Woodlot Licence Site Plan Template

Woodlot Licence Site Plan Template Nov 23, 1998

Woodlot Licence Site Plan Template

Template Availability

Copies of this template—on paper or in electronic formats (Word for Windows v. 7.0 or lower)— can be obtained from the Woodlot Staff at Ministry of Forest District Offices.

Electronic Copies

Comments to users are in purple text. Instructions on how to fill out the template are in blue text. Both purple and blue text must be deleted from the Site Plan before submitting it to the Ministry of Forests. Green text is used to highlight answer options (generally yes/no questions) and can be left in or removed depending on the preference of the district to which the Site Plan is being submitted or the person preparing the Site Plan.

If you cannot see the blue text, which is hidden text, follow the appropriate steps for the WORD version you are using:

WORD ver. 7.0

•  select the ‘Tools’ pull down menu at the top of the window

•  click left mouse button on ‘Options’

•  select the “View’ folder

•  ensure that the ‘Hidden Text’ has a check mark beside it.

WORD ver. 6.0 and earlier versions

•  select the ‘Tools’ pull down menu at the top of the window

•  click left mouse button on ‘View Tab’

•  ensure that the ‘Hidden Text’ option is turned ON.

Using the Site Plan template

The Site Plan template contains many tables, sections, and sub-sections that will not apply to every cutblock. Fill out fully those tables, sections, and sub-sections that apply to the cutblock for which you are developing the Site Plan, and delete those that do not apply.

Unless you receive an exemption from the District Manager (DM) under section 14(10) of the Woodlot Licence Forest Management Regulation (WLFMR), a Site Plan must be prepared for each proposed cutblock. Site plans may be submitted separately for each cutblock or included in the Forest Development Plan (FDP).

If you are including the Site Plan information for more than one cutblock in the FDP, each Site Plan must be a separate document so that it can be placed in an Opening file as part of the historic records for the cutblock.

To create separate Site Plan documents, begin by saving a copy of this template under the name “Blank Site Plan.” Then, for each cutblock, make a copy of the blank template and save it under the cutblock name (e.g., Cutblock A Site Plan, Cutblock B Site Plan). Do not cut and paste the tables in the template from one document to another—you may lose the table formatting. You can copy and paste tables within a document to add more tables as needed (e.g., riparian management).

Default Silviculture Stocking Specifications

This template refers to default silviculture stocking specifications that are provided in the WLFMR for the regeneration date, free growing date, minimum intertree distance, target stocking standard, minimum stocking standards, maximum density, post spacing density, minimum free growing height by species, and relative crop tree height to brush ratio.

Site-specific default specifications are derived on the basis of the biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification, regeneration method, and silvicultural system that are specified in the operational plan. Rather than provide a table that outlines all of these values, a statement can be provided in the Site Plan to confirm that the default specifications from the regulation will be used. The use of the default silviculture stocking specifications from the WLFMR is entirely optional.

