogeoclimatic zones. Other zones in TFL 44 are in the “wet” zone (2) Classified as W5 if the area consists of 2 or more individual wetlands with overlapping riparian management areas and the combined size of the wetlands is 5 ha or larger

Uneconomic Areas

The classification of uneconomic areas as used in this timber supply analysis was originally created by Weyerhaeuser, based on the assumption that over the next 100+ years, all of the mature timber that is physically safe to fell and extract without unacceptable environmental damage, will be economically available for harvest. The approach as used in MP No. 4 and for the CFA timber supply analysis was to classify for economic operability based on inventory (m3/ha, percentage pulp and species) characteristics as summarized in Table 6.

Table 6: Economic operability definitions(1) Conventional (m3/ha)(2) Non-conventional (m3/ha)(2) Stand Type Uneconomic Marginal Uneconomic Marginal

Fir, Fir-Hem Fir-Cedar < 278 278-389 < 444 444-556 Hemlock Hem-Bal < 333 333-434 < 500 500-611 Hem-Bal-Cyp <40% X, Y, Z grades < 333 333-444 < 444 444-556 >40% C, Y, Z grades < 444 444-556 < 556 556-667 Cedar <40% X, Y, Z grades < 278 278-389 < 389 389-500 >40% X, Y, Z grades < 389 389-500 < 556 556-667 (1) Based on characteristics identifiable in the inventory (2) Volume is Close Utilization (15 cm top diameter for trees 22.5 cm and larger) less decay


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Draft Old Growth Management Areas

Old Growth Management Areas (OGMAs) are spatially defined areas of old growth forest or recruitment areas that are identified during landscape unit planning exercises. OGMAs, in combination with other areas where forestry development is prevented or constrained, are used to achieve biodiversity targets. In 2006 draft OGMAs were provided for eight different landscape units within the East and West Alberni working circles. These areas were entirely removed from the available harvesting land base. The gross area for OGMAs in the CFA 1 is 135 ha but after accounting for previous THLB deductions the net area removed is 0 ha.

Slope and Terrain

The terrain stability netdowns were applied in this analysis based on the use of existing terrain stability mapping and Es mapping for the CFAs (Table 7). Since this mapping is complete for the entire land base there are no additional slope % reductions required.

Table 7: Terrain stability and slope netdowns (partial) Partial Netdown (%)

Terrain Classification Slope (%) Terrain Zone Class IV Class V Es1 Es2 60-75 75+

2 30.0 90.0 36.0 13.2 n/a n/a

Wildlife Habitat Area

There are no Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHA) reductions in CFA1.

Stewardship Zones

The entirety of the CFAs are located in the “timber” stewardship zone, as defined by Weyerhaeuser in MP No. 4. The description of the zone is as follows:

“The timber zone includes land designated low in biodiversity. The primary management objective is timber management. Silvicultural systems used include group retention and various types of shelterwood with even-aged management. Retention minimums are 10% for group retention and 5% for dispersed retention.”

It is assumed that the incremental area impact of variable retention is half of the minimum retention level by stewardship zone. This assumes that existing reserves including WTPs contribute the rest of the required retention. A blanket partial reduction of 5% was applied to the entire CFA to account for stewardship objectives.

Deciduous

Historically, alder from TFL44 has been sold to hardwood mills; therefore deciduous stands were partially retained in the THLB. The net deciduous area (after other net-downs) has been reduced by 50% to allow for areas with poor quality alder (deterioration in older stands) and for the


13

possibility of additional reserves of hardwood leading stands for habitat and biodiversity objectives.

There are no alder leading stands in CFA1.

Unmapped streams

A blanket partial reduction of 1% was applied to the CFA to account for operational retention in riparian areas.

Wildlife tree patches

A blanket partial reduction of 2.5% was applied to the CFA to account for wildlife tree patches.

Culturally modified trees

Culturally modified trees (CMTs) add very little additional netdowns to the land base, as there is flexibility to locate WTPs and retention patches in such a way as to coincide with CMTs.

A review of operational plans found that CMTs in 4 harvest blocks might have resulted in additional netdowns. Most of these were small areas (less than 0.4 ha). The total estimated net-down area of 3.73 ha is less than 0.3% of the estimated harvest area represented by the sample of harvest blocks. This result has been rounded up to an incremental netdown of 0.5% for CMTs that will be applied to mature timber. A blanket partial netdown of 0.5% was applied to stands with inventory ages greater than 80 years. This resulted in a 4 ha net reduction for CFA 1.


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Land base Characteristics

Biogeoclimatic subzone

Three biogeoclimatic subzones are found within the Huu-ay-aht CFA1 (Table 8). The most common in the THLB is CWH vm 1 covering approximately 80% of the THLB followed by CWH vm 2, which is approximately 20% of the THLB.

Table 8: Biogeoclimatic subzone distribution in CFA1 BEC Label From

TEM Gross Area

(ha) NHLB Area

(ha) THLB Area

(ha) % of

THLB CWH vh 1 3 0 2 0.1%CWH vm 1 1,851 457 1,288 79.8%CWH vm 2 491 135 324 20.1%Total 2,345 592 1,615 100.0%

Operability Classification

The land base was classified into three operability groups. For CFA1, harvesting is performed using either ground-based systems including skidder, hoe-chuck or cable logging, or non-conventional methods such as helicopters or long-line cable systems. Inoperable areas (steep and/or rocky areas that cannot be felled or yarded safely) are classified as outside of the THLB. The majority of the harvestable CFA is available for ground based systems (93%) and only 7% will require aerial systems.

Table 9: Operability by THLB area in CFA1

Gross Area (ha) THLB Area (ha) NHLB Area (ha) Operability Type 2,068 1,509 430 Ground based 218 106 104 Aerial harvesting 60 0 57 Inoperable

Age Class Distribution

Figure 1 illustrates the existing age class distribution in CFA1 (2006). The chart shows the inventory age classes for the forested land base by THLB and non-harvestable land base (NHLB).

There is an age class imbalance in CFA1 where 42% of the THLB is older than 140 years (35% greater than 250 years) and 57% between 1-60 years of age.


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0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Age Class

Area

(ha)

NHLB

THLB

Figure 2: Age class distribution in 2006

Leading Species Distribution

Figure 3 illustrates the species composition of the timber harvesting land base and non-harvestable land base by leading species for CFA1. Hemlock is the most common leading species within CFA 1 comprising 69% of the THLB and 73% of the NHLB. Douglas-fir represents 17% of the THLB followed by cedar at 9% and balsam 4%.


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0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000

No Species

Spruce

Hemlock

Fir

Yellow Cedar

Cedar

Balsam

Lead

ing

Spec

ies

Area (ha)

THLB

NHLB

Figure 3: Leading species by THLB and NHLB area in CFA1

Profile Comparisons between CFA1 and TFL 44

CFA1 is situated within the Alberni East working circle of TFL 44. Given that the same assumptions from TFL 44 MP#4 were applied to this timber supply analysis, including the yield curves an understanding of the profile similarities and differences can be used to interpret potential over/underestimations in forecasted harvests.

Profile comparisons were completed for operability classification, leading species, species/volume weighted, site productivity, and age class.

The proportion of harvest systems for CFA1 are distributed between aerial and ground base/conventional which provide a strategic indication of future harvest costs and difficulty. Figure 4 illustrates the operability distribution across the focus land bases and shows a marginal difference between the CFA (~7%) and Alberni East (~4%). The CFA and TFL44 operability distribution are almost identical.


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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

TFL 44 Alberni East CFA 1

Perc

ent o

f TH

LB A

rea

Aerial harvesting

Ground based

Figure 4: Operability/harvest system comparison

Figure 5 presents the age class distribution for CFA1 and the surrounding land bases. CFA1 has a higher proportion of older forests (age classes 8 and 9) than exhibited by Alberni East or TFL 44. Correspondingly the CFA1 land base has slightly less young age classes (and almost no age classes 4, 5, and 6) which corresponds to the previous noted age class distribution imbalance (Figure 2).

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

TFL 44 A lbern i East CFA 1

Perc

ent o

f TH

LB A

rea

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

Figure 5: Age class comparison


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Overall, the leading species distribution comparison shows that CFA1 has more hemlock leading stands in the THLB and less Douglas-fir, cedar and balsam than Alberni East and TFL 44 (Figure 6). This comparison does not reflect volume contribution so is an indication of leading species only and includes all age classes within the THLB.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Perc

ent o

fTH

LB A

rea

No Species

Spruce

Pine

Hemlock

Douglas-Fir

Deciduous

Yellow Cedar

Cedar

Balsam

Figure 6: Leading species comparison

Since the depletions for TFL 44 were not available, the 2001 inventory volumes were used for this comparison. When considering volume proportion by species, illustrates that CFA 1 exhibits a similar overall proportion to TFL 44 while Alberni East contains proportionately less Douglas-fir (5%), slightly more Cedar (3%) and slightly more hemlock and balsam (1%) than CFA1.


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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Perc

ent o

f TH

LB A

rea

Other

Hem/Bal

Douglas-fir

Cedar

Figure 7: Species volume comparison

Site productivity represents an indication of the growth potential of a stand and is important to understanding the growth and yield of each forest stand. Broad site classes are aggregations of site indices which are categorized into relative categories of productivity: high, good, medium and poor. The site index class categories are described in Table 10.

Table 10: Site Class Categories

Site Index Class Site Index High > 32 Good 26 - 31

Medium 20 - 25 Poor 11 - 19

Figure 8 shows that CFA 1 THLB exhibits a higher proportion of medium site area than Alberni East and TFL 44, and a lower proportion of high and good productivity sites.


