Q & A

Last Updated September 26, 2007

(Gratitude to the Community Forest Guidebook, FORREX SERIES 15, for many of these questions and answers)

What is a community forest?

COMMUNITY FORESTRY IS . . .

  • Decisions made by people who must live with the outcome
  • Finding local solutions to contentious issues
  • Keeping benefits in the community
  • Happening in every forested country on Earth
  • A very good idea
  • The hardest thing I have ever done

— John Cathro, Kaslo


What are the benefits of community forestry?

Some of the numerous benefits of community forestry include:

  • Long-term community economic development resulting in the increased self-reliance of rural communities.
  • Local employment in rural communities through timber and non-timber resource utilization.
  • Local-level decision making that leads to locally appropriate decisions and improves the incentives to consider the long-term benefits of sustainable management.
  • Increased potential to resolve conflicts over timber harvesting in watersheds and other sensitive areas.
  • Protection of drinking watersheds, viewscapes, and other values that are important to communities and to local and regional economic activity.
  • Enhanced opportunities for education and research. Community forests can be laboratories for testing innovative forest practices.
  • Improved awareness of forest management among members of the public.

What needs to occur for the community forest to be a success?

Passion – Strong local desire to manage local forests; enthusiasm for community forestry. Indicators of this include a will within the community to become more self-reliant and evidence of entrepreneurial spirit.

Dynamic Leadership – A motivated “spark plug” and (or) a core group of committed individuals who together have the necessary skills, knowledge, and community acceptance to make a community forest happen. Leadership having the capacity to bring a diverse group together is critical to starting a community forest. In the long term, however, participation from the broader community is essential.

First Nations Participation – Meaningful involvement is necessary to respect and integrate Aboriginal interests. Nearly all successful community forest initiatives involve First Nations as leaders or partners.

Sense of Community – Community spirit and civic engagement are good indicators of strong communities. When residents participate actively in their community, co-operative, trusting relationships grow, and leadership capacity is built.

Pragmatism – Willingness of the community to be pragmatic. The ability of community leaders to think realistically about resource management issues is very important in the effort to gain greater decision-making authority over local forest resources.

Local Knowledge – Existing local forest knowledge and (or) traditional ecological knowledge, as well as available local technical knowledge and skills. A commitment to education and training is necessary, with a focus on building local capabilities where knowledge and skills are lacking.

Holistic Viewpoint – Ability to think of community forestry as one aspect of community development. Community forestry is not just a “get rich quick scheme.”


When will there be an opportunity to provide input?

Open house meetings are planned for mid-September 2007. The objective of the meetings is to share information with the community, facilitate discussions and receive input regarding the management, vision, values, and objectives for the Alberni Valley Community Forest. The Government requires that we demonstrate that there is a high level of community awareness and strong support for the application from a broad cross-section of the community. In order for us to be successful we need your support and involvement.

How will the management of the community forest be structured?

The process to apply for a community forest is currently being managed as a City of Port Alberni initiative. The Community Forest Advisory Committee is guiding the process. The advisory committee is made up of three members of City Council, the City Manager, four community members and representatives from the Tseshaht First Nation, the Hupacasath First Nation and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. The City of Port Alberni has retained DRH Consulting to prepare the application

If the committee is successful in acquiring the Community Forest Licence, it will actually be granted to the “Strategic Forest Alliance Corporation” which is a limited company, wholly owned by the City of Port Alberni.

The current structure of this inactive corporation is to have three members of council, and the City Manager as the Board of Directors.

Over the next few months, the corporate structure will be reviewed to determine the best structure for what would become a functioning business immediately upon the issuance of the Community Forest Licence.

The makeup and roles of the board of directors for the Strategic Forest Alliance Corporation will be reviewed, and then decisions about the management of the business side of the Community Forest may be made. Options include, but are not limited to:

  • hire a manager/forest professional on a full time or part time basis,
  • have existing city staff take on some of the management duties as a portion of their workload,
  • retain an individual on a contractual basis to manage the tenure, or
  • retain a company to provide the management services.

All of these models and others are at work on forest tenures within British Columbia

Feedback received during the public reviews of the proposed community forest may assist in the decisions about management structure as we learn about people’s interests in working with the community forest.

How will the Alberni Valley Community Forest be funded?

Startup funding for the Community Forest will be provided as a shareholder’s loan from the City of Port Alberni to the Strategic Forest Alliance Corporation. Once the Community Forest is harvesting timber, the Strategic Forest Alliance Corporation should be able to provide working capital through retained earnings. Financing to provide working capital is also available from prospective log purchasers as cash advances against the value of the approved or developed timber.

Is it true that jobs have been lost in the community because of the Alberni Valley Community Forest proposal?

