Management Objectives/Values

One of the most important decisions made in any reforestation program is how to meet stand and landscape objectives over time. Here we provide information to help evaluate tree species in the context of Management Objectives/Values.

Timber

• Forest Practices Board Report - Western red cedar - issues for managing desirable characteristics under retention of various levels (PDF)
• Reference Guide - stocking standards for FDPs (XLS)
• CF and ADM Operations direction on incorporation of mixedwoods and broadleaves into FPS, stocking standards, SP amendments and TSR regeneration assumptions (PDF)
• Silviculture Working Group - Hardwood Management in the Coast Forest Region (PDF)
• Forest and Range Evaluation Program (FREP) Timber Values Site
• Site Index Estimates by BEC Site Series (SIBEC)
• Tree Improvement Branch: Seed Planning Units (SPU) and Species Plans
• Timber Pricing Branch - Log Market Reports

Wildlife Habitat

• FORREX Stand Establishment Decision Aids - see the Vegetation Complex Stands SEDAs
• Silviculture Strategy habitat supply documents
• Strategies for maintaining or recruiting habitat in areas affected by mountain pine beetle and other catastrophic events (PDF)
• A guide for incorporating environmental values into silviculture strategic planning (PDF)
• Using silviculture to maintain and enhance grizzly bear habitat in six variants of the Prince George Forest Region (PDF)
• Silviculture guidelines and practices for maintaining or recruiting key habitat objectives (PDF)
• FREP Wildlife Values Site

Fuel and Fire Management

• Prescribed fire and tree species
• Fire Effects Information System (FEIS summarizes and synthesizes research about living organisms in the United States—their biology, ecology, and relationship to fire)
• Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Info:
  • BCFireSmart
  • FireSmart, Mitigation & Solutions (Fire resistive tree species pages 3-8, 3-9) (PDF)

Biodiversity

• Chief Forester's guidance on Tree Species Composition at the Stand and Landscape Level (Sept. 24, 2009) (PDF)
• Forest and Range Evaluation Program (FREP) Biodiversity Value Site

Carbon

• Forest and Land Carbon
• Common misconceptions about forest carbon (PDF)

Visual Quality

If forest harvesting has happened within sight of a city or town, or if there have been public complaints about the harvesting, regrowth may need to happen more quickly than usual to improve the visual appearance of the area. This can happen by

• Choosing species with a broad or bushy profile,
• Using larger planting stock, or
• Increasing the density of planting.

In addition, it may be more appropriate to use non-clear cut silvicultural systems in visually sensitive areas (for example, selection, shelterwood, seed tree).

When there is a range of acceptable species, shade-tolerant species that will be successful under a partial cutting regime will provide greater flexibility for managing visual quality in the future.