20

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

T F L 44 A lbe rn i E ast C F A 1

Perc

ent o

f TH

LB A

rea

H igh

G ood

M ed ium

P oo r

Figure 8: Site productivity comparison


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Management Objectives

This section provides describes the resource emphases area management objectives that were applied to the CFA including additional information where modeling methods differed from MP No. 4 or required clarification due to ambiguities in the MP No. 4 information package.

Integrated resource management

Green-up requirements were modeled for Special (SMZ) and Enhanced (EMZ) management zones. The majority of CFA1 is within the Sarita EMZ.

Table 11: RMZ targets within CFA1

RMZ CFLB Area (ha)

THLB Area (ha)

Young Disturbance

(maximum %)

Max. age considered

young Enhanced, Klanawa 2 2 25% 5Enhanced, Sarita 2,204 1,613 25% 5

Visual quality objectives

Visual quality objectives were applied as specified in the MP No. 4 information package, with the following exceptions. Visual polygons were constrained directly using the visually effective green-up height of 5 meters, rather than translating this height to a green-up age as was done in MP No. 4. This approach is considerably easier to apply during model loading. Sliver polygons less than 10ha in size were eliminated from the visual inventory. Visual constraints were applied to individual visual polygons, which is consistent with the approach in MP No. 4 analysis. Table 12 displays a summary of the THLB and NHLB areas in the two recommended visual quality classes for the CFAs.

Table 12: Summary of VQO by THLB and NHLB area in CFA1

RVQC THLB Area (ha) NHLB Area (ha)No VQO 1,047 357

M 211 108 PR 357 127

Coastal watershed assessment procedures (CWAP)

CWAP recommendations include maximum harvest rates within specified watersheds and were intended to be applied for the first 10 years of the analysis. CFA1 does not contain any watersheds where CWAP analyses were performed.

Landscape Biodiversity

In the MP 4 analysis, landscape biodiversity objectives were applied as seral forest objectives in accordance with the Landscape Unit Planning Guide. Since that analysis, draft OGMAs have


22

been introduced. The draft OGMAs replace the aspatial targets in the CFA base case analysis, and old forest objectives were run as a sensitivity since the draft OGMAs only satisfied approximately 1/3 of the full old seral target.

Old Growth Management Areas

The CFA analysis used draft OGMAs applied as a land base netdown, to account for old forest objectives. The area of the draft OGMAs is detailed in Table 13.

Table 13: Old Growth Management Area distribution in CFA1

OGMA Area (ha) NHLB Area

(ha) THLB Area

(ha) Outside of OGMA 2,212 461 1,615 OGMA 134 131 0

Old Forest Objectives

Old forest objectives are applied by BEC variant / landscape unit. BEC variants were derived from the Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping for TFL44 and the provincial Abec coverage was used to fill some small gaps in the terrestrial ecosystem mapping. Most of CFA 1 is within the low biodiversity emphasis option (BEO) Sarita landscape units, while a small area is within the intermediate Klanawa landscape unit (Table 14). The full old seral constraint will be tested as a sensitivity analysis for CFA1.

Table 14: Old Seral Targets

BEO, LU, BEC CFLB Area (ha)

THLB Area (ha)

Old Seral Constraint

(minimum %)(1)

Intermediate, Klanawa, CWHvm2 2.3 2.0 13%Low, Sarita, CWHvh1 2.5 2.2 13%Low, Sarita, CWHvm1 1745.1 1288.5 13%Low, Sarita, CWHvm2 456.9 322.5 13%(1) In the low BEO units the requirement is to achieve one third of the target now and to meet the full target by the end of three rotations.

Carnation Creek Deferral

The Carnation Creek watershed has been part of studies to determine the impact of forest harvesting practices on streams and fish since the 1970’s. The control area falls within CFA1 (116.4 ha THLB) and is deferred from harvesting until 2056. The remainder of the watershed is eligible for harvest but it is understood that proposed harvest within the watershed will be subject to discussion between Huu-ay-aht and project researchers.


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Management Assumptions - Harvesting Rules

The timber supply modeling utilized 5-year periods beginning in 2001. Reporting started from the second period (years 2006 to 2010). No harvesting is scheduled for the first period, apart from accounting existing depletions. Additionally, a significant portion of the harvest from 2006-2009 was based on existing depletions or proposed harvest blocks.

Minimum Merchantability Criteria

Minimum merchantability criteria define when a stand is eligible for harvest within the timber supply model. Regenerated stands are considered eligible for harvest when they are 35 years old or when they have attained a minimum volume of 350 m3/ha, whichever is more constraining. All existing mature stands in the THLB are eligible for harvest at an age of 200 years, even if the volume is below 350 m3/ha at age 200.

Harvest Scheduling Rules

Simulation models require harvest-scheduling rules to control the order in which stands are harvested. To understand the impacts of the timber supply assumptions and constraints, it is important that these rules are able to organize harvest in a transparent and logical way that also reflects current management.

Relative oldest first was used in the CFA analysis which queues stands for harvest based on their age relative to its minimum harvest age and sorting from largest to smallest.

Harvest Flow Rules

Harvest flow rules specify the ways in which the total amount of harvest is allowed to vary over the planning horizon.

The CFA analysis set an even flow harvest level (after the first period) to determine the maximum sustainable long-term harvest for the land base. The harvest level selected was based on testing various harvest levels to ensure that no timber supply crashes occurred and that the long-term growing stock was allowed to level off rather than show a declining trend. If possible the short-term harvest level was increased if it did not jeopardize the long-term harvest level.

Unsalvaged Losses

Fire, insects, disease and other factors can cause losses to the growing stock on a land base and reduce the recoverable volume that can be harvested. Losses to merchantable stands may be salvaged. During timber supply modelling, unsalvaged losses are typically added to the modeled harvest level, but removed from the reported harvest level.

In the TFL 44 MP No. 4 Information Package, it was reported that losses to fire, insects and disease were minimal over the land base. Losses to windthrow amounted to 2.8% of the harvested area. It is expected that with improved management to reduce windthrow and salvage of disturbed areas the unsalvaged losses will be less than 1% of the harvest volume. For the CFA


24

analysis, an allowance of 1% of the harvest volume is made for unsalvaged losses. All volumes reported are net of unsalvaged losses.


25

Growth and Yield

Analysis Units

Analysis Units were specified by Weyerhaeuser in the MP No. 4 Forest Cover Inventory (Field names: [YTCURVE] for existing and [YTCURVE_SE] for regenerated stands). These analysis units specify the species association, stand origin, base yield table, site group, and stewardship zone. This information is used to assign yield tables to the forest stands and to apply operational adjustment factors to the yield tables.

Analysis units were grouped into two species associations:

• Douglas-fir: where the primary species is Douglas-fir, cypress, or pine • Hemlock: where the primary species is Western hemlock, Mountain hemlock, Sitka

spruce, true fir or Western red cedar.

Four site groups (base on site index) were used to further group the inventory stands into analysis units:

• High: >= 32m • Good: 26 m to 31 m • Medium: 20 m to 25 m • Poor: 11 to 19 m

Weyerhaeuser BC Coastal Group’s biophysical site index model (BSIM) was used to assign site index to each forest inventory stand. This model used species, biogeoclimatic variant and geographic location to assign site index for the leading species of a stand. Weyerhaeuser applied the BSIM model to the MP No. 4 Forest Cover Inventory.

Inventory site indexes were used where a cruise had been undertaken, and BSIM site index was used otherwise. All future, regenerating analysis units used the BSIM site index (Table 15).

Table 15: Average (THLB area weighted) BSIM site index for CFA1 CFA1 Site Group

Douglas-fir HemlockHigh 36.1 33.1Good 30.0 28.8Medium N/A 22.6Poor N/A 17.7

The MP No. 4 analysis assigned stands to the prepared yield tables (Table 16) based on stand origin and other inventory attributes. Existing stands that were cruised were assigned to the nearest yield table based on their species association and density. Cruised stands were usually older than 31 years at the time of being cruised. Uncruised stands established before 1962 were assigned to the f7 and h7a yield tables. Uncruised stands established after 1962 were assigned to


26

one of the regeneration analysis units based on their biogeoclimatic variant (as described in Table 8.4 of the TFL 44 MP No. 4 Information Package).

For regenerated stands, the regeneration analysis unit was assigned based on stewardship zone and biogeoclimatic variant as described in Tables 8.4 to 8.6 of the TFL 44 MP No. 4 Information Package. Less stands are assigned to the planted yield tables in the habitat and old-growth stewardship zones, compared to the timber zone, and correspondingly, the habitat and old-growth zones assume more natural regeneration.

Table 16: Regeneration yield tables used in the analysis, from Table 8.2 of the Timber Supply Analysis Information Package for Tree Farm Licence 44: Management Plan No. 4

Species Association

Yield Table ID

No. of Planted Stems per ha

No. of Natural Stems per ha

Percent Survival Planted

Percent Distribution

Natural

Regen Lag

(natural)

Years of Natural Regen

Is Regen.

AU

f1a 1200 500 85 60 0 4 Y f8 300 50 0 4 f4 600 70 0 5 Y f5 1500 90 0 5 f6 3000 90 0 5 Y

Douglas-fir

f7 6000 90 0 5 h2 1200 1200 90 75 -2 5 Y h9 300 50 0 5 h5 600 70 0 5 h6 1500 90 0 5 Y h11a 4000 100 0 5 Y

Hemlock

h7a 6000 100 0 5

Figure 9 presents the inventory age classes by analysis unit for CFA1. The analysis unit name is composed of the stewardship zone (first character), species association and yield table id (middle characters) and BSIM site index (last two characters).


