Whereas the Province, in response to the 2018 AbbottChapman Report, is exploring a number of means to mitigate wildland fire frequency and severity and it is widely understood that one significant strategy is to develop a more wildfire resilient forest landscape that includes promoting the use of indigenous broadleaf species that typically reduce fire behaviour; And whereas current provincial forest management regulations and policies create barriers towards the development of a more wildfire resilient forest landscape: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province review its forest management regulations and policies with an objective to expand, promote and enforce fire, insect and disease based stocking standards postharvest, postwildfire, post-insect and post-disease events throughout the Province resulting in a more wildfire, insect and disease resilient provincial forest landscape.
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development On October 31, 2019, Government released information on further updates that address recommendations made in the AbbottChapman Report. Below are the updates that speak to enhancing wildfire forest landscape resiliency. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development FLNRORD is reviewing the Forest and Range Practices Act FRPA and regulations to assess and consider an alternative forest planning framework to improve the Provinces ability to manage landscape-scale disturbances such as wildfire. FLNRORD intends to propose amendments to the FRPA in fall 2020 to establish a new planning regime better equipped to manage large-scale disturbance such as wildfire. It is hoped that further amendments to the FRPA will enable interim improvements including establishing the authority to create a new wildfire objective and new rules in the forest-community interface to reduce fire hazard and prioritize community safety. The updated Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation provides additional flexibility to allow for community wildfire risk reduction activities in both the high and medium smoke sensitivity zones. The Chief Forester released the Fire Management Stocking Standard Guidance in 2016 to encourage reduced stocking within the Wildland-Urban Interface. Work has continued on the Climate Change Informed Species Selection CCISS decision aid to model the ecological suitability of tree species and enable users to apply different management lenses as a separate step in tree species selection and the development of climate adapted stocking standards. Guidance is available that describes a process for development of fire management stocking standards. In addition, stocking standards that utilize deciduous species have been developed for some parts of the province as has guidance around the use of fire resilient species as western larch. In 201920, funding was increased to provide for the development of a multi-year prescribed fire program. FLNRORD is developing a comprehensive prescribed fire program, including a curriculum and training component to build capacity and increase knowledge regarding prescribed fire. Development of the new prescribed fire program will continue through 2020. Post fire season research and adaptive management now targets recovery of fire damaged ecosystems. FLNRORD, with partners, is engaged in and funding research into appropriate treatments for such areas, including appropriate species selection.