Invitation: Virtual Meetings on Modernizing Free Growing Policy
The Forest Science, Planning and Practices branch (FSPPB) is hosting two virtual meetings in early September to provide an opportunity for further information sharing and discussion on modernizing Free Growing policy.
Background
Since the establishment of the Silviculture Regulation in 1987 and the associated Free Growing (FG) policy, British Columbia has been a leader in silvicultural practices. Under this policy, forest tenure holders have been legally required to meet specified regeneration parameters on stands that have been harvested to ensure healthy, ecologically suited trees are established that can continue to grow without further intervention. With changing economic, environmental, and societal values, it is time for the policy to be modernized.
To address this, the Free Growing Working Group (FGWG) was created to complete an initial review of the current FG policy. To date, the FGWG has put together a data needs assessment that outlines data and information needs for a range of management objectives and compares them against the information and data currently collected. The FGWG has also produced a discussion paper outlining the strengths and limitations of the current policy and providing a range of possible options to address the limitations.
The discussion paper is now ready for broader engagement. Feedback from this engagement will be used to update the discussion paper and develop recommendations for how BC’s silviculture and FG framework can be improved to align with the actions in, “From Review to Action: A New Future for Old Forests,” achieve Forest Landscape Plan objectives, and support other provincial mandate pieces such as those identified in the Forest Modernization Paper.
Sessions
Session 1 will set the context, explain the benefits and limitations of the current free growing (FG) policy, and outline a two-phase approach for moving forward with changes to the FG policy. It will involve a 30-minute presentation followed by a 60-minute Q&A session.
There will be two opportunities to attend Session 1. The first opportunity will be hosted by the FSPPB on September 11 from 10-11:30 PM (click here to register for session 1).
The second opportunity will be hosted by the FPBC on September 12 from 2:30-4:00 PM. The FPBC will send out an invite later.
Session 2 will build on Session 1. It will have smaller break-out room discussions and provide an opportunity to share feedback and ideas on specific topics or themes. Session 2 will occur on September 19 from 2:00-4:00 PM (click here to register for session 2).
Materials
Please review the following material prior to attending:
Discussion paper: Modernizing British Columbia's Free Growing Policy
Video (Landscape Reforestation Standards): https://youtu.be/Qik8wAI23jg
Video (Stand Development Pathways): https://youtu.be/P86BxyNdhc0
Feedback
Feedback can be provided during these sessions, as well as by:
Filling out the Modernizing FG Questionnaire: https://forms.office.com/r/SFhJZP0jvD
Sending an email to Shannon.Pearce@gov.bc.ca
The deadline for the current round of feedback on the discussion paper is September 30, 2024.
Invites
Session 1 – Option 1 (hosted by FSPPB)
Context and Q&A
Date: September 11, 2024
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 264 303 245 751
Passcode: uPMVnn
Or call in (audio only)
Phone conference ID: 883 778 681#
Toll-free (audio only): 1-888-600-3289
Session 1 - Option 2 (hosted by FPBC)
Context and Q&A
Date: September 12, 2024
Time: 2:30-4:00 PM
Invite will be sent by the FPBC.
Session 2 (hosted by FSPPB)
Breakout Room Discussions
Date: September 19, 2024
Time: 2:30-4:00 PM
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 238 413 095 898
Passcode: BHRM9k
Or call in (audio only)
Phone conference ID: 479 827 799#
Toll-free (audio only): 1-888-600-3289