27

0 100 200 300 400 500

TF1A21

TF1A30

TF1A33

TF1A36

TF1A39

TF636

TF639

TH11A15

TH11A18

TH11A21

TH11A24

TH11A27

TH11A30

TH11A33

TH215

TH218

TH221

TH224

TH227

TH230

TH233

TH239

TH630A

naly

sis

Uni

t (YT

CU

RVE

_SE)

THLB Area (ha)

Age Class 0

Age Class 1

Age Class 2

Age Class 3

Age Class 5

Age Class 6

Age Class 7

Age Class 8

Age Class 9

Figure 9: Inventory age class distribution by future analysis unit in CFA1

Base Yield Tables

The basic yield tables for the CFA analysis were obtained from Appendix III of the TFL 44 MP No. 4 Information Package. These yield tables were developed with Y-XENO (Weyerhaeuser – now WFP proprietary yield projection model). These tables do not include regeneration delay and adjustment factors for genetic improvement, breakage, decay, non-productive areas, and variable retention. A one-year regeneration delay and operational adjustment factors were applied to appropriate management zones and yield tables in the timber supply model, similar to the approach used in MP No. 4.


28

The TFL 44 MP No. 4 Information Package produced yield curves using up to seven different site indexes for each yield curve. The yield curve with the nearest site index to the analysis unit average site index was assigned to the analysis unit for this analysis.

The volume of mature stands, over 125 years old, is assumed to be static, as in the MP4 analysis and previous timber supply analyses. These stands were placed on flatline yield curves based on their forest inventory volume. The mature flatline yield curves were grouped into 20 m3/ha classes.

Silviculture Systems Yield curve modelling assumed clear-cut harvesting methods. Variable retention silviculture systems were modeled using OAFs described in Table 18. Utilization Levels

Utilization levels used when generating yield curves are described in Table 17.

Table 17: Utilization level for mature and second growth stands

Minimum dbh (cm)

Stump height (cm)

Top dib (cm)

Mature 22.5 30 15Second Growth 12.5 30 10

Operational adjustment factors

The base yield tables are modified using several operational adjustment factors, depending on stand origin, regeneration method, stewardship zone, and base species of the yield table. A roll-up of these operational adjustment factors was provided by WFP and is summarized Table 18 and Table 19. These factors were applied to the base yield tables within the timber supply model. Further information about these reductions can be found in the TFL 44 MP No. 4 Information Package. Table 18: Summary of existing stands operational adjustment factors

Stand Origin Base G&Y Species

Waste & Breakage

Insects & Disease

NP & Misc. Adjustments Total OAF

Fd 0.95 0.98 0.9310 Cruised second-growth <1962 (establishment year) Hw 0.935 0.98 0.9163

Fd 0.95 0.98 0.89 0.8286 Uncruised second-growth <1962 Hw 0.935 0.98 0.81 0.7422

Fd 0.95 0.98 0.95 0.8845 Uncruised second-growth >=1962 Hw 0.935 0.98 0.95 0.8705


29

Table 19: Summary of operational adjustment factors for regeneration (future) stands

Species Association

Stewardship Zone Natural/Plant Waste&

Breakage

Insects &

Disease

Non-productive

Variable Retention Genetics Total

Plant (F1A) 0.95 0.98 0.95 0.97 1.13 0.9694 Timber Natural (F4,

F6) 0.95 0.98 0.95 0.97 1 0.8579

Plant (F1A) 0.95 0.98 0.95 0.89 1.13 0.8895 Habitat Natural (F4,

F6) 0.95 0.98 0.95 0.89 1 0.7872

Plant (F1A) 0.95 0.98 0.95 0.7 1.13 0.6996

Douglas-fir

Old Growth Natural (F4, F6)

0.95 0.98 0.95 0.7 1 0.6191

Plant (H2) 0.935 0.98 0.95 0.97 1.065 0.8993 Timber Natural (H6,

H11A) 0.935 0.98 0.95 0.97 1 0.8444

Plant (H2) 0.935 0.98 0.95 0.89 1.065 0.8251 Habitat Natural (H6,

H11A) 0.935 0.98 0.95 0.89 1 0.7747

Plant (H2) 0.935 0.98 0.95 0.7 1.065 0.6489

Hemlock

Old-growth Natural (H6, H11A)

0.935 0.98 0.95 0.7 1 0.6093


30

Results

The harvest forecast graphs presented in this section describe the projected timber flow for a planning horizon of 250 years from 2006. All forecasts were run to 400 years to ensure there were no significant declines in growing stock or pinch points. Harvest forecasts presented are shown as net of non-recoverable losses. In timber supply analysis fluctuations in forecasted harvest volume can occur as a function of the spatial model harvesting entire polygons. In a given period, to meet the volume target the model will attempt to harvest enough polygons until the target is met. If the next selected polygon has more volume than is required the entire polygon is considered harvested, resulting in an increase in harvested volume over the requested level. The results presented in this report have been averaged to facilitate comparison between the base case and sensitivity analyses. The objective of the analysis was at a minimum, meet the short-term harvest of 16,992 m3

per year and maintain a sustainable growing stock over time.

CFA 1 Preliminary Harvest Forecasts

The CFA 1 area is able to support an increased short term harvest of approximately 18,828 m3/yr for the first 25 years of the forecast (2006 to 2030), before dropping to a long term harvest level of 15,766 m3/yr (Figure 10). The long term harvest is 86.4 % of the 18,257 m3/yr LRSY.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

0 50 100 150 200 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed H

arve

st(m

3/yr

)

Max short-term

Max short-term step-down

Target AAC

Figure 10: Preliminary harvest forecasts


31

For simplicity and ease of comparison for sensitivity analysis, the maximum short term scenario was used as the comparative base case for this preliminary analysis and is shown with one decline (16%) from the short term to the long term harvest level at approximately the middle of the transition from unmanaged forest harvest to managed harvest. However, there can be many alternative harvest flows and since the assumptions around CFA1will likely be revised over the next 5 years as the Huu-ay-aht exert management over the CFA, this harvest level can be managed to a gradual decline to the long term harvest level. A gradual (step down) decline is provided in (Figure 10) for consideration. There is no significant change in the short or long term harvest based on this managed decline over the 250 year harvest projection but the growing stock is still declining at the end of the planning horizon and exhibits a pinch point in approximately 350 years. This decline can be averted if the short-term harvest is reduced to the target AAC of 16,992 m3 as illustrated in Figure 10 which can be maintained for 45 years before gradually declining to the long-term harvest level of 15,766 m3/year.

The transition from mature to second growth forest begins 15 years into the forecast (2021 to 2025), and is mostly complete within 55 years (2061 to 2065) whereby the majority of the harvest is derived from second growth stands (Figure 11). Small amounts of mature forest are still harvested late in the forecast, due to extended rotations, as these areas are retained to meet management objectives within Carnation Creek and visually sensitive area cover targets.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed H

arve

st

Mature

Second Growth

Figure 11: Preliminary base case transition from mature to second growth stands


32

The alternative harvest forecasts growing stock are illustrated in Figure 12. The total growing stock at the end of the planning horizon is relatively stable for the max short-term and target AAC scenarios while the step-down scenario is in a declining trend. Each scenario exhibits a similar trend of decline over the first 85 years of approximately 33% from 750,000 m3 to on average approximately 500,000 m3 which from there for the max short-term and the target AAC is maintained or increased and for the max short-term with step down declines further to the end of the planning horizon.

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

0 50 100 150 200 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed T

otal

Gro

win

g St

ock

(m3)

Max short-termMax short-term step downTarget AAC

Figure 12: Alternative harvest forecasts growing stock The annual harvest area (Figure 13) is another indicator of a sustainable harvest level. The long-term harvest level would be unsustainable if the annual area harvested was showing a predominant increasing trend over time. The forecasted annual average area harvested over the planning horizon varies mostly within the range of 20-30 ha per year for the CFA 1 preliminary base case.


33

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0 50 100 150 200 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed A

nnua

l Har

vest

Are

a (h

a)

Figure 13: Base case annual harvest area

Figure 14 displays the temporal snapshots illustrating the changes in the CFA1 age class distribution for the base case analysis. Each chart shows the NHLB and THLB age class for a given point in time in the future. Note that the NHLB area only represents the 100% netdown reductions and partial reductions are not factored in.

The overall trend is a reduction in the amount of old forest >250 years throughout the planning horizon. In 2006, there is approximately 560 ha of old forest in the CFA1 THLB (155 ha in NHLB) and within 100 years this is reduced to approximately 55 ha resulting in a mostly normal distribution as all harvesting is occurring from second growth stands. Natural disturbance in the NHLB is not modeled in this analysis, which leads to the NHLB area remaining old throughout the entire planning horizon, which is consistent with the assumption used in MP4.


34

Year 0

0

100

200

300400

500

600

700

800

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB

Year 20

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB

Year 50

0

100

200

300

400

500

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB


35

Year 100

0

100

200

300

400

500

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB

Year 150

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB

Year 200

0

100

200

300

400

500

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB


36

Year 250

0

100

200

300

400

500

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB

Figure 14: Base case age class distributions

Figure 15 illustrates the average harvest age for CFA1 over the planning horizon, as the harvest transitions from older unmanaged forest stands to second growth managed stands resulting in a decreasing average harvest age over time. This trend is occurring in CFA1 where the average harvest age declines from over 300 years to 150 years within the first 25 years of the forecast. After the transition to harvesting second growth stands is completed, the harvest then predominantly relies on age class 4 stands, as shown in Figure 16.


