Introduction
The
residents of the community of Winlaw remain among the fortunate British
ColumbianÕs as they have abundant clean water produced by a nearly undisturbed
watershed. Many of the other values, such as wildlife, fisheries, biological
diversity, and visual quality, also remain largely intact. Timber and
non-timber forest products are abundant providing opportunity for local
economic development. Protecting these values in perpetuity is important to the
residents to ensure water sources remain uncontaminated, forest ecosystems
remain functioning, and long-term community stability is possible.
This report
describes many of the important values in the Winlaw watershed and lists
strategies that can be incorporated into harvesting and road plans to further
protect these values. Principles of ecosystem-based management have been
incorporated into these strategies.
This report was prepared for the residents of Winlaw and surrounding area to provide information on how ecosystem-based forest management principles can be applied in the watershed, and to provide a foundation for dialogue between residents for determining a long-term strategy to ensure community participation in forest management decision-making.
There are 6 main sections in this report. The first section describes goals of the Winlaw Watershed Committee; the second section provides background information; the third section summarizes existing inventory information for the watershed; the fourth section lists strategies that can be incorporated into plans and operations to protect watershed values; the fifth section describes some options for innovation that can be incorporated into plans; and the sixth section lists recommendations for next steps.
In terms of
watershed management, the goal of the Winlaw Watershed Committee (WWC) is to
promote community watershed stewardship. This means using the forest in a way
that protects water and forest ecosystem functioning, and supports
community-based economic development.
Healthy
economies and communities require maintaining a healthy forest ecosystem, which
is achieved by minimizing adverse environmental and ecological impacts. Healthy
ecosystems provide quality drinking water for the community. The way to
maintain healthy, fully-functioning ecosystems, is by adhering to an
ecosystem-based forest management approach and by harvesting timber at an
ecologically sustainable rate.
Implementing
ecosystem-based forest management requires a dedication to focusing on Ôwhat
needs to be leftÕ in the forest before thinking about Ôwhat can be removedÕ.
Protecting old growth, riparian areas, wildlife movement corridors and other
sensitive areas is critical. Developing a diverse and sustainable economy is
another important part of practicing ecosystem-based forestry. This means
encouraging and providing opportunity for local residents to develop small
businesses based on the forest, whether it is timber extraction, wood
processing, wildcrafting or ecotourism. Providing equal opportunities for
residents to participate in decision-making, and obtaining the commitment from
residents to actively participate in the forest management is another important
component of ecosystem-based forest management.
Specific
goals of the WWC are to:
á
Protect
the range of values (primarily water, biological diversity, wildlife, timber,
recreation, soil) within the Winlaw watershed.
á
Ensure
sustainable use of forest resources while maintaining or improving water
quality, quantity and timing of flow.
á
Gain
community trust regarding forest management in the watershed by implementing
partial cutting, and by encouraging community participation in educational
opportunities and forest management planning and operations.
á
Develop
community capacity that encourages community participation in decision-making
and strategic management decisions.
á
Provide
employment opportunities for local contractors and consultants.
á
Provide
opportunities for the development of or expansion of local value-added
businesses.
The Winlaw Watershed Committee (WWC) is a non-profit society
established twenty years ago by Winlaw and Dumont Creek water users aiming to
ensure responsible stewardship of watershed ecosystems and protection of the
water resource. The society is founded on the belief that the social and
economic health, and spiritual well being of the community depends on healthy
forest ecosystems. The approach of WCC is based on ecosystem science, promotes
local economic development, and encourages the participation of every sector of
the community.
Over the last several years, the WWC has undertaken a number of watershed stewardship projects and has actively monitored government harvesting plans. An important project has been water monitoring of Winlaw Creek. By keeping regular records of sediment levels, turbidity, conductivity, coliform levels, rate of flow, and air and water temperature, the WWC has built a profile of a creekÕs natural character. The WWC has collected 7 years of baseline data to help us assess the impacts of any activity in the watershed.
The WWC has implemented some fish habitat restoration in the
lower reaches of Winlaw Creek. Fish are an indicator species for the same water
and stream health criteria that make the creek safe for drinking.
