Working Together: Integration, Collaboration, Reconciliation – The Necessary Ingredients to Achieve Results in Natural Resources Management
Natural resource activities have changed on the land base of British Columbia as a result of both physical (climate) and social pressures. The increase in forest fires has resulted in a renewed awareness of the importance of protecting communities and the values that we as society deem important. The other change agents are the recognition of the need to incorporate reconciliation into the activities that occur on these same lands as well as the interest the general public has in ensuring that the values that they deem important are managed and protected.
“Working Together” is the theme of this year’s Fall Field Tour, and we’ve chosen sites to visit where integration, collaboration and reconciliation are the necessary ingredients to achieve the desired results in natural resource management.
On this year’s field tour we will see how the planning of the Forest Enhancement Society for harvesting for wildfire mitigation has provided steps in the journey of reconciliation through collaboration and a recognition of First Nation values, how changes in harvesting and planting practices can achieve multiple objectives, and how interface wildfire has led to a change in social license, to allow timber harvesting to occur where it was previously viewed as a negative practice.
On the tour we will see how innovative silviculture practices, post wildfire, were used to reforest areas in the dry fir belt of the Okanagan. One of the sites will foster discussion of the results of planning and planting 15 years after the Okanagan Mountain wildfire. At another we’ll see how mechanical mulching was used to manage regeneration in stands with over a million stems/hectare.
We will look at the integration of recreation values with forest practices in the Okanagan where tourist visits are typically over 4 million. We’ll see the site where the first targeted grazing in the province will occur to reduce the risk of wildfire near an area of Kelowna near a golf course and associated subdivision.
All this … and more! And did we mention this all occurs in the beautiful Okanagan where the fall weather is great, and the hiking, biking and wine tasting is superb? Come join your colleagues on a field tour that will change your ideas and perspectives on the way you do your work!
A preliminary agenda follows; further announcements will be sent out as the agenda develops.
Preliminary Fall Field Tour Agenda
Registration Night: Tuesday September 24
Summerland Waterfront Resort social evening and wine tasting
Day One: Wednesday September 25
Site #1 – Philpott Wildfire
Innovative harvesting and silviculture practices on hydrophobic soils and steep terrain post wildfire.
Tolko Industries will describe how consideration for recreation and social license occurred.
Topics: High Rim trail is a well-used Okanagan feature; social license; terrain difficulties; soils.
Site#2 – Myra Canyon – Location of 2003 Okanagan Mountain WildfireLooking at a site 15 years after the wildfire.
We will discuss the challenges of extreme regeneration and small mammals and the use of mechanical mulching to aid in forest establishment.
Topics: post wildfire regeneration – reduce stems/ha; small mammals;
recreation.
Site#3 – South East Kelowna FES Project
The June Springs area was spared by wildfire in 2003. Standing timber within an area heavily used by recreation and land locked by private land made this area both high risk for wildfire and a good candidate for wildfire mitigation. Learn how the City of Kelowna is partnering with FLNORD, Gorman Borthers and West Bank First Nation on this innovative project incorporating targeted grazing as a tool to mitigate this risk.
Topics: isolated/alienated timber; prescribed burning; wildfire threat to community; introduction of targeted grazing; diverse recreation
Day Two: Thursday September 26
Site #1 – Munro Peachland FSR @ 2 km
Gorman Brothers innovative harvesting and prescription to meet GAR UWR values in a low to moderate snow pack zone as well as First Nation values to protect a watershed and community from the risk of wildfire.
Topics: addressing First Nations values; dry fir belt with associated risks (root rot); meeting GAR UWR objectives; integration of range; increased recreation activity, prescribed burning and range and recreation use.
Site#2 – Munro FSR @ 5 km
Harvesting and siviculture in a high snowpack zone in an UWR. Innovative practices of harvesting and planting.
Topics: GAR discussion from Site#1 in a moderate to heavy snow zone; future harvesting;
Site#3 – Peachland CWS-Challenges of reforestation in a CWS with FN values and social pressures from a community. Developing and maintaining social license as an integrated team.
Topics: Social values; Constraints in a community watershed; silviculture in the dry fir belt