37

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

0 50 100 150 200 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed A

vera

ge H

arve

st A

ge (y

rs)

Figure 15: Base case average forecasted harvest age

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed H

arve

st (m

3/yr

)

> 250

141-250

121-140

101-120

81-100

61-80

41-60

21-40

1-20

Figure 16: Base case harvest by age class


38

Figure 17 and Figure 18 display the average harvest volume and harvest volume by volume class for the CFA 1 base case. As illustrated in Figure 17, for the most part the average harvest volume is maintained above 700m3/ha throughout the entire planning horizon. This is supported by Figure 18 which shows only a small portion of the CFA1 predicted harvest that is expected to be below 700-800 m3/ha category.

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

0 50 100 150 200 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed A

vera

ge H

arve

st V

olum

e / H

a

Figure 17: Base case average forecast harvest volume


39

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed H

arve

st (m

3/yr

)

1500-1700

1300-1500

1100-1300

900-1100

700-900

500-700

300-500

Figure 18: Base case, estimated harvest by volume class

CFA 1 Old Seral Forest Sensitivity

The base case analysis utilized draft OGMAs but did not apply any additional non-spatial old seral objectives to meet full old seral forest targets. The old forest sensitivity analysis applies aspatial old seral targets (Table 14), whereas the base case harvest forecast used draft OGMAs as applied in the netdown to meet old seral objectives. The majority of CFA 1 is within low BEO units and the practice is to meet one third of the target now and the full old seral target after three rotations.

This sensitivity analysis supports the long-term harvest projection in that the inclusion of the full old seral targets does not impact the base case harvest level in CFA 1. The forecast harvest level is unchanged from the base case (Figure 19) and the growing stock follows the same trajectory (Figure 20) though slightly lower than in the base case. As expected, the harvest transition from existing mature stands (Figure 19) occurs earlier in the future than for the base case (Figure 11) due to retention of the old forest. Additionally, older stands that were harvested later in the planning horizon in the base case are now retained to meet the old seral objectives.


40

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed H

arve

st

Mature

Second Growth

Figure 19: Old forest sensitivity transition from mature to second growth stands

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

0 50 100 150 200 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed G

row

ing

Stoc

k (m

3)

Base case

Old Forest Sensitivity

Figure 20: Old forest sensitivity total growing stock, compared to base case


41

Figure 21 shows the average harvest area for the old forest sensitivity which is almost identical to the base case and since the harvest area is not increasing, indicating that there is no need to increase the harvest area to meet the long term harvest level while satisfying the old seral requirements.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0 50 100 150 200 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed A

nnua

l Har

vest

Are

a (h

a)

Base Case


Figure 21: Old forest sensitivity annual harvest area, compared to base case

The average harvest age, shown in Figure 22, is slightly decreased periodically throughout the long term as compared to the base case. This is caused by retention of the old stands that were harvested in the base case scenario, but are now retained to meet the old seral targets thereby reducing the average harvest age during those specific periods.


42

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

0 50 100 150 200 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed A

vera

ge H

arve

st A

ge (y

rs)

Base Case


Figure 22: Old forest sensitivity average forecasted harvest age, compared to base case

The forecasted average harvest volume/ha (Figure 23), is again very similar to the base case indicating that there is no significant change required in the stands that are selected for harvest and the associated average yield caused by increasing the old seral targets.

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

0 50 100 150 200 250

Years from 2006

Fore

cast

ed A

vera

ge H

arve

st V

olum

e / H

a

Base Case


Figure 23: Old forest sensitivity average forecasted harvest volume, compared to base case


43

Figure 24 displays the temporal snapshots illustrating the changes in the CFA1 age class distribution for the old forest sensitivity analysis. Each chart shows the NHLB and THLB age class for a given point in time in the future. Note that the NHLB area only represents the 100% netdown reductions and partial reductions are not factored in.

The overall trend is the same as for the base case, with a reduction of age class 9 forest (> 250 years old) through the planning horizon and a normalizing of the age class distribution. However, compared to the base case analysis, the old forest sensitivity maintains about twice the amount of age class 9 forest within the THLB (95 ha THLB verses 55 ha THLB in the base case). The NHLB remains relatively constant.

Year 0

0

100

200

300400

500

600

700

800

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB

Year 20

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB


44

Year 50

0

100

200

300

400

500

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB

Year 100

0

100

200

300

400

500

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB

Year 150

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB


45

Year 200

0

100

200

300

400

500

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB

Year 250

0

100

200

300

400

500

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-250 > 250

Age Class

THLB

Are

a (h

a)

NHLB

THLB

Figure 24: Old forest sensitivity age class distributions


46

Conclusion

The Huu-ay-aht Community Forest 1 has a current THLB of 1,618 ha with a merchantable growing stock of approximately 650 thousand cubic meters. Of this volume, approximately 39% are composed of stands that are currently older than 140 years of age. Without considering any limitations or constraints to timber supply, the current merchantable growing stock would allow harvesting of the community forest’s proposed AAC of 16,992 m3

for the next 38 years.

Based on profile comparisons with TFL 44 and Alberni East, CFA 1 exhibit a similar operability and harvest system distribution. In terms of stand ages, CFA 1 has a higher proportion of old forest but also exhibits a more significant age class gap than does the TFL or Alberni East. Based on area weighted by leading species, the CFA has a higher proportion of western hemlock and lower proportions of cedar and Douglas-fir. However, based on species volume, the CFA is similar to TFL44 while Alberni East exhibits a slightly higher proportion of cedar and hemlock/balsam volume and less Douglas-fir volume. The CFA has a higher proportion of moderate sites with less good and high sites than the TFL and Alberni East.

The base case for this analysis is robust in the short term and illustrates a maximum short-term forecasted harvest 10% over the target AAC for approximately the next 20 years. A gradual decline to the long-term can also be achieved, however, there is a continual decline in the growing stock that occurs beyond 250 years. The target AAC of 16,992 m3 can be achieved for almost 45 years with a gradual decline to the long-term harvest level of 15,776 m3/yr. Also, the application of full old growth (non-spatial) biodiversity targets has no measurable impact on mid or long term harvest.



Appendix E Summary of Community Awareness, Support, and Involvement Survey and Answers to Questions Asked

1 of 5

HFN Community Forest Management Survey

1. Do you support the concept of a community forest, managed and

operated for the benefit of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations community and the

community at large?

Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 93.8% 30

No 0.0% 0

Unsure 6.3% 2

Any comments? 11

answered question 32

skipped question 0

2. Do you think that the proposed land base for the community forest is

appropriate?

Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 93.8% 30

No 3.1% 1

Unsure 3.1% 1

Any comments? 5


skipped question 0

Owner

Text Box

Community Support, Awareness, and Management Survey Results Survey Completed May 19, 2010 to September 15, 2010 Results Compiled September 15, 2010

Owner

Text Box

2 of 5

3. Is there anything in particular that you value about the proposed land

base for the community forest (e.g. recreation, viewscapes, wildlife and

habitat, water, economy and jobs, old growth, environmental protection,

tourism, fish, cultural heritage resources, road access, Bamfield

community, Anacla village, forest cover for climate, sustainability,

education, value added processing, local decision making, slope stability,

firewood cutting, no harvesting, fish habitat, non timber forest products

(botanicals) such as salal, mushrooms, (for medicinal/nutritional purposes,

floral greenery, and horticultural applications), mushroom collection, and

edible resource harvesting (berries, roots, and foliage).

Response

Count

32


skipped question 0

3 of 5

4. The community forest can be managed for a variety of activities and forest values. Below is a list

of some potential uses for the land base (including forestry). Please rank the following from 1 to 10

(with "1" being the MOST IMPORTANT, and "10" being LEAST IMPORTANT")

1 Most

important2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 Least

important

Water quality and fish habitat

protection71.9%

(23)

15.6%

(5)

6.3%

(2)

6.3%

(2)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)0.0% (0)

Protection and/or creation of wildlife

habitat37.5%

(12)

21.9%

(7)

21.9%

(7)

12.5%

(4)

3.1%

(1)

0.0%

(0)

3.1%

(1)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)0.0% (0)

Maintenance of old growth forest31.3%

(10)

15.6%

(5)

18.8%

(6)

15.6%

(5)

9.4%

(3)

3.1%

(1)

0.0%

(0)

3.1%

(1)

0.0%

(0)3.1% (1)

Spiritual values31.3%

(10)

15.6%

(5)

15.6%

(5)

12.5%

(4)

9.4%

(3)

3.1%

(1)

0.0%

(0)

12.5%

(4)

0.0%

(0)0.0% (0)

Social values 13.3% (4)36.7%

(11)

6.7%

(2)

20.0%

(6)

6.7%

(2)

6.7%

(2)

10.0%

(3)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)0.0% (0)

Cultural heritage values37.5%

(12)

25.0%

(8)

12.5%

(4)

9.4%

(3)

6.3%

(2)

9.4%

(3)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)0.0% (0)

Creation of economic benefit for

the community59.4%

(19)

25.0%

(8)

3.1%

(1)

3.1%

(1)

9.4%

(3)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)0.0% (0)

Maintenance or enhancement of

recreation and trails9.7% (3)

38.7%

(12)

16.1%

(5)

19.4%

(6)

9.7%

(3)

3.2%

(1)

0.0%

(0)

3.2%

(1)

0.0%

(0)0.0% (0)

Create small-scale local forestry

employment45.2%

(14)

35.5%

(11)

3.2%

(1)

9.7%

(3)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)

6.5%

(2)

0.0%

(0)

0.0%

(0)0.0% (0)

Education opportunities 30.0% (9)33.3%

(10)

10.0%

(3)

13.3%

(4)

3.3%

(1)

0.0%

(0)

3.3%

(1)

3.3%

(1)

0.0%

(0)3.3% (1)

Skills training opportunities41.9%

(13)

19.4%

(6)

12.9%

(4)

12.9%

(4)

3.2%

(1)

3.2%

(1)

0.0%

(0)

6.5%

(2)

0.0%

(0)0.0% (0)

Maintaining scenic viewscapes 13.3% (4)23.3%

(7)

20.0%

(6)

13.3%

(4)

16.7%

(5)

3.3%

(1)

6.7%

(2)

3.3%

(1)

0.0%

(0)0.0% (0)

Tourism activities 16.1% (5)12.9%

(4)22.6%

(7)

19.4%

(6)

16.1%

(5)

3.2%

(1)

3.2%

(1)

3.2%

(1)

3.2%

(1)0.0% (0)

4 of 5

5. Independent third party certification assesses forest management by

evaluating it against pre-established criteria. The cost of certification will

likely be offset by revenues generated from the sale of certified wood

products into markets that demand certified wood products. Is

independent certification of the Huu-ay-aht Community Forest a priority?

Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 65.6% 21

No 9.4% 3

Unsure 25.0% 8

Comments? 11


skipped question 0

6. If the Huu-ay-aht First Nations were given a community forest, would

you be interested in helping?

Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 71.9% 23

No 9.4% 3

Unsure 18.8% 6

Any comments? 10


skipped question 0

5 of 5

7. Would you or your organization be willing to provide the community

forest with a letter of support?

Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 53.1% 17

No 21.9% 7

Require more information 25.0% 8

If applicable, name, organization, contact information 9


skipped question 0

8. Do you have any comments or concerns relating to the establishment of

the Huu-ay-aht Community Forest #1? If so, what are they?

Response

Count

15


skipped question 17

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Displaying 31 of 32 respondents « Prev Next » Jump To: 31 Go »

Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.200.85 Response Started: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 6:11:31 PM Response Modified: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 6:14:32 P

1. Do you support the concept of a community forest, managed and operated for the benefit of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations community and the community at large?

Yes

2. Do you think that the proposed land base for the community forest is appropriate?

Yes

3. Is there anything in particular that you value about the proposed land base for the community forest (e.g. recreation, viewscapes, wildlife and habitat, water, economy and jobs, old growth, environmental protection, tourism, fish, cultural heritage resources, road access, Bamfield community, Anacla village, forest cover for climate, sustainability, education, value added processing, local decision making, slope stability, firewood cutting, no harvesting, fish habitat, non timber forest products (botanicals) such as salal, mushrooms, (for medicinal/nutritional purposes, floral greenery, and horticultural applications), mushroom collection, and edible resource harvesting (berries, roots, and foliage).

no comment.

4. The community forest can be managed for a variety of activities and forest values. Below is a list of some potential uses for the land base (including forestry). Please rank the following from 1 to 10 (with "1" being the MOST IMPORTANT, and "10" being LEAST IMPORTANT")

1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least

important (10)N/A (0)

Water quality and fish habitat protection X

Protection and/or creation of wildlife habitat X

Maintenance of old growth forest X Spiritual values X Social values X Cultural heritage values X Creation of economic benefit for the community X

Maintenance or enhancement of recreation and trails X

Page 1 of 2Survey Results

September/15/2010http://www.surveymonkey.com/sr_detail.aspx?sm=dOHr18e%2fOXFg2OG0t9M...

Create small-scale local forestry employment X

Education opportunities X Skills training opportunities X Maintaining scenic viewscapes X Tourism activities X Other (please specify):

5. Independent third party certification assesses forest management by evaluating it against pre-established criteria. The cost of certification will likely be offset by revenues generated from the sale of certified wood products into markets that demand certified wood products. Is independent certification of the Huu-ay-aht Community Forest a priority?

Yes

6. If the Huu-ay-aht First Nations were given a community forest, would you be interested in helping?

No

7. Would you or your organization be willing to provide the community forest with a letter of support?

No

8. Do you have any comments or concerns relating to the establishment of the Huu-ay-aht Community Forest #1? If so, what are they?

None





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 70.66.157.7 Response Started: Sunday, August 15, 2010 8:01:33 AM Response Modified: Sunday, August 15, 2010 8:03:59 AM


Yes


Yes


All of the above


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Yes


No


No


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.108.29.37 Response Started: Friday, August 13, 2010 1:56:45 PM Response Modified: Friday, August 13, 2010 1:59:49 PM


Yes


Yes


Sustainable forest harvesting to provide a solid economic basis for the HFN community


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Yes


No


Yes


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.207.89 Response Started: Friday, August 13, 2010 6:10:50 AM Response Modified: Friday, August 13, 2010 6:17:28 AM


Yes


Yes


slope stability, fish habitat, forest cover for climate, Anacla village, Bamfield community.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

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Yes


Yes


YesRaincoast Erosion Control Ltd [email protected]


no





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 207.216.62.224 Response Started: Thursday, August 12, 2010 1:54:31 PM Response Modified: Thursday, August 12, 2010 3:07:20


Yes


Yes


All the above


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Unsure


Unsure


YesWe have already done this.


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.198.187 Response Started: Thursday, August 12, 2010 1:28:27 PM Response Modified: Thursday, August 12, 2010 1:36:48


YesStrongly agree with this concept!


Yes


local decision making value added processing sustainability


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

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(9)10 Least











Unsure


Yes


Yes


I am a community forest fan





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 209.121.91.151 Response Started: Thursday, August 12, 2010 1:15:05 PM Response Modified: Thursday, August 12, 2010 1:20:09 PM


Yes


Yes


road acess to lakes and streams for recreation,fishing etc.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least







Education opportunities X Skills training opportunities X



Maintaining scenic viewscapes X Tourism activities X Other (please specify):


Unsure


Yes


Require more information


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 209.53.66.2 Response Started: Thursday, August 12, 2010 8:34:50 AM Response Modified: Thursday, August 12, 2010 8:46:53


Yes


Yes


all the above


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Yes


Yesnone


Yesstephen smith Huu-ay-aht Admin Office 2507283414


none





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.198.154 Response Started: Thursday, August 12, 2010 8:00:28 AM Response Modified: Thursday, August 12, 2010 8:06:14


Yes


Yes


Recreation, non timber forest products, fish, road access.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Yes


Yes


Yes


No





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.192.166 Response Started: Monday, July 26, 2010 2:34:48 PM Response Modified: Monday, July 26, 2010 2:47:21 PM


YesI hope we utilize the referral process even though HFN is doing full phase forestry from engineering to planting trees.


Yesmore would have been better


ownership


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least









Education opportunities X Skills training opportunities X Maintaining scenic viewscapes X Tourism activities X Other (please specify): Maintain a balance of the environment


NoNot really I believe that First Nations beliefs are the way to market our connection to the lands and resources not third party certification.


YesI have been serving as a representative on the Bamfield Huu-ay-aht Community Forest for over 10 years now and could bring some good input.


YesI would on the condition it provides a benifit to me and my community.


The CF #1 should provide fibre to our Nations infrastructure and asset needs.





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.192.166 Response Started: Monday, July 19, 2010 1:26:16 PM Response Modified: Monday, July 19, 2010 1:31:43 PM


Yes


Yes


Best use for the benefit of all Huu-ay-aht


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Yes


Yes


Yes


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.208.102 Response Started: Thursday, July 1, 2010 5:22:06 PM Response Modified: Thursday, July 1, 2010 5:41:08 PM


YesYes, this is an excellent concept that provides a volume based form of tenure to local communities for the management of the forest and non forest resources. In this case it will be managed by the Huu-ay-aht First Nations for the benefit of the Huu-ay-aht and communities at large by way of local decision making.


Yes


Sustainability, fish habitat, cultural heritage resources, slope satbiity and economy and jobs.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











YesIt will provide an excellent framework for top notch forest practices and the continual improvement do loop. It will allow Huu-ay-aht forest products to enter some specialized local and international markets.


Yes




The Huu-ay-aht First nation should be awarded this community forest based on their excellent forest management track record.





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 66.183.151.102 Response Started: Saturday, June 26, 2010 3:42:19 PM Response Modified: Saturday, June 26, 2010 3:46:18 PM


Yes


Yes


sustaunability


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

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(6)7

(7)8

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Yes


Yes


No


great idea.





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 207.148.131.69 Response Started: Monday, June 14, 2010 7:38:46 PM Response Modified: Monday, June 14, 2010 7:40:39 PM


Yes


Yes


Control of the area.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Yes


Yes


Yes


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.208.102 Response Started: Tuesday, June 8, 2010 1:18:12 PM Response Modified: Tuesday, June 8, 2010 1:41:35 PM


Yes


Yes


education, non timber forest products, tourism and sustainability.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least










Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 207.216.62.165 Response Started: Monday, June 7, 2010 8:29:48 PM Response Modified: Monday, June 7, 2010 8:32:56 PM


Yes


Yes


No


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Unsure


Unsure




No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 142.25.100.33 Response Started: Monday, June 7, 2010 11:48:37 AM Response Modified: Monday, June 7, 2010 11:54:23 AM


YesI think that this is an excellent idea that will put the community in closer contact with the environment.


Yes


I am not directly from the area but I'm sure that the land base is appropriate for this purpose.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least









Education opportunities Skills training opportunities X Maintaining scenic viewscapes X Tourism activities X Other (please specify):


NoI don't feel that third party certification is critical or, in fact, vital to ensuring that the resource is properly managed.


