| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
The Fort St. James Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) officially began on October 21, 1992. The key successes of this plan include: increased certainty for resource development industries while clearly stating what considerations need to be made for other resource values in development planning. the development of an innovative Caribou Strategy which represents agreementses recommended in adjacent planning areas (i.e., the Omineca and Stuart River Protected Areas). a strong commitment to Co-ordinated Access Management Planning for the relatively unaccessed northern half of the planning area. The development of this LRMP is coming at a time when roaded access and forest development occurs just to the south of the midpoint of the district, and when much of this district is still in pristine condition. This plan highlights the resource management opportunities and challenges as forest development moves north towards these largely undeveloped areas, and recommends pro-active integrated resource management, instead of reactive issue management. Setting The Stage — the Fort St. James Plan Area: There are 3.174 million hectares in the Fort St. James plan area, currently supplying approximately 3 million cubic metres of timber annually, and generating 131 million dollars in stumpage (1997). An increase in this harvest level is expected in the near future. The plan area supports a population base of approximately 4,000 people. Although the population base is small, the resources in this area support regional and provincial economies in guiding, tourism, mining, the forest industry, agriculture, fisheries, and service sectors. Who Was Involved: Participation in this Land and Resource Management Plan has fluctuated, averaging roughly 30-40 participants throughout the seven-year process. The LRMP Table worked with an open-door policy and interest based negotiations, and was not sector-based like many other planning processes. An overall goal of the LRMP is to develop land use plans with the co-operation and participation of First Nations living, working and having traditional territories within the LRMP area. Working Group members identified the need to address issues and concerns of First Nations communities, as they apply to the resources within the planning area. Representatives of several First Nations attended early meetings but other priorities, primarily treaty negotiations, resulted in that participation dropping off as the LRMP process continued. The key issues for local participants were the stability of the community of Fort St. James, and integrated resource management. The key issues for regional participants were integrated resource management strategies that considered management for caribou, the stability of the Prince George Timber Supply Area, tourism and guide outfitting, and opportunities for mineral exploration. What Resulted: The Fort St. James Land and Resource Management Plan divides a 3.174 million hectare landbase into 36 Resource Management Zones (RMZ_s), which fall into five categories: Settlement/Agriculture RMZ — This category represents < 1% of the LRMP landbase, and designates lands within the zone are that are currently used or proposed for farming, and/or are used or proposed for settlement in an Official Community Plan, Crown Land Plan, or LRMP. Management on these lands integrates Crown lands with the historic pattern of settlement and agriculture in the planning area, and management of natural resource values and resource development is compatible with this. Resource Development RMZ — Representing 32% of the landbase, these are lands with existing or future potential for intensive resource development. These are managed with consideration of other resource values and within the guidelines of specific zone objectives and strategies. Management on these lands emphasizes the development of resources such as mineral extraction and timber harvesting, while minimizing impacts on other resources through a variety of integrate resource management strategies. Access is relatively unrestricted, with the exception of any land that may need special management considerations. Multi-Value RMZ — Representing 45% of the landbase, these lands are managed to integrate a wide range of resource values. Access within these zones is relatively unrestricted, with the exception of specific areas that are recommended for special management considerations. Special Management RMZ — Representing 16% of the landbase, these lands are managed for a wide array of resources, but in general indicate the need for more sensitive resource management. Resource development (including roaded access development) may proceed as long as impacts on other resource values are minimized and resource values are maintained. Protected Area RMZ — Representing 6% of the landbase, Protected Areas are established in perpetuity so that the ecological systems they encompass can continue to evolve with a minimum of intervention. The Protected Area System comprises a family of Protected Areas. The system, rather than individual areas, provides for the diversity of ecosystems, special features and outdoor recreation opportunities and experiences sought. In Special Management and Multi-Value Resource Management Zones the RMZ label is complemented by resource management intent statements that clarify and provide sensitive management for identified significant resources. Two areas in this plan have been recommended as special management