Forest Management Certification Assessment Report for - Rainforest ...

• Classification of the tenure and rights holders, customary users and directly affectedpersons into categories to develop a Consultation Plan and identify a representativesample of these diverse interests for personal interviews;• Identification of the evidence and documents required in Evidence Binders from Tembecin advance of the field work;• A detailed assessment plan addressing arrangements for notification through newspaperads, public notice and direct contact, the location of open houses, assessment reportstructure, scheduling, report delivery dates and many other logistical issues; and,• A decision to use the February 2005 draft of the BC Standard which was expected to beaccredited later in 2005 by FSC. This standard was in fact endorsed in October 2005, andis the standard that is used throughout this assessment report.The sites to be field reviewed by the forestry assessor (KM) and the ecologist (JG) were selectedby the team leader (KM) from a complete listing of all cutblocks in which logging was conductedin the 2003/04 and 2004/05 operating seasons. Approximately 60 individual blocks andassociated roads were selected for review through a structured sample selection process designedto ensure that each assessor saw examples of all harvesting systems – ground-based, cable andhelicopter yarding – in recent cutblocks and roads in all timber types and all of the subzones in 5forested biogeoclimatic subzones in both operating areas. Sites selected by the forestry assessor(KM) included examples of specific management issues, including visible landscapes; potentiallyunstable terrain; avalanche hazard areas; special harvesting measures for mountain pine beetle;archaeological sites; coarse woody debris and waste; levels of structural retention; silviculturetreatments (site prep); forest fire salvage; heavily harvested watersheds; road construction,maintenance and deactivation; community and domestic watersheds; all classes of streams, lakesand wetlands; areas with high recreational value; and other areas with high public interest orconcern. Sites selected for review by the ecologist (JG) included examples of management of redand blue listed species, particularly mountain caribou, grizzly bears, badgers and cavity nestingbirds; habitat restoration; potential High Conservation Value Forests; access management;wildlife tree patches; levels of structural retention; and landscape level cutting patterns. Twohelicopter overviews were scheduled to fly over two controversial areas of the management unit– the Upper St. Marys/Meachen/Hellroaring area, and the Flathead and Elk River Valleys.Tembec prepared binders with site maps, operating prescriptions and relevant assessmentdocuments for each block selected and gave those to the assessors prior to fieldwork.The team was aware that there were many groups and individuals, with an enormous variety ofrights and interests, who would potentially be interested in providing information and commentsto the assessment team regarding this assessment. The team asked Tembec to compile a currentand complete database of individuals and groups who might be interested in the assessment.Using experience from two previous assessments, the social assessor (CP) worked with Tembecto review the database and to make additions and amendments and remove duplication. Based onthe mailing list that was developed, notices of the assessment were mailed to 530 individualaddresses. In many cases, a single individual represented a number of interests such as localresident, forest recreation user, and user group representative. A two-page survey form seekingcomments about Tembec’s operations, and a map of the assessment area was included with thenotice and a stamped envelope was provided to return the survey to the social assessor.Page 10 of 89