WWC has also developed a Community Watershed Atlas. Maps are
an essential tool for discussing land and resource related issues among the
membership and with the MoF. Ecological mapping is complete for Winlaw and
Dumont Creek watersheds. The maps show forest age, tree species, slopes,
terrain stability, significant wildlife habitat, and suggested protected areas.
The next step is to map more local knowledge and community interests.
The WWC has also worked with local residents to encourage
protection of the treed riparian corridor along the lower stretch of Winlaw
Creek. It provides shade to regulate water temperature and provides important
habitat for fish, wildlife and invertebrates in the forest and stream.
The Winlaw watershed is located in the Slocan Valley, south
of Slocan Lake in the Selkirk mountains. The Crown land portion of the
watershed covers 4306 ha. Most of the watershed is within the BC Timber sales
(BCTS) operating area, though part is managed as Woodlot 1832. It is located
within the Boundary/Arrow Forest District.
The Winlaw watershed is bordered by Trozzo Creek in the
north, Pedro Creek in the south, Sproule Creek to the east and the Slocan River
to the west. Winlaw Creek runs into the Slocan River. Most of the community of
Winlaw is situated on top of an alluvial fan.
South-facing slopes of the Winlaw watershed are dry with
open-growing forests in areas dispersed within significant bedrock outcrops.
North-facing slopes are steep and forests are dense and shaded.
Elevations range from 510 m in Winlaw to 2160 m in the
alpine. Most forests originated following a fire that started at a mill in
1912. Logging occurred in the area between 1902 and 1912. More recently,
harvesting in 1987 occurred on the Winlaw/Pedro divide. Current harvesting
plans by BCTS require harvesting of mountain pine beetle attacked timber near
the Trozzo and Pedro divides.
The Winlaw watershed is part of a much larger landscape, the
Slocan Valley at 331,028 ha (Hammond et. al 1996). Approximately 5% of the
Valley is private land, typically the lowest elevations. Most of the valley,
70%, is Crown land held by forest licensees.
The WWC and MoF have completed several inventories and
reports for the Winlaw watershed in recent years. These include terrain
stability assessments, a watershed hydrology assessment, wildlife studies and
an ecosystem-based mapping project.
The WWC designed maps defining harvesting opportunities and
describing areas requiring protection within the Winlaw watershed. A harvest
rate was calculated during this process and is discussed in Section 5.
Mapping interpretations were based on terrain stability and
ecological sensitivity, and classified the watershed into areas where
harvesting was possible or not (Figure 1). Terrain stability data was provided
by Woodlot 1832 and Ministry of Forests, Arrow Forest District. Ecological
sensitivity was determined from air photo interpretation using photos
originating from 1965 (scale 1:17,000). These older photographs provide a more
accurate overview of ecological sensitivity since they were taken prior to
canopy closure. Road and vegetation data was used from MoF forest cover
information and detailed forest cover mapping provided by Woodlot 1832. Water
features and contour information are from TRIM mapping.
Areas not contributing to the timber management land-base
include non-forested areas (water, alpine ecosystems, and bedrock outcrops),
protected areas, and forested areas with severe terrain based limitations
and/or high ecological sensitivity to development (hereafter referred to as
Ôno-harvest zonesÕ). Protected areas include headwaters protection areas at the
back end of the watershed, and two old growth forests south of Winlaw Creek.
The headwaters protection area is mostly lodgepole pine forests with some
Douglas-fir, engelmann spruce and subalpine fir. Patches of old growth are also
included in this zone. The Ôno-harvest zonesÕ include areas with combinations
of steep slopes, shallow soils, very dry sites, riparian ecosystems, unstable
terrain and active erosional features (e.g., slides).
Areas contributing to the harvesting land-base are generally
stable terrain with low ecological sensitivity (hereafter referred to as
Ôharvest-zoneÕ). Terrain is gently to moderately sloped, soils are moderately
deep to deep, and soil moisture ranges between sub-xeric to sub-hygric. Any
access difficulties have not been considered in this assessment. These forests
consist of several tree species with Douglas-fir the dominant species. Western
larch is also common and there are significant areas of pure lodgepole pine
forests. Mixed species forests frequently have a pine component (10 to 20%) as
well.