YesI would be willing to offer my professional skills and experience as a forester and educator.


YesVIU - Forestry department


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 70.66.204.170 Response Started: Monday, June 7, 2010 8:32:45 AM Response Modified: Monday, June 7, 2010 8:35:31 AM


Yes


Yes


Local Employment


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Unsure


Yes


YesBaseline Archaeology 556 Harmston Ave, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2X5 250-897-3853


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 70.67.249.210 Response Started: Sunday, June 6, 2010 8:35:46 AM Response Modified: Sunday, June 6, 2010 8:45:19 AM


Yes


Yes


Recreation, ie. campsites at reasonable costs so that local and visiting families can enjoy the venues and learn about the native culture. Environmental jprotection is also very important., and personally, edible resource harvesting, ie berry picking.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Yes


Unsure




I am in support of Community Forest #1, as it can serve the many needs of the Huu-ay-aht community and also the greater community in terms of education, employment and training and lastly appreciation of our wonderful west coast environment.





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.192.166 Response Started: Thursday, June 3, 2010 3:03:17 PM Response Modified: Thursday, June 3, 2010 3:09:28 PM


Yes


Yes


Sustainability, as well as recreational usage


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











YesIf it enables products access to markets that would otherwise be closed, I think it is a necessity.


YesMy skills are more grounded in systems analysis, marketing, and technology--but I would be happy to assist if called upon.


No


n/a





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 70.67.131.135 Response Started: Wednesday, June 2, 2010 7:43:58 AM Response Modified: Wednesday, June 2, 2010 8:02:18 A


YesCommunity Forests gives the community a chance to give their input on forest harvesting practices/procedures and proposed harvesting areas.


YesThis is what the government deemed, therefore, yes.


I feel that there is not enough focus on NTFPs. What is proposed for the community forest with NTFPs?


1 Most important (1)

2 (2)

3 (3)

4 (4)

5 (5)

6 (6)

7 (7)

8 (8)

9 (9)

10 Least important (10)

N/A (0)



Maintenance of old growth forest X Spiritual values X Social values X Cultural heritage values X



Creation of economic benefit for the community X



Education opportunities X Skills training opportunities X Maintaining scenic viewscapes X Tourism activities X Other (please specify): Identinfying and protecting areaqs with high amounts of NTFPs such as, pine or chanttrell mushrooms. MOST IMPORTANT


YesCertification would give us the ability to prove we manage our forests in a sustainable and mindful manner. That is, our product is produced with up-to-date ideas that meet or exceed the provincial forest practice standards.


YesAs a forest resources technologist, my contribution to the HFN would ensure I could bring some continuity. That is, I am leading by example.


YesJohnson Ginger Self employed 55 Mill St. Nanaimo V9R 5A7 250.754.3393


What is the average diameter class of CF 1? What is the species composition of CF 1? What ~volume of OG Cw is left, and is it viable to harvest?





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.192.166 Response Started: Tuesday, June 1, 2010 11:46:05 AM Response Modified: Tuesday, June 1, 2010 11:59:45 AM


Unsurei dont really know anything about the community forest


Yes


viewscapes, economy, JOBS, old growth, fish, replanting, resource harvesting.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











YesIf it brings in revenue then for sure it is important.


UnsureDepends on my work schedule and where i am going to be residing although i would love to help.


YesBelinda Nookemus Huu-ay-aht Youth [email protected]


a community forest that would employ community members i think would be great.. esepecially with the communities input at least put into consideration.





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.198.154 Response Started: Tuesday, June 1, 2010 9:18:13 AM Response Modified: Tuesday, June 1, 2010 10:02:49 AM


Yes


Yes


I value all of the assets and values listed above except "no harvesting". Careful harvesting has always been an activity of first Nations and settlers in BC and is our culture.


1 Most important (1)

2 (2)

3 (3)

4 (4)

5 (5)

6 (6)

7 (7)

8 (8)

9 (9)

10 Least important (10)

N/A (0)







Create small-scale local forestry employment

Education opportunities X Skills training opportunities X Maintaining scenic viewscapes Tourism activities X Other (please specify):


YesCertification also improves customer confidence in the forestry business


Yes




No concerns.





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 96.50.100.63 Response Started: Monday, May 24, 2010 10:33:14 PM Response Modified: Monday, May 24, 2010 10:41:19 PM


YesAs long as we dont over do it


Unsure


Wild life and hibitat the more we get rid of the more that ventures into the reserve and that could be a threat to our young children, economy and job, there would be alot more huu-ay-aht people living on the reserve if there were more employment and housing ,tourism to bring more people and economy to our reserve, a better road access were it isnt as dangerousem, Anacla village is very important its the heart of the huu-ay-aht nation i believe, firewood cutting is very important alot of our elders depend on wood stoves and not electrical heat , and our fish habitat is very important because its a great local food sorce, and i believe preserving much of our forest is very impotant to us and our local wildlife


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least




Maintenance of old growth forest X Spiritual values X Social values X



Cultural heritage values X Creation of economic benefit for the community X





Unsure


Yesbut i do not live in the community


No


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 154.5.113.93 Response Started: Saturday, May 22, 2010 2:16:52 PM Response Modified: Saturday, May 22, 2010 2:19:00 PM


Yes


Yes


eagle nesting


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Yes


Yes




No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 64.114.172.129 Response Started: Saturday, May 22, 2010 9:59:21 AM Response Modified: Saturday, May 22, 2010 10:12:14 AM


YesLocal First Nation groups having the resposibility of managing resources and landbase can only improve their overall success.


YesIt appears large but if the appropriate timber supply analysis has been completed and that the area identified supports it.


As a non-native, supporting the project, my interest are more towards economy and jobs. I would suspect that Huu-Ay-Aht members will also share the economy and job portion but would also be very interested in the traditional cedar use and likely a number of non-timber resources available within the proposed area


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least




Maintenance of old growth forest X Spiritual values X Social values X



Cultural heritage values X Creation of economic benefit for the community X





UnsureI believe this question will have to be answered a little later when logs are available for sale. At this time, it is probably more important to focus on the viability of any forestry related venture


YesOver the past 5-10 years, we have been working in cooperation with the Huu-Ay-Aht in a number of capacity.


No


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 64.114.213.17 Response Started: Friday, May 21, 2010 4:15:40 PM Response Modified: Friday, May 21, 2010 4:18:58 PM


Unsure


Yes


economy and jobs


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Yes


Unsure


No


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 209.53.66.2 Response Started: Thursday, May 20, 2010 11:55:58 AM Response Modified: Thursday, May 20, 2010 12:24:16 PM


YesYes but not sure it looks like much more than a traditional TFL or woodlot license. I don't see a lot of value-added plans built in to the contingency. Like to see more emphasis on this and some more out of the box thinking. As a local manufacturer we are excited at the idea of getting in to a purchase agreement to secure a long term wood supply.


YesLooks like a manageable area although the Carnation Creek watershed my have some challenges.


Look at recreational opportunities for developing a trail network for downhill mountain bike trails. Attracting people to the recreational activities and hard core terrain will be boon to tourism. I would be interested in sharing expertise on this front.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least




Maintenance of old growth forest X Spiritual values X



Social values Cultural heritage values X Creation of economic benefit for the community X





YesFSC carries the most clout particularly in Europe and abroad and would be ideal for establishing upscale markets. I am not as familiar with ISO 14001


YesWe would be interested in sharing our knowledge and experience with small scale value- added forestry and how it can apply to first nations operations. We are interested in partnering and sharing knowledge but are not interested in competing for local markets against subsidized operations. We are interested in working with a number of value added manufacturers to streamline efficiencies and work on economies of scale


Require more informationJames Spencer Bamfield Millworks [email protected] 250 728 3800


Just concerned that locally harvested timber will be carried out responsibly and with real local benefits. This means extracting the most value per m3 of wood. So establishing good markets particularly for some finished products will be essential and prioritizing local access to choice timber could support a number of viable value added manufacturers here on Huu-ay-aht lands and in local communities.





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.108.245.88 Response Started: Thursday, May 13, 2010 2:05:48 PM Response Modified: Thursday, May 13, 2010 2:14:32 PM


YesYes - I would like to see the majority of Crown Forest Lands in BC co-managed by local communities with First Nations under forest management corporations that have no affiliation with forest products companies.


NoShould be larger to allow for appropriate capacity to manage.


I think, that in addition to timber management respecting cultural heritage resources, which I think will be a priority for the HFN, I hope that another priority will be conservation of biodiversity and the full range of native habitats.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least




Maintenance of old growth forest X

Spiritual values X Social values Cultural heritage values X



Creation of economic benefit for the community X

Maintenance or enhancement of recreation and trails


Education opportunities Skills training opportunities Maintaining scenic viewscapes Tourism activities Other (please specify): I think many of these overlap - my priorities would be timber/employment, cultural/spiritual, habitat/biodiversity/fish as I think these fit best with the HFN philosophy.


NoI think the importance of this is overstated - wait until you have a larger management area. I believe that will happen at some point.


Yes


Yes


No Response





Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.198.154 Response Started: Thursday, May 13, 2010 6:32:32 AM Response Modified: Thursday, May 13, 2010 6:35:29 AM


Yes


Yes


Wildlife


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Unsure


YesI am already helping.


Yes


No Response




Displaying 1 of 32 respondents «« Prev Prev Next » Jump To: 1 Go »

Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.198.154 Response Started: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 11:43:25 AM Response Modified: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 11:53:44 AM


YesIt is a fabulous idea to have the area based community forest tenures available for the benefit of local communities and thier economies. It is a very progressive step to have First Nations managing these tenures for the benefit of their communities and the communities at large.