Under the Forestry Revitalization Act, about 20 per cent of the long-term logging rights held by the largest tenure holders in B.C. were taken back by government. This timber has been reallocated to other parties to support market-based pricing of public timber, and to increase the role of First Nations and small tenures in forestry such as community forest initiatives.

It is true that during the transition to the alternative tenures there has been less logging on the Crown land in the Alberni Valley, and consequently, forestry workers have been displaced. Once the new tenures are in place, operations should increase to harvest the Allowable Annual Cut set by government for the Alberni Valley. The allowable cut is independent of the tenure under which it is harvested, and long term harvest levels on Crown land in the Alberni Valley should remain relatively constant.

Although the Alberni Valley Community Forest will not operate on the same scale as large tenures, we will be required to harvest our portion of the Alberni Valley Crown land Annual Allowable Cut (AAC). We anticipate that harvesting could commence on the Alberni Valley Community Forest as early as 2008 and expect to harvest an average of one cutblock per year. In the same manner that large companies must harvest a set amount of wood to keep their licence, the Community Forest will be obligated to harvest their yearly AAC over a five year period providing economic benefit to the community.

Large companies have a duty to provide revenue to their shareholders and answer to board members that often live outside the communities in which they operate. The benefits from the Alberni Valley Community Forest will come to the community of Port Alberni through diversification of the local economy, opportunities to local forestry workers and contractors, and the generation of revenue to be used by the community for local projects. These three outcomes will provide primary forest based employment opportunities for qualified workers in the Alberni Valley and secondary opportunities outside of the forest sector when profits are used for community projects.

Who will be employed in the community forest?

The Community Forest Advisory Committee anticipates that the operations on the community forest will be tendered through local advertising or invited tenders. There is an active contractor community in Port Alberni comprised of both union and non-union companies and individuals who would be interested in working in this area. The size and scope of the potential tenders will evolve as the community forest licence is developed.

The public review period for the community forest proposal will help to identify those interested in working on the community forest.

Where will the logs be sold?

There is local demand for most of the logs that can be produced from the community forest area. The exceptions are small diameter Cedar, second growth Douglas Fir and large diameter Hemlock and Balsam pulp quality logs.

Small second growth Fir is usually in demand at the veneer plants in Nanaimo or along the Fraser River, while larger diameter second growth logs can often be sold to mills in other locations on Vancouver Island. Small diameter Cedar or “gang” Cedar is usually sold into the Vancouver Log Market, and milled at facilities along the Fraser River. Large pulp logs find a home at the chipping facilities at Chemainus or in Port Alice.

The methodology to sell logs is still to be determined as they can be sold at a number of points along the production process. Where the timber can be sorted in the woods and directly hauled to the customer, the point of sale will likely be at the customer’s site. Other timber will be sold after being measured and sorted at a dryland sort.


I am concerned about harvesting old growth forests in the Alberni Valley Community Forest. What is the status of the old growth in the land base area?

All of the forests in the proposed Alberni Valley Community Forest are in the Sproat Lake Landscape Unit. Landscape Units are areas of land used for long-term planning of resource management activities. They are usually 50,000 to 100,000 hectares in size. The priorities for landscape unit planning are the conservation of old growth and the retention of wildlife trees.

In July 2005 the objectives of the Landscape Unit Plan became legal requirements on Crown land by government order. Private land within the Sproat Lake Landscape Unit was not affected by the order; there are no requirements to retain old growth forest on private land in the vicinity of Sproat Lake.

The landscape unit planning process offers the forest industry the necessary legal direction they need regarding old growth values. It assures a clear and consistent approach for addressing this value, and therefore offers increased certainty for forest tenure holders while taking clear action to conserve biodiversity values and species associated with old growth forests.

In preparing the Sproat Lake Landscape Unit Plan an analysis of the Old Growth forests in the Sproat Landscape Unit was done and the most practicable solution to conserve old growth biodiversity elements in the forest ecosystem, yet limit impacts on forest harvesting was proposed. The amount of old forest set-aside was based on the amount of forest that needs to be retained as old growth according to ecosystem type and biodiversity emphasis (the latter refers to an area’s priority for biodiversity conservation). The areas to be reserved for old forest ecological values were established as Old Growth Management Areas (OGMA).

As shown on the map, OGMAs number 3, 4, 8, 11, 14, 16, 22, 38, 41, 48, 50, 54, 58, 62, and 63 are within the area proposed for the Alberni Valley Community Forest. A large OGMA (60) is just to the west of the proposed community forest.

There is currently 10,140 hectares of old growth in the Sproat Landscape Unit. 1791 hectares (18% of the total old growth forest) of that area is in the proposed Alberni Valley Community Forest.