There are two other types of areas classified on the maps
than fall between the Ôno-harvestÕ and ÔharvestÕ zones. These areas are
forested with variable terrain based limitations and/or moderate ecological
sensitivity to development. Soils in these areas may be shallow or deep,
scattered outcrops may occur and terrain is moderately stable. Additional field
based assessments are required to determine how much of this Ôcaution zoneÕ is
available for harvest.
Overtop of these three zones (no-harvest, harvest and
caution) is a separate layer of information affecting harvest opportunity
called ÔConservation EmphasisÕ. These areas often provide additional riparian
protection or connectivity between elevations and to neighboring watersheds.
With additional field evaluations it may be decided that portions of the
Conservation Emphasis areas are available for some harvesting.
The maps also describe current access. The Silica Mine Road
begins near Winlaw, passes through the woodlot and provides access to possible
harvest areas on the north side of Winlaw Creek. Access originating in Trozzo
Creek is being extended into the Winlaw watershed. Access originating in Pedro
and Sproule Creek drainages are currently being extended into upper areas south
of Winlaw Creek, near Donut Lake. At this time there is no road access into
lower areas south of Winlaw Creek where most harvesting opportunities exist.
An Interior Watershed Assessment Procedure (IWAP) was
completed for the Winlaw watershed in 1999 (Henderson, 1999). An IWAP describes
current water-related issues in a watershed and aims to predict possible
hydrologic implications of proposed harvesting and road building. The project
was initiated by the MoF Small Business Forest Enterprises Program and the WCC
participated in the process. At the time of the assessment very little
harvesting had been completed or was being planned in the watershed. There were
no concerns in regard to peak flows in spring, surface erosion or any mass
wasting. Due to a lack of harvesting at the time, the equivalent clearcut area
(ECA) was calculated at a very low 2.2% for the entire watershed. The recommended
maximum ECA value for the North Fork is 16%, and 20% for Winlaw Creek. This
means that at any one time a maximum of 20% of the Winlaw watershed can consist
of claercuts. Hydrologic recovery begins when new trees are 3 m tall, allowing
for more harvesting to occur. If harvesting remains below these thresholds, it
is expected that peak flows in spring and annual water yields remain within
natural levels.
The Forest Development Plan prepared by the Ministry of
Forests shows significant riparian protection along Winlaw Creek and along
tributaries near Donut Lake south of Winlaw Creek. Ecosystem-based watershed
assessment maps show greater riparian protection in headwaters at the back end
of Winlaw Creek. Several hundred hectares of headwaters protection have been
delineated.
Winlaw Creek.
Level B terrain stability mapping which involves air photo
interpretation with some field checks was completed for areas defined as
operable by the MoF (Tsang 2001). A less detailed level E terrain stability
assessment was completed for remaining areas consisting of inoperable and
subalpine. In this study, the lower slopes along Winlaw Creek and the North
Fork are described as incised and flanked by steep scarps and gully walls.
Exposed bedrock is common throughout the watershed especially on steep and
rocky cliffs that overlook the Slocan Valley. Middle to upper slopes of the
watershed range from moderately steep to gently undulating.
Most terrain in the watershed was classified as TSIL class II,
III, or IV, referring to very low, low, and moderate to high likelihood of
landslides following road building or harvesting, respectively. Greatest
terrain stability problems exist in small patches downslope from the lower
section of the Silica Mine Road and in the upper reaches of the North Fork.
Most TSIL Class IV terrain is adjacent to main creeks and their tributaries.
Most stable terrain is on gentle slopes between watercourses and gullies.
Soils in the watershed most often originated from glacial till
often 2 to 3 m thick. Soils are thinner in some areas overlying bedrock.
Although soils are usually stable, some areas with soil creep from gravity were
observed and mapped as TSIL IV or V (very high likelihood of landslides).
Coarse gravels and sands were found adjacent to creeks and are believed to have
deposited by glacial meltwater and post-glacial streams.
Few natural slides were observed during terrain analysis in
inoperable areas and the subalpine, as well as along the North Fork and Winlaw
Creeks. Past road-related slope failures were noted associated with the Silica
Mine Road. However, since the terrain stability assessment was completed
considerable upgrading has occurred on road sections leading to and within the
woodlot.
Some snow avalanche tracks were noted in the alpine. Some
seepage was observed in wet soils in the North Fork and Winlaw valleys.
