𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙?

It is sometimes believed that stocking standards and soil disturbance limits are the determining factors.

According to the FPPR, there need to be as many standards units (SUs) as:

• • regeneration dates

  • free growing dates

  • soil disturbance limits

  • stocking standards

  • free growing height for each species that contributes to establishing a free growing stand on the cutblock

Regeneration and Free Growing dates depend on the harvest commencement date. The other determinants are independent of harvest timing.

As per the FPPR, SUs needs to be at least as many as the number of different combinations of all the elements in the FPPR list.

𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙮𝙜𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠

An SU is an area attributed with stocking information: rules for post-harvest regeneration.

By definition, then, the extent of a Standards Unit polygon is that of the Net Area to be Regenerated/Reforested (NAR). The NAR can be a subset of the harvested area, as for excluding permanent access structures where regeneration is inhibited.

In practice, it is the Forest Cover to be submitted post-harvest that provides the detailed spatial extent of Not Sufficiently Restocked (NSR) areas. NSR areas should always be in a SU.

𝕊𝕀𝕋𝔼 ℙ𝕃𝔸ℕ𝕊

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙭/𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚?

As per the FPPR, a site plan should:

• "identify the approximate locations of cutblocks and roads,

• be consistent with the forest stewardship plan, this Act and the regulations, and

• identify how the intended results or strategies described in the forest stewardship plan apply to the site."

Often, Site Plan maps present significantly more information than what is required by the legislation. Licensees use more integrated documents depicting the relationship between elements such as the layout, terrain, forest cover, and stocking standards.

ℂ𝕌𝕋𝔹𝕃𝕆ℂ𝕂𝕊

𝘾𝙪𝙩𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠: 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝘽𝘾, 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙙𝙖

Defined literally, a 'cutblock' is an area (block) where timber is harvested (cut).

For timber harvesting and management in British Columbia Crown Land, the 'cutblock' working definition differs from the literal one.

In manuals (e.g., RISS) and legislation (FPPR), 'cutblocks' can include planned non-harvest area.

For example, a Wildlife Tree Retention Area can be located within a cutblock (FPPR).

Thus, 'cutblocks' are used as overarching management areas that can include both planned logging areas and adjacent areas with other objectives. This is a convenience for activity and obligation management.

Of the two cutblock definitions above, which version should be submitted at the cutting permit application stage? It doesn't seem to be set in hard stone. The majority of licensees seem to submit cutblocks wider than the planned harvest area. If only the planned harvest area is submitted, adjacent areas with objectives linked to that cutblock can be dealt with at the opening submission stage.

Even if the submitted cutblock shape depicted only the planned harvest, the actual harvested area could deviate from it due to operational decisions responding to field findings/difficulties.

Post-harvest, the harvested area within the approved cutblock is reported through a Forest Cover Submission.

There can be some confusion in the communication between layout staff, permitting staff, and loggers: in practice, the cutblock may be larger for permitting and reporting than for loggers.

Lastly, across manuals and legislation, multiple forms of the term are used: block, cutblock, cut block. We believe that, presently they all refer to the same.