WOODLOT LICENCE SITE PLAN

Woodlot
Licence / Cutting
Permit / Block / Opening #
Total Area
(ha) / NAR (ha) / Non-Prod. Natural (ha) / Non-Prod.
Un-Nat. (ha)
Area of
Reserve (ha) / Type of
Reserve / Air Photo #s
Harvest
Method
Silvicultural
System
Woodlot Licence: / Enter the woodlot licence number.
Cutting Permit: / Do not assume that your old cutting permit number is still appropriate. Check with the district woodlot program staff to determine if a new cutting permit will be issued for the cutblock.
Block Number: / Assign a number to your cutblock.
Opening Number: / The forest district office will assign an opening number for each cutblock. An opening number is a silviculture tracking number and consists of two parts. The first part is the mapsheet on which the cutblock is located; the second part is a number that is unique to the opening that the cutblock will create.
Total Area: / Enter the total area within the mapped boundaries of the cutblock as determined by a field traverse.
NAR (Net Area to be Reforested): / The total area minus permanent access structures, non-productive areas, areas of non-commercial cover greater than 4 hectares, and reserve areas.
Non-Productive Natural: / The area within the cutblock that is not capable of growing trees for natural reasons (e.g., rock, swamps, lakes, slides).
Non-Productive
Un-Natural: / The area within the cutblock that is not capable of growing trees due to disturbances caused by humans (e.g., permanent roads, landings, borrow pits, mining).
Area of Reserve: / The area within the cutblock where harvesting will either not occur, or will occur to such a limited extent that the area will not be considered to be part of the NAR.
Type of Reserve: / The type of reserve (e.g., riparian reserve zone, wildlife tree patch).
Air Photo #s: / The flight line and photo numbers of the most recent aerial photographs that cover the proposed cutblock. This is optional information.
Harvest Method: / Section 13(1)(b) of the WLFMR requires the FDP to indicate if each cutblock will be harvested using ground, cable, aerial, or a combination of these methods. This basic information should also be included in the Site Plan.
Additional detail about the specific harvesting methods may be required to address specific concerns. It is useful to identify alternative methods of producing the desired results. For example, an area of wet ground in the Interior could be harvested by ground skidding or hoe forwarding when the soils are dry, frozen, or covered with sufficient snowpack to prevent excessive soil disturbance. Alternatively, the timber could be extracted at any time of the year by directional falling and winching with a line skidder positioned outside of the wet area. Building alternatives into the Site Plan can minimize the need for amendments. Detail that is not required should be avoided as it could necessitate future amendments to the Site Plan.
Note: If landings are proposed closer than 30 from a fish stream or stream in a community watershed then this needs to be indicated in the site plan
Silvicultural System: / Choose from the following list the silvicultural system that best describes how you will manage the cutblock or portions of the cutblock, or indicate where intermediate cuttings will be carried out.
Clearcut Clearcut with Reserves
Patch Cut Clearcut Single Tree Selection
Group Selection Seed Tree
Shelterwood Coppice
Intermediate Cuttings*
*NOTE: Intermediate cuttings are not a silvicultural system. They are cuts made prior to the final harvest or regeneration cut that do not remove the majority of the stand volume. Intermediate cuttings include commercial thinning, harvesting of poles, and sanitation treatments. Since regeneration is not the objective of an intermediate cutting, there is no requirement to establish a free-growing stand. Intermediate cuttings do not require a regeneration date, free growing date, or associated silviculture stocking specifications.
If the default silviculture stocking specifications in the WLFMR will be used, then the Site Plan must clearly distinguish whether single tree selection or another silvicultural system will be used. Different regulation-based standards will apply to single tree selection and other silvicultural systems.
SU / NAR (ha) / Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification / Regeneration Method / Preferred Species / Acceptable Species
Zone / Subzone / Variant / Site Series
1
2
Elevation range if planting is specified
SU (Standards Unit): / A portion of the NAR that will be managed through the application of the same stocking requirements and/or maximum limit for soil disturbance.
Keep the number of SUs to a minimum to simplify future surveys and recordkeeping. SUs should identify areas in the cutblock with different silviculture stocking standards and/or maximum soil disturbance limits. Separate SUs are not required simply because different silviculture treatments (such as site preparation or brushing) will be applied to an area.
In situations where you will use different silvicultural systems for different areas of the cutblock, the areas only need to be identified as separate SUs if they will be managed under different silviculture stocking standards. If the same stocking standards will apply, and the only difference will be in the post-harvest stand structure, then separate SUs are not required. For example, where part of the cutblock will use a seed tree system and part will use a shelterwood system, there is no need for separate SUs if the same stocking standards will apply to both areas.
Create a row and complete the information for each SU in your cutblock.
NAR: / The net area to be reforested within each SU. The total of the NARs for all the SUs must equal the NAR in the entire cutblock.
Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification: / The biogeoclimatic zone, subzone, variant and site series must be indicated for each SU.
If the WLFMR default silviculture stocking specifications will be accepted, then each SU should consist of a grouping of biogeoclimatic site series that share the same standards. Each row of Table A in the WLFMR consists of a group of biogeoclimatic site series that share the same stocking specifications.
Regen. Method: / Specify the method of regeneration you will follow as either Planting or Natural. This information is important to the correct application of the WLFMR default silviculture stocking specifications. The regulation sets the regeneration date based on the regeneration method. Shorter regeneration dates will be set as the default standard where planting is specified. Section 25(3) of the regulation recognizes that natural regeneration may require fill planting, and does not require an amendment to the operational plan to fill plant areas where natural regeneration has been prescribed.
Preferred Species: / Tree species that are ecologically suited to the site and that management activities seek to establish or promote. Species codes are listed below.
Acceptable Species: / Tree species that are ecologically suited to the site, but that management activities do not seek to establish or promote. Species identified as acceptable may be more susceptible to forest health factors (e.g., pests) or have lower productivity than preferred species. Species codes are listed below.
Douglas-fir / Fd / lodgepole pine / Pl
amabilis fir / Ba / yellow (Ponderosa) pine / Py
subalpine fir / Bl / western white pine / Pw
grand fir / Bg / whitebark pine / Pa
noble fir / Bp / mountain hemlock / Hm
Sitka spruce / Ss / western larch / Lw
Interior spruce / Sx / western redcedar / Cw
white spruce / Sw / yellow cedar / Yc
black spruce / Sb / Birch / Ep
Englemann spruce / Se / trembling aspen / At
Elevation Range: / Specify the upper and lower elevation (m) for the cutblock if planting is the proposed regeneration method.