There is significant area mapped as having high surface soil
erosion hazard (Figure 3). Most of this type has been mapped within
Ôconservation emphasisÕ zones in ecosystem-based watershed assessment maps.
Exposed bedrock is common in the Winlaw watershed.
A wildlife survey was completed in the Winlaw watershed in
2003 (Siderius 2003). In this project, wildlife species were tallied and
wildlife habitat was assessed. The report included recommendations in regard to
protection of important wildlife habitat.
Overall, the diversity in ecosystems within the watershed
provide habitat for a diverse range of species. Habitats include dry and open
slopes as well as cool and dense forests. There are low elevation riparian
habitats and high elevation alpine areas.
It was determined that riparian areas within the watershed
are very important to wildlife, providing food, water, a travel corridor and
for reproduction for certain species (salamander, muskrat, fish). Old growth
was also identified as important habitat as it contains unique structures such
as multiple canopy layers, many tree ages, large snags and coarse woody debris
and arboreal lichen. These old growth structures provide sites for nesting,
denning, roosting, cover and travel (runways for small mammals).
Species inventoried included pileated woodpeckers, northern
3-toed woodpecker, flicker, yellow-bellied sapsucker, white tailed deer, elk,
black bear, squirrels and moose.
Important browse species for wildlife noted during surveys
include huckleberry, falsebox, queens cup, strawberry, willow, oregon grape,
rose, spirea, Douglas maple, kinnikinnick, saskatoon, gooseberry and
thimbleberry.
Northern three-toed woodpecker in the Winlaw watershed.
Winlaw Creek is fish bearing to 6.1 km. Rainbow and bull
trout are known to occur in this creek. Fish habitat has been impacted by the
highway culvert and a water intake dam. Log jams and a waterfall are natural
obstacles.
In 1998 the WWC rehabilitated 6 channel sites to improve
fish habitat. This involved creating a deeper pool below the culvert, armouring
and protecting a sharp bend in the creek to stop erosion, and removing large logs
to prevent potential damming and step waterfalls. These sites have been
monitored and are still intact.
The
following management principles are the basic Ôbuilding blocksÕ that guide
plans and operations developed for the watershed. They are based on
ecosystem-based management concepts and on recommendations included in
inventories. For each value listed below, objectives and strategies to achieve
the objectives, are provided. This is the toolbox of strategies that will help
the community achieve many of the goals listed in section 1. Strategies can be
incorporated into operational plans required by legislation such as Forest
Stewardship Plans, Management Plans, road permit applications and Site Plans
guiding harvesting.
The timber in most harvest zones identified on
ecosystem-based watershed assessment maps is characterized as 95 year old
Douglas-fir, western larch, lodgepole pine, and western red cedar. Partial
cutting will target poorer quality and low vigor trees setting the stage for
future harvest entries where only high value trees will be harvested. Harvest
strategies will be designed respecting natural disturbance processes typical to
this forest type (Section 4.5). All values will be respected during planning
and implementing harvesting.
Objectives:
á
Harvest
timber while maintaining ecosystem functioning, structures and natural
processes.
á
Ensure
long-term community economic stability by harvesting at long-term sustainable
levels and by creating opportunities for economic diversity.
á
Manage
forests for a diverse range of products including sawlogs, peelers, building
logs, poles, fence posts, pulp wood and specialty wood for value-added
products.
á
Manage
for large diameter, high quality, valuable timber over the long-term.
Strategies:
á
Improve
inventory of timber resources.
á
Manage
for a wide range of forest products suitable to the various growing sites.
á
Investigate
value-added opportunities suitable for wood profile.
á
Implement
partial cutting to provide high quality logs (large with clear wood) in the
future.
4.1.1 Silviculture
Harvesting
prescriptions will provide site specific detail for any silviculture activities
within the harvest area. Preference will be for natural regeneration versus
planting.
Objectives:
á
Plan
silvicultural activities while considering natural disturbance processes and
respecting biological diversity.
á
Ensure
a free-growing stand is established within approved time frames.
Strategies:
á
Natural
regeneration, including utilizing advanced regeneration in partial cut areas,
is the preferred reforestation technique.
