Stage One - Invitation to participate

What is the purpose of Stage One?

The Invitation to Participate tells you that a new FMP is being prepared and invites you to get involved in the planning process.

How can I get involved at Stage One?

During Stage One, you can meet with the planning team, plan author, and local citizens’ committee to discuss your interests and share what you know about the forest.

What kind of information can I provide at Stage One?

At this stage, you are invited to share your views on what you want your forest to look like in the future and what benefits you want the forest to provide.

You are also encouraged to share information about values or important ecological features on the forest. These may include:

  • location of tourism establishments
  • canoe routes
  • mining claims
  • archaeological sites
  • traplines
  • cabins
  • trails
  • species at risk, and
  • wildlife habitat areas

Where can I get information at Stage One?

Information is available at the office of the sustainable forest licensee, at the local Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry work centre and on the Natural Resources Information Portal.

What does the planning team do with the information I provide?

The planning team considers all information submitted by the public, First Nation and Métis communities, and stakeholders.

The planning team meets with the local citizens’ committee to share the information it has received and to begin defining what the forest should look like in the future and what sorts of benefits can be made available. In addition to providing wood to mills, forests provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and opportunities for recreation and tourism. Once benefits are identified, objectives can be proposed and computer models can be used to predict what the future forest might look like based on different management options.

The information you provide as part of Stage One assists the planning team in the development of the proposed long-term management direction. The proposed long-term management direction includes the levels of the desired benefits such as harvest area and wildlife habitat.

What if I have an unresolved concern?

If you raised a concern with the plan author during this stage and it has not been addressed to your satisfaction, you can request issue resolution with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry district manager. If your issue is still not addressed to your satisfaction you can request issue resolution with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regional director.

Stage Two - Review of the long-term management direction

What is the purpose of Stage Two?

The long-term management direction is the backbone of the FMP. During this stage, the planning team analyzes the background information collected, including input it has received from the public, First Nation and Métis communities, stakeholders, and the local citizens’ committee. The team uses this information to determine the objectives for the plan and how those objectives will be measured.

The long-term management direction is proposed after testing how well different management options meet identified objectives. This approach provides for the best balance of the benefits that the planning team can achieve (e.g. wildlife habitat, wood supply).

In this stage, the planning team also establishes a maximum sustainable harvest area that cannot be exceeded during each ten-year FMP.

How can I get involved at Stage Two?

The Stage Two notice invites you to review and comment on the proposed long-term management direction for the forest, areas that may be harvested and primary roads (long-term) that may be built during the ten-year period of the plan.

Here are some examples of information that you may be interested in reviewing and commenting on:

  • a summary of the proposed long-term management direction for the forest
  • a summary of comments received on the plan and responses provided to date
  • a summary of the results of the desired forest and benefits meeting held between the planning team, the local citizens’ committee, and First Nation and Métis communities
  • maps showing ten years of past harvest operations
  • the criteria used to choose potential harvest areas for the new FMP
  • how the preferred harvest areas for the new FMP were chosen
  • the proposed locations of primary roads
  • the use management strategies for proposed primary roads
  • a summary of the local citizens’ committee activities to date

You have 15 days to review and comment on this information. Your input may result in changes to the long-term management direction before it is approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regional director.

Where can I get information at Stage Two?

Information will be available at the office of the sustainable forest licensee and the local Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry work centre and on the Natural Resources Information Portal.

What if I have an unresolved concern?

If you raised a concern with the plan author during this stage and it has not been addressed to your satisfaction, you can request issue resolution with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry district manager. If your issue is still not addressed to your satisfaction, you can request issue resolution with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regional director.

Stage Three - Review of proposed operations

What is the purpose of Stage Three?

After the long-term management direction is approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the detailed planning of forest operations for the ten-year period begins. The Stage Three notice invites you to attend an information forum where the plan author, members of the planning team and a representative from the local citizens’ committee will be able to answer questions.

How can I get involved at Stage Three?

Here are some examples of information that you may be interested in reviewing or commenting on:

  • the proposed locations of roads and locations where aggregates may be extracted
  • the use management strategies for proposed roads
  • the proposed locations of harvest, renewal, and tending operations
  • the location of values or important ecological features
  • how impacts to values or important ecological features will be prevented, minimized, or mitigated during forest operations
  • whether you have information relating to values and important ecological features that could be affected by forest operations

Your input may result in changes to the proposed operations for the management unit.

