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Frequently Asked Questions
 What is an IFPA?
IFPAs are provincial pilot programs that are intended to encourage new approaches to forest management. They are agreements between major forest companies and the Minister of Forests, and are mandated under the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act through the Innovative Forest Practices Regulation. Each pilot is tailored to address local conditions and issues.
Initially, the IFPA program was a product of the Jobs & Timber Accord. The Accord has now run its course, but the IFPA program remains in the form of unique forest management programs in each of BC's forest regions. Each IFPA is voluntary, locally based, and industry-led, with its own unique focus and priorities. A core requirement of each IFPA is the development of a forestry plan that describes the IFPA's intent, and the activities that it will implement. return to top 
What is the Morice and Lakes IFPA?
The Morice & Lakes IFPA is developing and implementing sustainable
forest management (SFM) plans for two Timber Supply Areas: the Morice
TSA, near Houston, and the Lakes TSA, near Burns Lake. The plans
fulfill the requirement for an IFPA forestry plan, but may also
embrace a wider scope. The proponents of the Morice & Lakes
IFPA recognize that to be sustainable and implementable, local residents
will need to support the plan. The process for gaining this support
is one of the innovations of the IFPA.
 Scenario planning is a key component of this public involvement process. Each TSA has a Scenario Planning Team comprised of interested members of the public as well as resource professionals from government agencies and the forest industry. The team members identify interests and values associated with the forest in order to develop and evaluate scenarios for sustainable resource management.
The process also includes
Public Advisory Groups where local residents can identify resource
management objectives that they consider important. Objectives provided
by First Nations, government, and forest companies will also shape
the plan. All groups are invited to remain involved in developing
the SFM plan, and in monitoring its implementation. Participating
forest companies and the Ministry of Forests' BC Timber Sales program
will implement the plan. return to top
What is an LRMP?
A Land & Resources Management Plan (LRMP) is a provincial initiative that uses public consultation to guide government in making land-use decisions. Typically, an LRMP will specify land use zones for a TSA, along with higher-level social objectives for those zones and monitor their implementation. The SFM plan to be developed by the Morice & Lakes IFPA will be a strategic implementation plan that forges a link between higher-level objectives (like those defined by LRMPs) and operational plans required by the Forest Practices Code. return to top
What is Forest Certification?
Forest certification is recognition by a qualified, independent third party that forest management meets a predetermined set of standards. These standards are set by groups that generally follow a broad consultative process, national or international in scope. In Canada, these groups include the International Standards Organization (ISO), the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Forest certification is driven by consumers who insist that the forest products they buy come from responsibly managed forests. return to top
How do IFPAs, LRMPs and Certification Work Together?
Both IFPAs and forest certification require a SFM plan, and all require public involvement. A single SFM plan can use objectives from all three processes, letting planners develop inclusive management strategies and implementation plans. As well, common performance indicators (measures) can be used to track progress in IFPAs, LRMPs, and certification. return to top
What is the Forest
Planning Framework of British Columbia?
Provincial forest planning in BC is based on two streams of
decision-making: forest land use and forest land management.
Land use plans generally define zones and specific objectives for
those zones. In the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia
Act and Strategic Planning Regulation, this is referred
to as "higher-level planning."
Forest management plans,
in contrast, define the practices needed to implement the objectives
specified in higher-level plans. The Forest Practices Code of
British Columbia Act and Operational Planning Regulation
refer to these plans as "operational plans."
Timber supply planning is guided by the Forest Act, runs parallel to both land use and forest management planning, and interacts with both. Land use objectives are fed into timber supply planning from higher level plans, while harvesting areas and rates are fed back into forest management planning. return to top
What is an SFM plan and How is it Part of the Morice & Lakes IFPA?
SFM plans have qualities that are both strategic (long-term, high-level) and tactical (shorter term, more specific).
They are strategic in that they use high-level objectives provided by local communities, First Nations, agencies, and forest companies. Because these objectives may not be part of other higher-level plans, SFM plans can transcend the legislated minimums in forest management. SFM plans are tactical in that they include strategies for implementing and monitoring strategic objectives. By analyzing scenarios and options, SFM plans can reveal how specific forest practices should fit into operational plans in order to meet strategic objectives, and what knowledge or information gaps should be addressed to improve management.
The adaptive management
cycle is the basis of the SFM planning and implementation process
being used in the Morice & Lakes IFPA. Management objectives
are fed into the SFM process from formal higher-level plans, from
communities and First Nations, and from IFPA participants. Planners
then design strategies which forest companies and the Ministry of
Forests' BC Timber Sales will use to implement these objectives.
Planners then use predetermined performance indicators to evaluate the results of implementation. Next, they confirm whether current objectives are still appropriate, given changing knowledge and circumstances. The final step is to refine strategies for the next implementation cycle.
This process provides
avenues for IFPA innovations to be implemented, for community and
First Nations involvement, for the prioritization of Forest Investment
Account-funded strategic projects, and for the addition of certification
requirements. As well, a legal mechanism is provided (through the
Innovative Forest Practices Regulation) for regional managers to
approve annual allowable cut (AAC) adjustments based on the SFM
plan. return to top
How is the Public Involved?
The Morice & Lakes IFPA is developing SFM plans for both
the Morice and the Lakes Timber Supply Areas. The development of
these plans depends on local residents' active participation in
developing and evaluating scenarios for resource management.
Residents do this by using
a sophisticated SFM approach developed by Prince George-based McGregor
Model Forest Association. Using the McGregor's methods and tools,
residents hypothesize a variety of management approaches and model
the expected results of each in an effort to develop optimal forest
solutions.
Concurrently with the
IFPA, the BC Ministry of Forests has selected the Morice Forest
District as a certification pilot, and the major licence holders
in the Morice area are pursuing CSA certification. Residents can
also use the "McGregor Approach" to ensure their values
are included within these processes.
The Morice & Lakes IFPA is being implemented via a Strategic Committee that oversees the program's general direction. This committee is comprised of public, government, First Nations, and industry members, and its goal is to achieve broad community support for the SFM plan through effective public participation.
The goal of the Public Advisory Group, on the other hand, is to represent the views and values of various local constituencies of interest (recreation, small business, etc.), and to maintain communication with those constituencies. First Nations groups and local residents with interests in resource management are asked to choose Public Advisory Group members to represent them, and are encouraged to provide these members with feedback during the development of the SFM plan.
A Scenario Planning Team in each Timber Supply Area will create resource management scenarios that best address the needs of all participants. These scenarios will form the basis of the final SFM plan. Members of Public Advisory Groups, resource agencies, and local companies are invited to participate in the Scenario Planning Teams. The teams will be provided with technical analysis and decision support by contracted specialists, and by a committee of technical staff drawn from IFPA participants.
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