á
Planting
may be used in small areas for fill planting and for species conversion (e.g.,
establishing blister rust resistant western white pine or ponderosa pine).
á
Preferred
trees will be free from damage and disease, and will have good form.
á
Harvesting
equipment will be chosen that will minimize damage to residual trees and
advanced regeneration.
á
Harvesting
will not occur during the periods of spring when residual trees are easily
damaged.
á
Intermediate
cedar (too small to harvest) will be retained in suitable sites and permitted
to release becoming a valuable component during the next harvest.
á
Understorey
burning in historically fire-maintained forests may be prescribed.
Non-timber forest products that are possible from the Winlaw
watershed include medicinal and culinary herbs, mushrooms, floral greens, and
art and craft products.
Objectives:
á
Maximize
economic potential of the land-base for the community by encouraging cautious
development of various wild-crafted products.
Strategies:
á
Inventory
watershed for non-timber forest products assessing location, volume and
economic potential.
á
Research
regeneration capabilities of target herbs to determine sustainability.
á
Investigate
and develop markets for non-timber forest products.
Healthy forests require healthy soil. Productive soil is
constantly replenished with moisture stored in dead wood and from nutrients
released during decomposition of vegetation. It is the soil organisms that
contribute to processes that keep forests thriving (Luoma 1999). Protecting the
integrity of the soil by minimizing compaction and mineral soil exposure, and
by retaining shade and dead wood is critical.
Objective:
á
Maintain
soil functioning and productivity.
Strategies:
á
No
harvesting is permitted where soils are <50 cm deep or on very dry sites.
á
Minimize
permanent access structures.
á
Construct
narrow roads and right-of-ways.
á
Investigate
access development without haul roads.
á
Use
forwarding trails versus new haul roads when appropriate.
á
Pre-determine
skid trails prior to harvesting to minimize soil disturbance.
á
Use
small, low ground pressure skidding equipment to reduce trail size and soil compaction.
á
Utilize
Ôpulling-lineÕ to reduce trail density and random skidding disturbance.
á
Cease
harvesting during wet periods.
á
Plan
small landings in locations that will be used in future harvesting passes.
á
Utilize
snowpacks during harvesting.
á
Choose
appropriate harvest systems and equipment for soil conditions.
á
Buck,
top and limb within harvest areas to recycle organic matter to maintain soil
fertility.
The Winlaw watershed is classified as a domestic watershed
providing water to approximately 80 licensed water users. Roads and excavated
trails situated across slopes are major contributors to water sedimentation and
flow interruption. Impacts to the water resource will be minimized by careful
planning (spatial and temporal) within drainages.
Objectives:
á
To
manage timber and non-timber resources such that water quality, quantity, and
timing of flow are not impacted in the short- and long-term.
á
Protect
large and small riparian areas from the influence of road building and
harvesting.
á
Maintain
soil stability especially in riparian areas, especially in TSIL Class IV
terrain.
Strategies:
Many of the strategies in the Soil Management Section also
pertain to protecting the water resource. Some strategies were included in the
IWAP and are presented here. Strategies to protect water values include:
á
No
harvesting is permitted in areas with slopes > 60%, riparian ecosystems or
unstable terrain (TSIL class V).
á
Locate
cutblocks away from unstable terrain near gullies and channels.
á
Develop
a comprehensive harvest plan to minimize active roads, to allow for advanced
construction of roads, and to avoid crossing over Winlaw Creek.
á
Frequent
road inspections will be carried out, especially during spring run-off and
following heavy rainfall, to identify areas requiring maintenance.
á
Culverts
and water-bars will be installed (and armoured) along roads to maintain natural
water courses. Regular inspections and maintenance is critical.
á
Harvest
systems, equipment and season of harvest will be appropriately chosen to
minimize soil disturbance. When possible, employ winter or horse logging.
á
Re-vegetate
right-of-ways, cut slopes, road surfaces, and landings.
á
Ensure
recommended ECAÕs are not exceeded in each drainage.
á
Limit
exposed mineral soil in harvest areas by minimizing bladed skid trails.
á
Provide
riparian protection for all watercourses (to slope break or outer limits of
moist site vegetation) including ephemeral watercourses within harvest areas.