Where can I get information at Stage Three?

Information will be available at the information forum, and for 30 days after the information centre at the office of the sustainable forest licensee, at the local Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry work centre and on the Natural Resources Information Portal.

What if I have an unresolved issue?

If you raised a concern with the plan author during this stage and it has not been addressed to your satisfaction, you can request issue resolution with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry district manager. If your issue is still not addressed to your satisfaction, you can request issue resolution with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regional director.

Stage Four - Review of draft Forest Management Plan

What is the purpose of Stage Four?

After operational planning is completed, a draft FMP is prepared and reviewed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. The Stage Four notice invites you to attend an information forum to review and comment on the draft FMP.

How can I get involved at Stage Four?

You can comment on the proposed forest operations in the draft FMP and review whether your interests and issues have been addressed. You can also provide any additional information that will help the planning team finalize the FMP. The plan author, members of the planning team and a representative from the local citizens’ committee will be at the information forum to answer questions.

Your input may result in changes to the FMP before it is approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regional director.

Where can I get information at Stage Four?

The draft FMP and the draft FMP summary will be available at the information forum and during the 60-day review and comment period at the office of the sustainable forest licensee, at the local Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry work centre and on the Natural Resources Information Portal.

What if I have an unresolved issue?

If you raised a concern with the plan author during this stage and it has not been addressed to your satisfaction, you can request issue resolution with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry district manager during the 60-day review and comment period of the draft FMP. If your issue is still not resolved to your satisfaction, you can request issue resolution with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regional director within 15 days after the 60-day review and comment period of the draft FMP.

Stage Five - Inspection of approved Forest Management Plan

What is the purpose of Stage Five?

After the 60-day period for reviewing and commenting on the draft FMP, the plan is revised to address the comments received. It is then submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regional director for approval.

Where can I get information at Stage Five?

The approved FMP and the FMP summary will be available at the office of the sustainable forest licensee and on the Natural Resources Information Portal for the duration of the FMP.

If you are interested in discussing the approved FMP, you can arrange an appointment with the local Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry work centre staff.

Contingency plans

What is a contingency plan?

A contingency plan is an interim FMP that is prepared due to a delay in the approval of a forest management plan and is intended to permit the implementation of operations between the expiry of the current FMP and the approval of the next FMP. There are two types of contingency plans: short-term contingency plans of up to one year and long-term contingency plans ranging from one to three years.

When are contingency plans prepared?

Contingency plans are prepared when:

  • a ten-year FMP will not be approved on schedule
  • the preparation of a ten-year FMP is delayed
  • there is a proposal to combine management units
  • a new plan is needed to address something that wasn’t expected (e.g. a major fire on the management unit)

How would I know a contingency plan is being prepared?

There is no formal public consultation on short-term contingency plans, these plans only include forest operations that have been previously approved and consulted on in the most recent FMP.

For longer-term contingency plans, people and organizations on the FMP mailing list will receive a notice. Notices may also be posted in media (e.g. newspapers, digital media such as online news sources, social media) and on the Natural Resources Information Portal.

Where can I get information on a contingency plan?

Information on a contingency plan, including the draft plan, will be available at the office of the sustainable forest licensee and on the Natural Resources Information Portal.

How can I get involved in the preparation of a long-term contingency plan?

The planning team will prepare the long-term contingency plan and wants to hear from people and organizations interested in and affected by forest operations. There will be at least one opportunity to review and provide comments on the forest operations that are part of the contingency plan. Opportunities may vary depending on the consultation that has already occurred on the preparation of the next ten-year FMP.

What if I have an unresolved issue?

If you raised a concern with the plan author and it has not been addressed to your satisfaction, you can request issue resolution with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry district manager during the review and comment period of the draft Contingency Plan. If your issue is still not addressed to your satisfaction, you can request issue resolution with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regional director.

Where can I view an approved contingency plan?

Contingency plans are available at the office of the sustainable forest licensee and on the Natural Resources Information Portal.

If you are interested in discussing the approved contingency plan, you can arrange an appointment with the local Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry work centre staff.

Related links

Forest management policies
Forest management planning
Forest management guides
Forest monitoring
Forest renewal