Forest Management Certification Assessment Report for - Rainforest ...

Sparwood and Creston – and a number of small, unincorporated communities along the highwaysthat cross the areas from east to west and south to north.Portions of Tembec’s operating areas are immediately adjacent to these communities andincludes lands that are important to the quality of life as primary water sources, nature parks,areas with recreational trails and viewscapes. Lodgepole pine is the main tree species in many ofthese forests and the extensive harvesting to address the mountain pine beetle outbreak is creatingconcerns within these communities.The regional economy is quite diversified with forestry, mining, ranching, agriculture andtourism operations forming the main bases for year-round employment and economic activity forthese communities. Government is also an important employer. Recreation and tourism-orientedbusinesses and the service sector are expanding quickly with major ski hills and destinationresorts for both summer and winter recreation opening within the operating area. Coal mining isalso expanding. The total population of the area is estimated to be 50-60,000 and is growing.Forestry is not the only or dominant economic activity in the region, but it is important. Tembechas the largest share of timber from the Cranbrook TSA and the second largest from theKootenay Lake TSAs. It owns most of the processing capacity within the region, with a pulpmill and an electrical co-generation facility in Skookumchuck, dimension lumber sawmills inElko and Canal Flats and a finger-joint mill and value added centre in Cranbrook. Tembec is thelargest forest industry employer in both TSAs and a significant contributor to the local economythroughout the Kootenay region.There are many other tenure holders within the operating area – guide-outfitters, trappers,ranchers, water users, commercial recreation users, miners – as well as very active environmentalinterest groups, an extensive number of active public recreational user groups and concernedlocal residents who have lived in the area for many years. In addition, woodlot licensees, otherForest Licence holders and private land-owners have rights and interests in lands adjacent toTembec’s operating areas that can be affected by Tembec’s forest management activities. Asdescribed in Section 2.5, the assessment team identified 300 tenure holders, 70 interest groupsand nearly 50 private land-owners. There are many more private land-owners that are not listedin available databases. Their interests are discussed in Principles 2 and 4 in Appendix III.The growing population and the influx of new residents attracted by the lifestyle and recreationaland outdoor opportunities are creating significantly different social and economic expectationsand demands on Tembec’s forest management than in the past. There is an increased emphasison visual resource management along the highway corridors, and increased demands for wildlifeprotection as well as a desire for access to backcountry areas. The public demands on Tembecare increasing but often some demands are in conflict with others. This provides significantchallenges to Tembec at a time when it is also trying to address the mountain pine beetle attackand address increasing financial constraints.As with most forest companies in the interior of BC, Tembec maintains an efficient but lean levelof forest management staff, with most of the on-site work done by consultants and contractors.Currently, there are 46 management, planning, supervisory and clerical staff members in thePage 55 of 89