á
To
maintain current flow regime and protect Water quality in Winlaw Creek, partial
cut to protect peak flows, reduce sediment sources by carefully locating
cutblocks and roads, and maintain stream shade.
á
Protect
Donut Lake located near the slope break to the Pedro drainage because it is an
important headwaters zone into Winlaw Creek.
Maintaining biological diversity in the forest ensures
natural processes and functions will continue and sustainability is possible.
This diversity looks at structures at the forest level: tree species and ages,
dead wood, and soil organisms. Diversity at the landscape level includes
variable patch sizes created by disturbance, ranges in forest age distribution,
and natural levels of forest fragmentation.
The Winlaw watershed extends from low elevation dry forests to the high elevation subalpine. Many natural structures and disturbance processes interact across this range to provide a biologically diverse landscape. Structures include mixed species forests, snags, fire escape patches with old trees, riparian areas, rock outcrops, and brush or deciduous patches. Disturbance processes providing many of these structures include high intensity stand replacing fires, low intensity stand maintaining fires, wind, avalanching, and various insects and diseases. Patch sizes range between single trees to several thousand hectares. Maintaining and enhancing these types of processes is one way to ensure many of these structures providing biological diversity exist.
High elevation forests are dominated by lodgepole pine, engelmann spruce and subalpine fir. Historic fire regimes in this forest type have been extremely variable. Fires were usually ignited by lightning at intervals between 25 and over 300 years. Some fires were high intensity stand replacing fires, especially on wind exposed ridges and in dry continuous forests. Fires in forests that were very wet or spatially patchy, if they occurred, were often low intensity and with some to most of the trees surviving. Bark beetles remain the most common insect, creating gaps that vary in size from single tree to many hectares.
Forests in middle elevations consist of multiple species including Douglas-fir, western larch, western red-cedar, western hemlock, and lodgepole pine. Historically, fire regimes were also variable, with fire return intervals ranging between 5 and 500 years. Fire intensity was also highly variable, causing partial to complete tree mortality. Aspect, climate, topography and tree species mix affected fire intensity and as a result a landscape mosaic of various patch sizes occurred.
Low elevation forests in the Winlaw watershed are dry and ponderosa pine is a common tree species. Frequent low intensity fires tended to be common in this ecosystem type creating open-growing forests of old trees. Fires would occur every few years rejuvenating the herb, grass and shrub layers. Several decades of fire suppression have created ÔunnaturalÕ forests that are more dense, have greater tree species diversity, and different species in herb and shrub layers.
Historically, old growth likely covered at least 80% of the
Slocan Valley in periods between large fires (Hammond et. al 1996). After these
natural fires, likely 30 to 40 % of the valley forests were still old growth.
Currently, only small isolated pockets of old trees exist since most old growth
was lost to settlement through logging and during the 1912 fire. Remaining old
trees must be protected because they are rare, and they provide unique wildlife
habitat. Old growth must be encouraged in headwater areas because it provides
the highest quality water (Hammond et. al 1996). At all elevations old growth
provides and stores large amounts of soil nutrients therefore is critical to
maintaining forest health.
Rotting logs are critical components of biological diversity
in the forest (Luoma 1999). These ÔdeadÕ trees have more living biomass than
when they were green standing trees. Fungi, insects, bacteria, nematods and
wildlife instantly inhabit dead trees releasing stored nutrients and producing
new nutrients through biological processes into the soil for centuries.
Deciduous trees are uncommon in these mountain forests, but
are very important to many wildlife species. Woodpeckers prefer to excavate
cavities in deciduous trees. Suckers and coppice growth from deciduous trees
also provide browse for ungulates.
The ecosystem-based watershed assessment maps include
connectivity corridors along Winlaw Creek that provide up and down slope
linkages for wildlife movement, and additional cross-valley corridors extending
to outer limits of the watershed. This network of corridors contributes to
protecting biological diversity by providing opportunities for genetic exchange
for plants and wildlife, and seasonal migration for wildlife species.
Objectives:
á
Maintain
biological diversity when planning and implementing forest management
activities to ensure ecosystem functioning.
á
Ensure
old growth is distributed spatially and temporally within natural range of
variability.
á
Minimize
habitat loss and fragmentation during planning.
á
Identify
rare or endangered species and ecosystem types.
