Version 3 of SFM Plan Nearing Completion

March 5, 2005

The Morice & Lakes Innovative Forest Practices Agreement is taking another step in sustainable forest management in the Morice Timber Supply Area. Version 3 of the IFPA’s sustainable forest management (SFM) plan is set to be rolled out by the end of June. This version of the plan will include new information incorporated from the Morice Land and Resource Management Plan and beetle infestation data from the Ministry of Forests for revising timber supply forecasts.

“As part of an adaptive management framework, our SFM plans incorporate new information as it becomes available,” said IFPA manager Jim Burbee . “Land-use designations coming out of the LRMP and beetle epidemic data from the Ministry of Forests come at the right time in our planning cycle, just as we are finishing up the learning scenario phase for the Morice.”

With learning scenario analysis rolling out, the final decision scenario for the Morice is currently being developed by scenario planning team members. This scenario will strike a balance between all of the learning scenarios to come up with an agreed upon vision for local forest management. The decision scenario in turn will be used to develop SFM plan Version 3 in the Morice, which is scheduled for completion by March 31, 2005 . Participating forest companies, such as Houston Forest Products, will be using this plan to help guide their woodlands operations in the Morice. “We look forward to making use of the new SFM plan, particularly in our landscape level planning,” said HFP woodlands manager Mike Dunbar.