WHEREAS the forest industry in British Columbia does not consider landscape level planning for the removal of timber nor do they consult with each other during the planning for removal; AND WHEREAS lack of consolidated landscape planning by the forest industry results in fires moving across the landscape unheeded and is impacting the future of forest based communities and the mid-term timber supply opportunities: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations MFLNRO create Integrated Landscape Planning Guidelines and that all companies harvesting timber in BC consider future wildfire impacts while planning for harvesting; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the MFLNRO make changes to the Forest and Range Practices Act to require landscape planning.
Ministry of Forests, Land and Natural Resource Operations One of the key elements in the Ministry of Forests, Land and Natural Resource Operations Ministry recently released Beyond the Beetle: A Mid-Term Timber Supply Action Plan October 2012 is fuel management and fire management planning, including a recommendation to link fuel management programs to Type 4 silviculture strategies. As stated in the Action Plan, the Ministry has recently initiated landscape fire management planning. The objective is to mitigate the threat of wildfire by creating landscape-level fuel breaks to reduce risks to critical values. Three pilot projects are currently underway in the Cascades Resource District, Vanderhoof Fort St. James Districts, and Sea to Sky Chilliwack Resource Districts. The successful integration of wildfire considerations into most aspects of resource management planning will require a focused commitment by industry, communities, local governments, First Nations and resource management agencies. The Ministrys fire management specialists are also working with the Type 4 silviculture strategy team leads in the Burns Lake and Okanagan-Shuswap Districts. Fire management planning is recognized as a planning component and the specialists will share their knowledge, expertise and information on wildfire risk mapping. The ministry is also considering options for including fire management objectives in all resource management activities. In 2004, the Provincial and Federal Governments committed 37 million to the Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative and the BC Government contributed an additional 25 million in April 2011. The initiative is a collaboration between UBCM, the First Nations Emergency Services Society and the Ministry. This initiative reduces wildland-urban interface fuels on municipal lands and First Nation lands next to communities.