He Ch Management plans Each forest region comprises management units... Umber supply areas and tree farm licences These are at the of the pyramid. BCFS managers encourage the public and other agencies to assist in developing management plans for each unit, These plans outline management objectives — induding harvesting volume, livestock forage. trildlife hableat, and recreational oppormnity — and the means to achieve thers. A plas will identify the land use Priorities . .. timber wildlife, recreation. ange, cf combinations as evel as extablish conditions to Manage areas for averse tes, such as hervesting end winter range for All resources are considered in the process that leads te these decisions and all management plans se units in a region must reflect the region's lostides. Local resource-use plans erect Local revource-use plans form the next laver in the ERM pyramid. in rosporise to proposals for development. BCFS managers may produce local rerource-use plans by: © detennining resource values; © consulting resource sgencies, industi:! s<--, and the public ® outlining the IRM options for Managing the area; b) and, * salecting the best option. ' These may be simpie or complex, depending on the issues involved. They support the Management plans’ object: consider an area's total forest rezsurces and set guidelines for managing each of tier. They may, for Instance, schedule F I timber harvesting ye activities for certain = seasons to facilitare 9 wildlife management, A Resource development pians ae ys Acthe pyramid’s base ace resource development plans. BCFS managers draw up detailed speciticanons for each individual resource by using either the guidelines developed in the local resource-use plans or the management plans. Resource development plans for nmber harvesting, for example. spenty the harvest’s location, methods, schedules to achieve forestry and wildlife objectives, and access plans. All BCFS plans rely heavily on the BCES's inventory for resource informanen. In addition, the pre- harvest gilvicuinire prescription -- field examination and recommendations for all aspects of IRM before timber harvesting — provides details for area specific | eure management. “ are 2re@ examples o: ee So how other resources are Ta BR considered in IRM when dmber harvest is planned: Farage considerations A major use of provincial forests is to provide forage fur litestock and wildhie More than 60 per cent of provincial tange lands are forested. IRM, therefore, includes co-ordinanng range Fesource use with other uses of provincial forests, Timber harvesting olten increases forage production by opening up areas to the growth of grasses and shrubs. Browsing and grazing areas, protective cover, and controlled access to jimit cattle movement are required. BCFS managers zecognize these range needs by: scheduling harvesting to accommodaie jorage needs; planning ¢anie crossings and gates to control the animals’ movements: and leaving trees to provide shelter from extreme weather. Recreation considerations Provincial forests are a valuable recreanion resource. They provide opportunites for mental and physical revitalizanon and ate part of the resource base for the economy’s tourism sector. They provide the full Spectrum of recreanon opportunides ranging from a wilderness expenence in the pravince’s vast wild areas, to develaped facilines accessibie by road. Recreation resources include scenic landscapes along trails, rivers and highways 23 well as cultural and heritage resources = The BCFS provides recreation opporunities and benefits by protecting and managing thé use of the provincial forests as well as maintaining a network o1 sites, trails, and other recreation facilities. BCFS managers may modify haw some areas are harvested to achieve visual quality objectives. For example, the shape and size of many timter harvesting areas may be 92 designed to blend wish the natural landscapes Wildlife considerations Provincial forests provide habuat tor a wide variety of wildlife. Some species prefer younger foresss. Others prefer older forests. Timber harvesting creates these differen: forest age classes and provides forage for wildlife, such as deez and moose. due to new clearings in the forests. Wildlife needs include habirat diversity. cover foud or forage, aad control of access Sites. BCFC managers plan 2 harvests ame. place, size ind shape with these needs in mind. For exemple, they avoid harvesting tn critical areas used by canbou 2nd provide blacks of mees for protection cover for wilsiiic They dently and preserve mature trees Or smavs user for nesung by eisics and ospreys Fisheries considerations Fish habitat is affected by the rate of water tun-off, Streambank erosion aad the amount of shoreline vegetation. BCFS managers have worked cO-operatively to develop detailed prescnptions -- such as where aad how roads and bridges can be built — that forest managers follow when harvesting near fish habitat. In some areas they c2!! for sings of trees to be left along streambanks Someumes they call for a tree to be dropped across a stream to create aa important pool for fish. Water considerations Most watersheds in BC he in forested areas, Somem>+s they can be improved through timber harvesnng. For instance, harvest pattems caa improve the watershed’s ability to retin snow, and thus improve is ability to piovide water Water managers require low levels of secimentanion in the water a low ran of water polluuon, and consistent water Hows in watersheds BCFS managers plan the shape. lasout, and amount of torest land harvested at any one time with these tactors in mind. They take Steps 0 stabilize roacs and steam banks and to reduce the area dismmbuted by roads and the landings used for loading wucks Atter the harvest. tev ensure tha: there 1s speedy reforestauon =.