Forest Management Certification Assessment Report for - Rainforest ...

activities will be deferred. The SDMG has agreed to an interim strategy regarding potentialsalvage operations within the combined areas designated by the KBLUP Variance 4 and Kinleyand Utzig 2002 caribou habitat mapping. The strategy requires consultation by Tembec withtwo representatives of WildSight and one from ForestEthics, prior to initiating any salvageoperations within potential mountain caribou HCVF areas. This interim strategy has beenemployed on at least two occasions, including site visits to the areas of proposed activity. Onthose occasions, WildSight and ForestEthics were satisfied with the proposed salvageoperation. However, the agreement does not specify a formal dispute resolution frameworkshould there be an objection to a proposed harvest. Interviews with Tembec and SDMGmembers determined that there is a verbal agreement in place whereby the TAG and SDMGprocess (used in HCVF designation) would be invoked if there were a need to resolve a dispute.Both parties have faith that the dialogue will continue in the positive manner that has developedduring the HCVF designation process for all of Tembec’s operating areas to date. The HCVFdesignation following the reconvening of the TAG and SDMG process after a governmentdecision (or lack of decision by Spring 2007) on mountain caribou recovery will need to be afocus of the first annual audit.An interim strategy of deferring harvests and road building activities has been adopted for thethree other draft HCVF areas. In the Flathead, Tembec has agreed to defer harvesting androad-building activities at least five years until more definitive conservation strategies beingpursued by local and national ENGOs are in place. In the Wigwam and Mallandine areas,HCVF designation has been deferred to allow for consultation with KNC and additional fieldtrips to areas of interest.HCVF Category 3 polygons have been designated in a general manner with further detailedlevel assessments and risk analysis to be conducted in the field within each polygon tospecifically identify areas that pose a high risk to the identified High Conservation Value.Tembec’s internal spatial planning process is sufficient to alert planners to proposed activitieswithin HCVF polygons. The detailed assessments will then take place prior any developmentin identified HCVF polygons. Management and monitoring strategies for these HCVFpolygons have been identified by Green (2005). This is a precautionary approach towardsCategory 3 High Conservation Values and is reasonable considering the constraints of fieldtime required to refine HCVF polygons and the low risk involved with Tembec’s planningprocess.Based on documentation submitted by Tembec, and interviews conducted with Tembec staffand members of the Senior Decision Makers Group, the team concluded that Tembec hassatisfactorily completed the assessment, designation, and mapping of Categories 1-3 HighConservation Value Forest areas (as defined in the FSC-BC Regional Standard). Tembec hascompleted this extensive assessment in a technically thorough and inclusive manner. WhereHCVF designation issues are still unresolved, Tembec is taking a precautionary approachinvolving interim strategies and a plan for resolution that is the result of a consultative process.Reference: Green, K. 2005. High Conservation Value (3) Forests – Preliminary Assessment ForTembec’s Operating Area within the Rocky Mountain and Kootenay Lake TSA. Report forTembec. November 2005.Page 79 of 89