Amount of Sproat Lake Landscape Unit Old Growth that is in the Proposed Community Forest

  Hectares Percent
Total Old Growth in Community Forest

1791

18
Total Old Growth in Sproat Landscape Unit

10140

100

Of the 1791 hectares of Old Growth the the proposed Alberni Valley Community Forest, 675 ha (38% of the total old growth in the community forest) is retained in OGMAs within the proposed community forest area. 1116 ha (62% of the total old growth in the community forest) is available for harvesting.

Hectares of Old Growth in the proposed Community Forest

  Hectares Percent
OGMA

675

38
Old Growth where timber harvesting may occur

1116

62

A viability assessment of the proposed community forest area done for the City of Port Alberni showed that the highest margins ($ per m3 profit) are to be made from harvesting the old growth in the community forest that is not constrained in an OGMA. Understanding the trade-offs that must be made, the community must decide if the value of retaining some or all of the old growth above the province’s legislated requirements is higher than the profits and benefits that could be returned to the community from harvesting this wood.

How will the Alberni Valley Community Forest be dealing with my concerns regarding recreation opportunities, water quality, fish habitat, and protection of scenic values if harvesting cutblocks near Sproat Lake?

Community forestry involves the three pillars of sustainable development: social, ecological, and economic sustainability. At its core, community forestry is about local control over and enjoyment of the benefits offered by local forest resources. These benefits are both monetary and non-monetary. On the monetary side, benefits include local employment and economic development. Non-monetary benefits are derived from the many values associated with forests, including ecological (such as the protection of drinking water), cultural, spiritual, medicinal, recreational, and aesthetic values.

Management decisions regarding timber harvesting and the non-timber values in the community forest are expected to be made using a process of participative decision making. With community input and participation, options will be weighed, and the most practicable management solutions that reflect community values regarding recreation, water quality, fish habitat, and visual quality will be adopted.

Participation begins immediately, and interested community members are encouraged to communicate with members of the Community Forest Advisory Committee or DRH forest consulting who have been hired to submit an application for the community forest licence (communityforest@drhconsulting.ca).

Public open houses are planned for September 2007 where the Community Forest Advisory Committee will be looking for answers to the following from members of the public:

  • What is the long-term vision for your community forest?
  • What benefits do you want to derive from managing the forest?
  • What range of values are important to your community?
  • What are your priorities?

Your vision for a community forest can also be expressed by sending your comments to us.

Will First Nations be participating in the community forest?

Meaningful involvement from First Nations is essential to respect and integrate Aboriginal interests in forest management decisions. Nearly all successful community forest initiatives involve First Nations as leaders or partners.

The proposed area of the Alberni Valley Community Forest lies within the asserted traditional territories of the Hupacasath (entire Community Forest area) and Tseshaht (eastern portion of the Taylor area) First Nations. As such, both First Nations have been involved in consultation with the provincial government regarding the proposed land base.

The Community Forest Advisory Committee has been privileged to enlist two volunteer advisors representing the local First Nations communities: Warren Lauder, Hupacasath Woodlot Manager and Councillor; and Les Sam, Chief Councillor of the Tseshaht First Nation. Their understanding of aboriginal values and traditions will be a great asset in integrating multiple-use and non-timber objectives into Community Forest plans.

I’ve read about other community forests, but I don’t know if they are comparable to the Alberni Valley Community Forest. Are all community forest licences the same?

When we discuss community forests in British Columbia, we are usually referring to the type of forest tenure that came into existence with changes to the Forest Act in 1998. A Community Forest Licence issued under the Forest Act, provides the opportunity for a community or First Nation to manage a local area of forest.

As of June 2007, there have been 18 Community Forest licences issued. Another 29 communities have been invited to apply.

The issued licences range from the Bamfield Huu-ay-aht Community Forest at 415 ha to the 79,888 ha held by the Bella Coola Community Forest. The potential timber harvest in the licences and invitations ranges from 1000m3/yr to an offer of 120,000m3 a year.

There are a number of community forests in BC that are not part of this Forest Act program, but are other forms of crown forest tenure, or private lands. Some examples include:

  • Revelstoke Community Forest - City owned Tree Farm Licence #56 with an annual allowable cut (AAC) of 100,000m3.
  • Kaslo and District Community Forest Society - Non-replaceable Forest Licence (NRFL) with an AAC 10,000m3.
  • Mission Municipal Forest - District of Mission owned tree Farm Licence #26, with an AAC of 45,000m3 from crown and private lands.
  • Creston Valley Forest Corporation - NRFL with an AAC of 15,000m3.
  • Cowichan Lake Community Forest Co-operative - NRFL with an AAC of 15,000m3.
  • North Cowichan Municipal Forest Reserve - Private forest lands providing a harvest of approximately 15,000m3 annually.