subzones. These areas are: a corridor of roughly 250 m on either side of the Sustut River, with no resource extraction, to protect the Class 1 Classified Waters of the Sustut River (Lower Sustut Resource Management Zone). the Upper Jake Creek Watershed subzone, with no forest harvesting except for forest health purposes (Squingula Resource Management Zone, subzone A). These two areas represent less than 1% of the landbase (24,649 hectares), and less than 0.1% of the available timber volume in the planning area. Protected Areas: The LRMP Table was able to reach consensus on twenty-two Protected Areas, representing 5.9% of the landbase, or roughly 187,000 hectares. The original target for new and existing Protected Areas in this planning area as established by the Land Use Co-ordination Office was 5.8% (plus or minus 0.25%), or roughly 184,000 hectares. Therefore the Fort St. James LRMP is within the target proposed by the Land Use Co-ordination Office. The Protected Areas recommended in this plan include: Stuart River Protected Area (5,575 hectares) — Key values include a small elk population and a migration corridor for sockeye salmon. Mt. Pope Protected Area (1,944 hectares) — Key values include mule deer winter range, Douglas-fir representation, some unique plant and animal species associated with limestone rock formations, and significant recreation values. Fleming Protected Area (41,590 hectares) — Key values include wetland complexes that serve as a stopover for migrating waterfowl and high wildlife values. Mudzenchoot Protected Area (637 hectares) — A dry meadow complex with some unique plant species. Blanchet Protected Area (24,099 hectares) — Key values include significant caribou over-wintering and calving areas, suitable mountain goat habitat, and excellent representation of alpine flora. Nation Protected Area (18,732 hectares) — Key values include the Nation Lakes canoe route and associated visual and recreation values. Omineca Protected Area (6,707 hectares) — The broad U-shaped valley provides significant riparian habitats and recreation values, as well as connectivity with the proposed Protected Area in the Mackenzie planning area. Damdochax Protected Area (8,097 hectares) — Key values include very important wildlife habitat, a wetland riparian complex that provides significant habitat for grizzly bear and moose, and the terminus for a small but significant run of sockeye salmon. Upper Sustut-Thumb Protected Area (77,486 hectares) — The inaccessible basaltic escarpment called “the Thumb” affords good habitat for mountain goats. The remainder of the area provides large tracts of pristine wilderness, with habitat for caribou, grizzly and black bear. The Asitka and Sustut rivers have migrating populations of salmon and steelhead. These Protected Areas are significant in that some represent large, functional units of habitat and wilderness. Many of the Protected Areas recommended in this plan also complement Protected Areas or Special Management Zones recommended in adjacent planning areas (i.e., the Omineca and Stuart River Protected Areas). This plan has the foresight to recognize the recreation and tourism values of Protected Areas, and the growing importance that tourism is playing in northern economies. A further thirteen small Goal 2 Protected Areas are also identified, forming 2 separate chains along the long, narrow lakes in this planning area, setting the stage for a “Shuswap of the North” recreational boating experience. Mineral claims and associated access were excluded from Protected Areas to allow for potential mine development. These mineral claims were calculated into the Protected Area landbase, with the recommendation that expired claims be then included in the Protected Areas. Forestry: Several elements of recommended management are key for the forest industry. Zones in closer proximity to the mills and Fort St. James are slated for future intensive resource development. Many of the remaining Special Management and Multi-Value zones will require a greater consideration of the integration of other values in development planning. The Caribou Strategy has developed the process for better decision-making, with minimal impacts on harvest anticipated. Suitable protective measures will ensure the future of Douglas-fir at the northern limits of its range. Recreation: The plan recognizes and provides direction for integrating resource management with the Classified Waters of the Sustut and Kluatantan rivers. The LRMP table recognized the value of recreation to the character and economy of the planning area in their recommendations for Protected Area status. Direction recommended in this plan for the Middle and Stuart rivers is complementary to provincial directives on heritage river designation. Fish and Wildlife: The Fort St. James LRMP recommends a Caribou Strategy that reduces risk to caribou by deferring harvesting in four unaccessed Caribou Management Areas for 5 years, until more comprehensive access planning and Forest Development Plans can be submitted. This Caribou Strategy provides a clear outline of assessments required in Forest Development Plans, and recommends the development of a local advisory group to provide advice on caribou management. The strategy also recommends joint approval (MELP/MoF/MEM) of portions of Forest Development Plans within Caribou High, Medium and Corridor Caribou Management Areas. The Damdochax Protected Area and the Upper Jake Creek Special Management Subzone will provide important habitat for grizzly bears, but no Grizzly