Strategies:
á
Complete
operational planning with respect to natural disturbance processes (including
patch size, species selection, and percentage of standing trees harvested).
á
Map
and protect additional old growth areas not identified on forest cover maps.
á
Retain
snags and wide range of tree species and size classes during harvest planning.
á
Protect
existing large fallen trees during harvesting.
á
Incorporate
permanent reserve trees (from dominant and codominant cohort), wildlife trees
and patches into harvest areas.
á
No
whole tree yarding/skidding is permitted. Tops, limbs and defective tree parts
are retained on site.
á
Retain
a deciduous component.
á
Incorporate
connectivity corridors into planning to maintain genetic exchange
opportunities.
á
Maintain
a range of forest developmental stages in large management units.
The Winlaw
watershed provides an important viewscape for the Slocan Valley and residents
in and around Winlaw. This area is a year-round, highly traveled tourist
corridor. Tourism is a growing industry in the area and this trend will likely
increase due to the range of recreation opportunities, the mild climate and the
beauty of the many lakes and mountains. Protecting visual values will protect
growing tourism industry potential, as well as provide residents with pleasing
viewscapes.
Objectives:
á
Meet
or exceed Visual Quality Objectives standards provided by the MoF.
á
Minimize
visual impact of harvesting and road building activities.
Strategies:
á
Incorporate
principles of visual design into landscape level planning and stand level
harvesting specifications.
á
Configure
block boundaries to emulate natural features (e.g. old burn patterns).
á
Build
roads with narrow right-of-ways and rolling dips.
á
Grass
seeding of exposed mineral soil.
á Use partial cutting silvicultural systems.
á Retain a variety of tree species at variable densities.
Present recreation use includes hiking, berry picking,
herbal plant collection, mountain biking, hunting, snow-mobiling, cross-country
skiing, wildlife viewing, and horseback riding.
Increasing recreation opportunities could provide the
community with a greater commitment to the land-base, and can provide economic
opportunities within the community through increased tourist service needs.
However, there are potential negative impacts on water quality through
contamination by recreational users. Changes in recreation use will require
very careful planning and active community participation.
Objectives:
á
Manage
recreation opportunities while recognizing water as the most important
resource.
á
Maintain
setting of back-country recreation experience.
á
Ensure
new recreation projects respect goals of established recreation experiences.
Strategies:
á
Investigate
community support for recreation development.
á
Plan
recreation opportunities in areas less likely to impact water quality.
The Winlaw Watershed is of cultural significance to the Sinixt and Ktunaxa First Nations. The Sinixt have identified low and mid-elevations as having high cultural use (Hammond et. al. 1996). Various areas were likely used as ceremonial sites, dwellings, burial sites, trails, hunting, fishing and food gathering. High elevations were likely used less frequently, however, the uses may have been high values.
Objectives;
á
Identify
and protect cultural heritage features.
Strategies:
á
Appropriate
archeological assessments by a qualified archaeologist will be completed prior
to road building or harvesting.
á
Provide
opportunities for meaningful participation of First NationÕs representatives in
planning and cultural heritage management.
Objectives:
á
Maintain
forest structures and functioning to ensure habitat potential exists for
wildlife.
Strategies:
á
Maintain
cross valley corridors identified in the ecosystem-based watershed assessment
maps.
á
Manage
large areas to avoid habitat loss through fragmenting the landscape into small
units.
á
Identify
and manage forest structures valuable for wildlife requiring protection
(particularly deciduous patches, large snags and large fallen trees) during
operational planning.
á
Create
large snags and large fallen trees during operational planning in areas with
low numbers.
á
Retain
40% cover when ecologically practical.
á
Encourage
browse species.
á
Retain
old-growth trees and patches, especially in riparian areas.
á
Retain
forest cover connectivity between rock bluffs.
á
Identify
and map wildlife trees and patches during operational plans.
á
Retain
large fallen trees during harvesting as potential amphibian habitat.
á
Provide
riparian buffers at least 100m in width.
á
Incorporate
structural objectives into planning to protect critical ungulate summer and
winter range areas.
á
Inventory
range of wildlife and fish species and habitats, especially for red- and
blue-listed species.