How any revenues will be allocated to the community?

The Community Forest Advisory Committee has been asking the same question. The expectation is that the “Community Forest Support, Awareness, and Management Survey” Question #5 (Harvesting in the community forest can generate revenue for the community. What should these revenues be used for?) and community consultation through open houses and public awareness campaigns will aid in answering this question by quantifying how the members of the community want to use the profits from the Community Forest.

How will the balance of values versus profits be maintained, past the initial community consultation phase?

Consultation with the public and First Nations should result in a hierarchy of values and objectives that need to be managed. These will be used to determine forest management strategies that will become part of the Forest Management Plan. The Management Plan is a legal commitment to forest management strategies that recognize and balance values important to the community.

What happens to the proposed forest area if the City of Port Alberni is not successful in getting a community forest?

The timber harvesting rights for the area that was Sproat Lake Division of Tree Farm Licence 44 were re-acquired by the crown in 2003 for reallocation under the government’s Forestry Revitalization Plan. The intent is to reallocate harvesting rights and diversify the forest industry.

If the City of Port Alberni is not successful in acquiring a community forest licence, the proposed licence area will remain with the Ministry of Forests and Range as crown forest land. The area could then be available for British Columbia Timber Sales (BCTS) to auction standing timber as part of their timber harvest program, or could be made available for a First Nation’s harvest program under the Forest and Range Opportunities Program.
Although the area is seemingly attractive for conservation, other areas are considered higher priority for parkland. The government has therefore allocated it as multi-use providing harvest opportunities that benefit the people of British Columbia by providing revenue to the Crown in the form of stumpage.

Nevertheless, not all areas of the Community Forest are available for harvesting. Old Growth Management Areas and Wildlife Habitat Areas. within the Community Forest will been set aside for conservation. By law, 7% of the harvest area of any cutblock must be reserved for wildlife tree retention. Additionally, areas along streams are buffered in Riparian Management Areas, and the Retention Silviculture System requires that patches of timber remain un-harvested to influence harvested areas by providing adjacent forest cover in a similar manner that occurs naturally as a result of windstorms or fires.

The BC Community Forests home page states that “harvest rates and exact locations within the tenure can be set to meet locally determined objectives and interests.” I wonder why our rates of harvest have already been set since I am not aware that our “objectives and interest” have been established.

In 2004 when the Forest Minister Michael de Jong extended an invitation to the City of Port Alberni to apply for a community forest agreement the City of Port Alberni was invited to apply for a licence with an Allowable Annual Cut (AAC) of 20,000 m3. The Ministry of Forests and Range (MoFR) then went into consultation with First Nations to determine an appropriate land base. Though not required to do so, the MoFR commissioned a Timber Supply Analysis to determine if the harvest level needed to realize the Minister’s invitation of 20,000m3 could be produced by the proposed land base.

The Timber Supply Analysis indicated the proposed land base could support a harvest level of 18,000m3. However, some assumptions were made in the analysis that do not reflect local community values. For example, an assumption was made that all harvesting would be based on a clearcut silviculture system. Feedback from the community and First Nations indicates that they have no appetite for this system. Harvesting will therefore need to be done with a retention, or partial cutting silviculture system. The level of retention will have to be added to the Timber Supply Analysis as a “net-down” from the proposed timber harvesting land base, and will result in a reduction to the AAC.

The application process requires that the proponent create an initial Forest Management Plan. The management plan indicates what the local objectives are, and proposes strategies to achieve these objectives. Many objectives will require further land area to be set aside. The Timber Supply Analysis will again need to be done, and the expectation is that the harvest level will be lower than the initial 18,000 m3.

The community consultation process and the forest management survey that you completed will help to contribute input to the objectives. Some objectives will be in conflict with other objectives and a balance, or the most practicable solution, will have to be found. Input has shown that the people want the community forest to “not lose money”. They would like profits for community projects, but they also want to protect water, wildlife, and trails (to name a few). The goal of the Community Forest Advisory Board is to create a community forest that we can all be proud of, and possibly showcase to the world. In consultation with hydrologists, wildlife biologists, trail users, and the community, we are looking to create a win-win for all members of the community, and find the balance where we can harvest profitably, with sensitivity to non-timber values.

How do I get involved?

A successful community forest needs local participation. The process of building a community forest needs to include the full range of community perspectives. The community forest needs input from individuals or groups who will be affected by forest management decisions. Please send your comments to us.
The community forest also needs advice from skilled people with experience in the following areas:

  • forestry
  • community organization
  • biology, ecology, hydrology
  • economic development
  • business management
  • recreation
  • environmental protection

If you’d like to participate in the community forest decision making process, or you have a skill that could benefit the community, please send an email to: communityforest@drhconsulting.ca