Yes


Recreation, wildlife habitata and economy and jobs.


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











YesThis is a very progressive step.


Yes


Yes


I fully support the Huu-ay-aht in their application for a community forest.




Displaying 32 of 32 respondents « Prev Next Next »» Jump To: 32 Go »

Respondent Type: Normal Response Collector: New Link (Web Link)Custom Value: empty IP Address: 24.68.198.154 Response Started: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 8:03:38 AM Response Modified: Wednesday, September 15, 2


Yes


Yes


Economy and jobs(1), slope stability(2), sustainability(3) wildlife & habitat & fish habitat(4)


1 Most

important (1)2

(2)3

(3)4

(4)5

(5)6

(6)7

(7)8

(8)9

(9)10 Least











Yes


Yes


Yes


No Response





Appendix F Letters of Support

Suite 510 – 700 West Georgia Street TD Tower P.O. Box 10032, Vancouver, B.C. V7Y 1A1

Telephone: (604) 665-6200 - Fax: (604) 681-9584

F-F25 Huu-ay-aht July 26, 2010

Huu-ay-aht First Nation 3483 3rd Avenue Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 4E4 Attention: Chief Councilor Robert Dennis Sr.

Re: Huu-ay-aht Community Forest Agreement #1 Dear Robert, Western is pleased to hear that a portion of the Forestry Revitalization Act allowable annual cut removed from Western Forest Products’ Tree Farm Licence 44 at the end of 2004 is now close to being awarded by the Province to the Huu-ay-aht Forestry Limited Partnership as a Community Forest Agreement. Western is supportive of this replaceable volume being returned to the market and wishes the Nation and the Partnership future business success with its implementation. Yours truly, WESTERN FOREST PRODUCTS INC.

Steve Frasher President & Chief Executive Officer

612 – 3030 Kilpatrick Ave. Courtenay, B.C. V9N 8P1 phone: 250-334-9811 email: [email protected]

May 13, 2010 Paul Dagg, RPF Planning Forrester Huu-ay-aht First Nation Forestry 3483 - 3rd Ave. Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 4E4 Subject: Letter of Support for HFN Community Forest Agreement Management Plan Aztec Geoscience Inc. wishes to indicate our support of HFN’s CFA1 Management Plan, which is based on cultural values of good stewardship, sustainability and sharing, consistent with high standards of environmental awareness. We have supplied geologic input into HFN’s forestry management decision-making process for several years and find the group to be environmentally conscientious and conservative in preserving and protecting forest values. We expect that HFN’s successful application for this Community Forest Agreement will result in enhanced economic and environmental stability in the Alberni Region with positive impacts on the following:

economic development resource sustainability quality of life first nation communication technical jobs

Sincerely,

Del W. Ferguson, P.Geo., President

May 13th , 2010



Appendix G Projected Financial Statements and Basic Financial Cost Assumptions

G.1 Projected Financial Statements

HFN COMMUNITY FOREST Projected Start-Up Costs

PHASE Cost ($) COMMENTSLegal $2,500Forest Stewardship Plan preparation $7,099Road Construction (assume 1.44 km) $180,000Logging $682,229Management Phases Management Phases*

detailed engineering $42,480forestry $47,578 **See comment below.logging and road supervision $16,992sales and marketing $8,496safety management $8,496

Bookeeping/accounting $5,001 Three months expensesLiability insurance $500Bank charges + interest $0 Increases if need to borrow $Administration and Overhead $16,992TOTAL 1,018,361$

Management Phases detail:

2. Forestry: waste & residue, post harvest assessments, silviculture surveys, planting including supervision, results submissions to MoFR,danger tree assessments.

Administration and Overhead: Administration and overhead includes all apsects of executive, supervisory and administrative support functions, log supply and sales, right-of-way, foreshore and other land leases and environmental management sytem (EMS) measures.

Note: Start-up costs have been defined as those costs up to and including the end of first-year road construction, logging waste & residue, post harvest assessment, planting and results submission.

* Ideally, HFN Forestry seeks to have 3 years of development completed prior to start-up. This would provide flexibility in the timing of harvesting particular blocks according to current market conditions.

**These would be the forestry operational activities after the first year of harvesting including: the waste & residue, post harvest assessments, planting including supervision & results submissions to MoFR.

1. Detailed Engineering includes:Engineering administration,timber cruising, site plan, assessments(CMT surveys, visuals, terrain, windthrow & fish/stream), road layout, boundary layout (includes VR), deflection lines, streams, stream & gully assessments & bridge site plans.

Also includes: Appraisal, cruise compilation, cutting permit & road permit application/submission, MoFR liason, mapping & reporting.



Income Statement 2011-2015 Projected Income Statement For HFN CFA1 - Appendix G2

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total

RevenueHarvesting Revenue 1,581,445 1,574,818 1,574,818 1,574,818 1,555,787 Net Revenue 1581445 1574818 1574818 1574818 1555787 7861686

ExpensesLogging Operations 682229 682229 682229 682229 682229R & M - Bridges & Roads 28000 28000 28000 28000 28000 Road Building 180000 180000 180000 180000 180000Road Deactivation 8000 8000 8000 5000

Stumpage & Royalty @$1.00/m3 16992 16992 16992 16992 16992Silviculture 38062 47578 47578 47578 47578Waste & Residue (0.27/m3) 4588 4588 4588 4588 4588 Insurance (0.16/m3) 2719 2719 2719 2719 2719Detailed Engineering Costs 42480 42480 42480 42480 42480 Logging & Road Construction Supervision 16992 16992 16992 16992 16992FSP & Licence Acquisition 2011-2015 48000 AAC Rental 16,992 @ 0.37 6287 6287 6287 6287 6287Certification 10000 3000 3000 3000 3000Sales and Marketing 8496 8496 8496 8496 8496Safety 8496 8496 8496 8496 8496Accounting (Audit & Month Ends) 5000 5000 5000 5000 5000 Legal 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500Bank Charges & Interest 0 0 0 0 0Admin & overhead 17000 17000 17000 17000 17000 Travel 200 200 200 200 200Utilities 250 150 150 150 150Telephone 900 900 900 900 900Vehicle Expenses 10000 10000 10000 10000 10000Wages 40000 40000 40000 40000 40000 Total Expenses 1169191 1131607 1131607 1131607 1128607 5692619

Net Operating Income 412254 443211 443211 443211 427180 2169067

Net Income (Loss) 412254 443211 443211 443211 427180

[Time Period] Statements in Canadian Dollars



G.2 Forecast Cash Flow Statements

Appendix G2

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total$Total$ Total$ Total$ Total$ Total$

Harvesting Revenue 1,581,445 1,574,818 1,574,818 1,574,818 1,555,787 7,861,686

Primary Harvesting Costs:Logging Operations 682,229 682,229 682,229 682,229 682,229 3,411,145R & M - Bridges & Roads 28,000 28,000 28,000 28,000 28,000 140,000Road Building 180,000 180,000 180,000 180,000 180,000 1,080,000 Road Deactivation 8,000 8,000 8,000 5,000 29,000

Stumpage & Royalty @ $1.00/m3 16,992 16,992 16,992 16,992 16,992 84,960 Silviculture @ 80% of liability start 2012 38,062 47,578 47,578 47,578 47,578 228,374 Waste & Residue (0.27/m3) 4,588 4,588 4,588 4,588 4,588 22,939 Insurance (0.16/m3) 2,719 2,719 2,719 2,719 2,719 13,594

Total Primary Harvesting Costs 952,590 970,106 970,106 970,106 967,106 5,010,012

Other Revenue

Forest Mangement Costs:Total Detailed Engineering Costs 42,480 42,480 42,480 42,480 42,480 212,400 Logging & road construction supervision 16,992 16,992 16,992 16,992 16,992 84,960FSP & Licence Acquisition 2011-2015 48,000 48,000Total Planning Costs 107,472 59,472 59,472 59,472 59,472 345,360Certification 10,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 22,000AAC Rental 16,992 @ 0.37 6,287 6,287 6,287 6,287 6,287 31,435 Safety 8,496 8,496 8,496 8,496 8,496 42,480 Sales & Marketing 8,496 8,496 8,496 8,496 8,496 42,480 Total Forest Management Costs 140,751 85,751 85,751 85,751 85,751 483,755

General & Administrative CostsAccounting (Audit & Month Ends) 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 25,000 Legal 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 12,500 InterestAdmin and overhead 17,000 17,000 17,000 17,000 17,000 85,000 Total Loans - - - - - - Bank Charges & Interest - Board OperationsMeetingsTotal Board CostsTelephone 900 900 900 900 900 900Travel 200 200 200 200 200 200Utilities 250 150 150 150 150 150 Vehicle Expenses 10000 10000 10000 10000 10000Wages 40000 40000 40000 40000 40000 40000Total General & Admin. Costs 75,850 75,750 75,750 75,750 75,750 378,850

Total Cash Inflow (outflow) 1,169,191 1,131,607 1,131,607 1,131,607 1,128,607 5,692,617

Ending Cash Balance 412,254 443,211 443,211 443,211 427,180 2,169,069

Reconciliation to Income/expense 2,011 2,012 2013 2014 2015 Total

Total Cash Inflow (outflow) 412,254 443,211 443,211 443,211 427,180 2,169,067

Add Back Capital PurchasesR & M - Bridges & Roads 28,000 28,000 28,000 28,000 28,000 140,000FSP & Licence Acquisition 2011-2015 48,000 48,000