á
Identify
and map new old growth patches with large snags and large fallen trees with
potentially valuable wildlife habitat.
á
Minimize
road density.
á
During
access planning consider impact of roads to wildlife (e.g. grizzly).
á
Access
must be planned to ensure poaching opportunities are not increased.
Protection of riparian areas is critical to maintaining
fisheries habitat. Riparian protection zones have been identified on the maps
for all major creeks and their tributaries. During the Interior Watershed
Assessment Procedure (IWAP) it was recommended that stream shade be provided in
fish bearing reaches of all creeks and the lower reaches of Winlaw Creek,
especially the lower 2 km.
Objectives:
á
Provide
riparian protection of fish-bearing streams and their headwaters.
Strategies:
á
Inventory
fish species and habitat potential in creeks adjacent to harvesting and road
building activities.
á
Provide
riparian protection of all watercourses, including ephemeral creeks, during
stand level planning.
á
Provide
shading in fish bearing reaches.
á
Seek
funding to improve fish habitat, if determined beneficial, following habitat
potential studies.
á
During
access planning ensure culverts do not impact fish and aquatic insect movement.
The WWC is
currently brainstorming options for how to influence forest management in the
watershed. Some topics being explored include selection of a harvest rate,
options for reducing fire hazard, and options for working in lodgepole pine
forests that are becoming susceptible to mountain pine beetles. This section
explores these 3 topics and presents some options for consideration.
Of the 4306
ha of Crown land in the Winlaw watershed, the maximum area available for
harvest is 1108 ha providing a harvest level of 2362 m3/year (72 truckloads).
Significant areas are netted out due to rock and extreme terrain stability
concerns. This harvest rate represents a possible scenario that would be
implemented by BC Timber Sales.
More
conservative estimations of harvest potential were calculated as part of the
ecosystem-based watershed assessment that reduces the operable land-base due to
more cautious interpretations of terrain stability and greater emphasis on
protecting ecologically sensitive areas. No harvesting and very little
harvesting is permitted in areas with a rating of very high and high likelihood
of landslides, respectively. All old-growth is protected from harvest and large
areas in headwaters protection areas are reserved from harvest. In addition,
riparian protection adjacent to creeks and tributaries is more extensive than
legally required.
The
suggested harvest rate is 901 m3/year (27 truckloads) over 422 ha of operable
forest (Table 1). This estimate assumes 40% of the volume in the Ôcaution zoneÕ
and 20% of the volume in the Ôconservation emphasis zoneÕ is available for
harvest. In Ôharvest zonesÕ 20% of the forest is permanently retained for
biodiversity, regardless of silvicultural system implemented. For example, with
partial cutting 65% of the forest may be retained for future harvest passes,
however, of the original forest, 20% of the trees are tagged and retained in
perpetuity for biodiversity. They can not be selected in future harvest passes.
Further
field work may suggest a greater or smaller amount of retention is possible in
the ÔcautionÕ or Ôconservation emphasis zonesÕ. Table 1 presents a range of
scenarios describing varying degrees of harvest that may be possible. The
scenario with greater emphasis on retention suggests the harvest level may be
353 m3/yr (10 truckloads) over 163 ha of operable ground. In this scenario, no
harvesting is permitted in Ôconservation emphasisÕ areas and a significantly
greater proportion of less stable terrain is reserved from harvest. A less
cautious approach may permit 1527 m3/yr (46 truckloads) to be harvested. In
this scenario, more harvesting is permitted in Ôconservation emphasisÕ areas and
in less stable terrain.
Regardless
of scenario, each presents a small harvest volume. For comparison, neighboring
woodlot 1832 has a harvest level of 1043 m3 on 598 ha of Crown land. The
ecosystem-based watershed assessment maps show that the woodlot consists
primarily of Ôharvest zoneÕ forests.
The maps
clearly illustrate that much of the Ôharvest zoneÕ polygons are separated by
areas less suitable for harvesting. Considerable access must be developed to
access a modest harvest volume. If roads are constructed they will often
traverse areas with terrain instability concerns. Therefore it is unlikely that
the scenario suggesting greater retention is at all practical from an economic
perspective. Fortunately, most of the harvest area is on one side of Winlaw
Creek and little, if any, access will have to be developed on the north side.