STOCKING SPECIFICATIONS FOR SILVICULTURAL SYSTEMS OTHER THAN SINGLE TREE SELECTION

If you intend to follow the stocking specifications for silvicultural systems contained in the WLFMR, include the following statement.
Otherwise, fill out the table with the stocking specifications you will follow.
The free growing stand will be established in accordance with the stocking specifications in the Woodlot Licence Forest Management Regulation (November, 1998) Division 2 of Part 6 and Table A of Schedule A.
SU / Regen. Date / FG Date / MITD / TSS / MSSpa / MSSp / Maximum Density / Post Spacing Density / Min. FG Ht. by Species / Crop Tree to Brush Ratio
(yrs) / (yrs) / (m) / (sph) / (sph) / (sph) / (sph) / (sph) / Species / Ht (m) / (%)
1
2

For silvicultural systems other than single tree selection, you can either include a written statement or a stocking standards table to indicate the stocking specifications that you will follow.

If you will use the default silviculture stocking specifications in the WLFMR (November 1998) then retain the sentence highlighted in yellow, and delete the table that follows.

OR

If you will not use the stocking specifications contained in the WLFMR (November 1998), delete the highlighted statement and fill out the stocking table with the specifications that you will follow.

The following instructions explain how to fill out the stocking specifications table.

SU (Standards Unit): / Complete a row for each of the SUs in your cutblock.
Regen. Date: / The number of years from the commencement of harvesting until the cutblock must be restocked. When determining the commencement of harvesting do not include harvesting associated with the construction of roads and landings to pre-develop the cutblock.
FG (Free Growing) Date: / The number of years from commencement of harvesting on the cutblock (as defined above) until the free growing stand must be established.
MITD: / The minimum intertree distance (MITD) is the minimum distance that is allowed between trees that are considered to be well spaced. See the definition of “well spaced” in section 74 of the WLFMR.
TSS: / The target stocking standard (TSS) is the optimum number of healthy well spaced and free growing trees of preferred and acceptable species per hectare. Recommended numbers are specified by biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification in Schedule A of the WLFMR.
MSSpa: / The minimum stocking standard for preferred and acceptable species (MSSpa) is the minimum number of healthy well spaced and free growing trees of preferred and acceptable species per hectare that must be present by the regeneration date and maintained until the free growing date. Recommended numbers are specified by biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification in Schedule A of the WLFMR.
MSSp: / The minimum stocking standard for preferred species (MSSp) is the minimum number of healthy well spaced trees of preferred species per hectare that must be present by the regeneration date and maintained until the free growing date. Recommended numbers are specified by biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification in Schedule A of the WLFMR.
Maximum Density: / The maximum density of countable conifers that will be allowed per hectare before a maximum density spacing treatment is required. The maximum density numbers that are approved in Site Plans may be subject to change as a result of the DM establishing localized maximum density numbers in accordance with the chief forester’s policy.
The “Establishment to Free Growing Guidebooks” suggest 5,000 as the maximum density number to be used. Until June 15, 2000 the maximum density number has been elevated, by regulation, to 10,000 countable conifers per hectare, subject to the provision that the DM may revise the maximum density number by establishing a localized maximum density number in accordance with the chief forester’s policy.
Consult your district woodlot licence staff to determine what maximum density number to propose in your Site Plan.
Post Spacing Density: / The post spacing density is the maximum number of countable conifers that can be left after maximum density spacing has been carried out. Suggested numbers are contained in section 78(8) of the WLFMR.
Minimum FG Ht.
by Species: / The minimum height that each preferred and acceptable tree species must achieve to be considered free growing. See Table A of Schedule A in the WLFMR for suggested numbers by biogeoclimatic ecosystem unit. These numbers are the same as the “Establishment to Free Growing Guidebooks.” The DM may approve deviation from these numbers if a suitable justification is provided.
Crop Tree to Brush %: / The percentage of crop tree height relative to the height of competing vegetation that is within a one-metre radius around the tree trunk. Section 78(5)(b) of the WLFMR indicates that the height of a free growing tree relative to competing vegetation within a one-metre radius of the tree trunk must be:
125% for the ESSF, IDF, MS, MH, PP and BG biogeoclimatic zones, and
150% for the CDF, CWH, BWBS and SBS biogeoclimatic zones.
The DM may approve deviation from these numbers if a suitable justification is provided.

STOCKING SPECIFICATIONS FOR SINGLE TREE SELECTION SILVICULTURAL SYSTEMS

If you intend to follow the stocking specifications for silvicultural systems contained in the WLFMR, include the following statement.
Otherwise, fill out the table with the stocking specifications you will follow.
The free growing stand will be established in accordance with the stocking specifications in the Woodlot Licence Forest Management Regulation (November, 1998) Division 2 of Part 6 and Table B of Schedule A.
SU / Regen. Date / FG Date / MITD / Crop Tree to / Min. FG Ht. by Species / Layer / TSS / MSSpa / MSSp
(yrs) / (yrs) / (m) / Brush Ratio (%) / Species / Ht (m) / (sph) / (sph) / (sph)
1 / 1
2
3
4
2 / 1
2
3
4
Maximum Density of countable conifers
per hectare allowed in layer 3 / Post Spacing Density
in layer 3

For single tree selection, you can either include a written statement or a stocking standards table to indicate the stocking specifications that you will follow.