76,000 28,000 28,000 28,000 28,000 188,000

488,254 471,211 471,211 471,211 455,180 2,357,067

Deduct Silviculture liability 38,062 55,578 55,578 52,578 257,374

Income/Expense 450,192 415,633 415,633 415,633 402,602 2,099,693

55,578

HFN COMMUNITY FOREST 1 FORECAST CASH FLOW 2011-2015

10000



HFN CFA1 Proforma Balance Sheet

September 13, 2010

AccumulativeBalance Sheet As at 12/31 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015ASSETSCurrent assets:

Total Cash 0 $412,254 $443,211 $443,211 $443,211 $427,180 2,169,067Prepaid Engineering - - - - - Total Current Assets $412,254 $443,211 $443,211 $443,211 $427,180

Capital Assets - -

Road Reactivation 28,000.00 28,000.00 28,000.00 28,000.00 28,000.00 Total Capital Assets $0 $0 $0 $0 $0Net fixed assets 28,000.00$ 28,000.00$ 28,000.00$ 28,000.00$ 28,000.00$ 140,000

Other assets Licence & FSP 48,000 0 0 0Total other assets $48,000 $0 $0 $0 $0

TOTAL ASSETS $488,254 $471,211 $471,211 $471,211 $455,180 2,357,067

LiabilitiesCurrent liabilities:Accounts payable - - Loan #1Loan #2 0 0 0 0 0Income taxes payable - - Total Current Liabilities $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Long-term liabilitiesRoads $8,000 $8,000 $8,000 $5,000Silviculture Accrual Liability $38,062 $47,578 $47,578 $47,578 $47,578Total Long-Term Liabilities $38,062 $55,578 $55,578 $55,578 $52,578

TOTAL LIABILITIES $38,062 $55,578 $55,578 $55,578 $52,578 257,374

EQUITY

Common SharesRetained Earnings - Previous YearCurrent Earnings 450,192 415,633 415,633 415,633 402,602 2,099,693

TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY $450,192 $415,633 $415,633 $415,633 $402,602

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $488,254 $471,211 $471,211 $471,211 402,602.00$ 2,357,067



Appendix H Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

AAC Allowable annual cut

CWHVM Coastal Western Hemlock submontane very wet ‐ maritime

CFA Community Forest Agreement

CFAC Community Forest Advisory Committee

CFOP Community Forest Operational Plan

Co‐dominants Trees whose crowns form the main canopy of a forest

CWHvm2 Coastal Western Hemlock Montane very wet maritime

CWHvh1 Coastal Western Hemlock Southern very wet hypermaritime

EMZ Enhanced Management Zones

FES Forest Ecosystems Solutions Ltd.

FPPR Forest Planning and Practices Regulation

FRPA Forest and Range Practices Act

FSP Forest Stewardship Plan

GAAP Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A geographic information system, also known as a geographical information system or geospatial information system, is a system for capturing, storing, analyzing and managing data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced to the Earth.

GMZ General Management Zones

Green‐up The time needed after harvesting for a stand of trees to reach a desired condition (usually expressed as a specific height) ‐ to ensure maintenance of water quality, wildlife habitat, soil stability, or aesthetics ‐ before harvesting is permitted in adjacent areas.

Growing stock The volume estimate for all standing timber at a particular time.

Harvest forecast The potential flow of timber harvest over time. A harvest forecast is usually a measure of the maximum timber supply that can be realized over time for a specified land base and a set of management practices. It is a result of forest planning models and is affected by the size and productivity of the land base, the current growing stock, and management objectives, constraints and assumptions.

ILMB Integrated Land Management Bureau

Inoperable areas Areas defined as unavailable for timber harvest for terrain related or economic reasons. Operability can change over time as a function of changing harvesting technology and economics.

Integrated resource management (IRM)

The identification and consideration of all resource values, including social, economic and environmental needs in resource planning and decision‐making.

IWMS Identified Wildlife Management Strategy

Karst features Karst is a distinctive topography that develops as a result of the dissolving action of water on carbonate bedrock (usually limestone, dolomite or marble). Karst features include fluted rock surfaces, vertical shafts, sinkholes, sinking streams, springs, complex sub‐surface drainage systems and caves.

Landscape‐level biodiversity

The Landscape Unit Planning Guide and the Order. Establishing Provincial Non‐Spatial Old Growth Objectives provide objectives for maintaining biodiversity at the landscape level and stand level. At the landscape level, objectives are provided for the maintenance of old growth.



Landscape unit A planning area based on topographic or geographic features, that is appropriately sized (up to 100,000ha), and designed for application of landscape‐level biodiversity objectives.

Landscape units Long‐term planning areas, ranging in size from 5,000‐100,000 hectares; used to integrate resource development and conservation activities by enabling understanding of ecological processes, landscape management visioning, and implementation of biodiversity strategies.

Long‐term harvest level

A harvest level that can be maintained indefinitely given a particular forest management regime (which defines the timber harvesting land base, and objectives and guidelines for non‐timber values) and estimates of timber growth and yield.

LRUP Local Resource Use Plan

M3 Cubic meter

MAI Mean annual increment

Management assumptions

Approximations of management objectives, priorities, constraints and other conditions needed to represent forest management actions in a forest planning model. These include, for example, the criteria for determining the timber harvesting land base, the specifications for minimum harvestable ages, utilization levels, and integrated resource management and silviculture and pest management programs.

Model An abstraction and simplification of reality constructed to help understand an actual system. Forest managers and planners have made extensive use of models, such as maps, classification systems and yield projections, to help management activities.

MOE Ministry of Environment

MOFR Ministry of Forestry and Range

Natural disturbance type (NOT)

An area that is characterized by a natural disturbance regime, such as wildfires and wind, which affects the natural distribution of seral stages. For example areas subject to less frequent stand‐initiating disturbances usually have more old forests.

Non‐recoverable losses The volume of timber killed or damaged annually by natural causes (e.g. fire, wind, insects and disease) that is not harvested.

NTFPs Non‐timber forest products

NTR Non‐timber resources

OGMAs Old growth management areas

Operability Classification of an area considered available for timber harvesting. Operability is determined using the terrain characteristics of the area as well as the quality and quantity of timber on the area.

Riparian area Areas of land adjacent to wetlands or bodies of water such as swamps, streams, rivers or lakes.

Riparian habitat The stream bank and flood plain area adjacent to streams or water bodies.

RMZ (stream context) Riparian Management Zone. That portion of the riparian management area that is outside of any riparian reserve zone or if there is no riparian zone, that area located adjacent to a stream, wetland or lake of a width determined in the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation.

RMZ (under VILUP) Resource Management Zones

Sensitivity analysis A process used to examine how uncertainties about data and management practices could affect timber supply. Inputs to an analysis are changed and the results are compared to a baseline or the base case.

Site index A measure of site productivity. The indices are reported as the average height, in



meters, that the tallest trees in a stand are expected to achieve at 50 years (age is measured at 1.3 meters above the ground).

Site Index by Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem

Classification site series (SIBEC)

Site index estimates for tree species according to site units of the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification system of British Columbia.

SMZ Special Management Zones

Stocking The proportion of an area occupied by trees, measured by the degree to which the crowns of adjacent trees touch, and the number of trees per hectare.

THLB Timber Harvesting Land base

TIPSY (Table Interpolation Program for

Stand Yields)

A BC Forest Service computer program used to generate yield projections for managed stands based on interpolating from yield tables of a model (TASS) that simulates the growth of individual trees based on internal growth processes, crown competition, environmental factors and silvicultural practices.

Timber harvesting land base (THLB)

Forest land within the HFNCFAI timber harvesting is considered both acceptable and economically feasible, given objectives for all relevant forest values, existing timber quality, market values and harvesting technology.

Timber supply The amount of timber that is forecast to be available for harvesting over a specified time period, under a particular management regime.

Tree farm licence (TFL) Provides rights to harvest timber, and outlines responsibilities for forest management, in a particular area.

TSA Timber Supply Analysis

Ungulate A hoofed herbivore, such as a deer.

VILUP Vancouver Island Land Use Plan Higher Level Plan order (effective December 1, 2000). An order that established Resource Management Zones (RMZs) and Resource Management Zone objectives within the area covered by the Vancouver Island Land Use Plan.

Volume estimates (yield projections)

Estimates of yields from forest stands over time. Yield projections can be developed for stand volume, stand diameter or specific products.

Watershed An area drained by a stream or river. A large watershed may contain several smaller watersheds (basins).

Wildlife tree A standing live or dead tree with special characteristics that provide valuable habitat for wildlife.



Appendix I Acknowledgements Many thanks to the following people who made this application and Management Plan possible:

Robert Dennis, Chief Councillor, Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation

Stan Coleman, RPF, Rocky Point Forest Services Ltd.

Dave Cruickshank, RPF, Tenures Forester South Island Forest District

Dan Biggs, RPF Stewardship Officer South Island Forest District

Darren Hiller, RFT Owner, DRH Forestry Consulting

Judy Weger, DocuPointe

Brad Bayley, GIS Technician, DRH Forestry Consulting

Brent Ronning, Communications Coordinator Huu‐ay‐aht First Nation Treaty Office

Kevin Hunter, Forest Engineer, President Western Vancouver Island Industrial Heritage Society.

Dan Perrin, Perrin Thorau and Associates Ltd.

Steve Gray, General Manager HFN Forestry

Mike Davis, RPF Planning Forester Western Forest products Inc. Corporate Forestry

Ken Watson, Port Alberni City Manager

Jerry MacDermott, Wildlife Technician, Ministry of Environment

Sean Lingl, Owner Operator, Canadian Guide Outfitters Ltd.