Bear Conservation Areas have been recommended because proposals were not available from BC Environment to be considered during the planning process. The fisheries and lake management proposed in this plan strikes a balance between fisheries and recreation values, and strives to maintain values inherent to wilderness recreation experiences. Minerals: The Fort St. James Land and Resource Management Plan recommends objectives, strategies, and caveats for flexibility for minerals that are stronger than in some other plans. However, access, wildlife and fisheries management direction will require some innovative approaches to mineral resource activities (i.e., non-roaded access for early exploration in site-specific cases). There is now a clearer indication of the other resource values that must be addressed during the approval processes for mine development. The Nation Protected Area, as developed by the Working Group, has a significantly lower impact on the mineral sector than the original Protected Areas proposal as presented by the Regional Protected Areas Team (RPAT). Access: The Fort St. James Land and Resource Management Plan provides a commitment to Co-ordinated Access Management Planning in the northern third of the district. The comprehensive Access General Management Direction acknowledges that access management will be required in Caribou Management Areas. Agriculture: The Fort St. James LRMP is committed to identifying and designating land for agricultural expansion on lands both within and outside of the Agricultural Land Reserve, thus recognizing the long-term economic and social benefits of agriculture. Expanding agricultural operations and range tenures will implement strategies that recognize and sustain other resource values. Socio-Economic Assessment and Environmental Resource Analysis: Drafts of the Socio-Economic Assessment and Environmental Resource Analysis have been prepared and were presented to the Fort St. James LRMP Working Group. Working Group members have reviewed both documents. The quantifiable socio-economic implications of the Base Case and Fort St. James LRMP arise primarily from potential future timber supply impacts. The socio-economic and environmental implications for other sectors/values are more difficult to quantify because they mainly relate to longer term potential (e.g., possible mineral development, future wildlife populations, etc.), rather affecting existing amounts of identified resources (e.g. the Timber Harvesting Land Base) in the short term. The impacts for all sectors and values will likely occur gradually over several decades. A summary of the Socio-Economic Assessment and the Environmental Resource Analysis is included as Chapter 5 of this document. Implementation, Transition and Monitoring: The Fort St. James Land and Resource Management Plan provides recommendations towards the implementation of the plan, including phase-in provisions to ensure continuity of operational plan activity. Technical studies recommended in this plan, with their corresponding reports and recommendations, will be implemented when and where needed and possible. There is little currently identified methodology or funding in place to achieve many of the objectives. Nonetheless, industrial activity will proceed in a controlled and responsible manner. However, the implementation plan will task the resource ministries to complete inventories, studies, and planning in a timely manner, and in accordance with available resources. Throughout the implementation of this LRMP, access must be addressed to include and respect all resource users, while recognizing the intent of sound environmental management. Clear, concise wording must identify the rights and processes for individuals or parties with verifiable interests and intentions within the various Resource Management Zones. The intent is to ensure responsible resource management, not to preclude industrial activity or public access to provincial resources. The Ministry of Forests, Ministry of Energy and Mines and Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks will incorporate the direction of this Land and Resource Management Plan in decision-making, but are also bound by the other considerations of their legislation and mandates. The LRMP is a living document, subject to continuous scrutiny, change and interpretation. No single use, with possible exceptions such as Protected Areas, or identifiable environmental values such as riparian areas, will have the effect of placing portions of the landbase in a state of perpetual reserve. The concept of responsible multi-use must be enforced. A combination of annual implementation reporting and independent audits is recommended to provide feedback to the public and LRMP participants regarding the successes and challenges of implementing this plan. Co-ordinated Access Management Planning and focusing research dollars on caribou will be the primary focus of the implementation plan. Summary: The Fort St. James Land and Resource Management Plan provides management direction that reflects a local vision for how the landbase should be managed. It increases certainty for resource development industries, while stating what considerations need to be made for other resource values in development planning. It provides guidance on management for environmental resource values, lowering risk to caribou, grizzly and fisheries. It is a world-class example of local participation in Land Resource Management Planning, providing direction for integrated resource management. |
