The Forest Management Planning Manual (2009) provides direction for all aspects of forest management planning for forest management plans scheduled for renewal after March 2012 for management units designated under the Crown Forest Sustainability Act (CFSA) in the Area of the Undertaking and the Whitefeather Forest. The Area of the Undertaking is defined in the MNR Class Environmental Assessment for Timber Management on Crown Lands in Ontario.
The Forest Management Planning Manual (2009) also provides direction for annual operations, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of forest management operations prepared under this manual, the Forest Management Planning Manual (2004) and the Forest Management Planning Manual (1996).
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How to cite this manual:
OMNR. November 2009. Forest Management Planning Manual for Ontario’s Crown Forests.
Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario 447pp.
(09 12 11)
ISBN 978-1-4435-1589-4 Print
ISBN 978-1-4435-1590-0 Portable Document Format (PDF)
Executive Summary
The Forest Management Planning Manual prescribes the requirements for Ontario’s forest management planning system including a detailed description of the planning process and the products. The forest management planning cycle, established by the manual, consists of planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting. The reporting component of this planning system includes evaluation of results and recommendations to be incorporated into a subsequent planning process to complete the cycle.
The Forest Management Planning Manual provides direction based on the legislative requirements of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act and the Environmental Assessment Board’s Decision on MNR's Class Environmental Assessment for Timber Management on Crown Lands in Ontario (1994), as amended and extended by Declaration Orders MNR-71, MNR-72, MNR-74 and their conditions, under the Environmental Assessment Act.
The Forest Management Planning Manual focuses on the delivery of the forest management component of higher-order provincial and regional land use and resource management policies and strategies including:
- Beyond 2000;
- MNR Statement of Environmental Values;
- Policy Framework for Sustainable Forests;
- Forest Resource Assessment Policy;
- Old Growth Policy for Ontario’s Crown Forests;
- Ontario’s Living Legacy Land Use Strategy; and
- Ontario’s Crown Land Use Atlas.
These policies and strategies, along with other local strategies, provide the overall context for the preparation of forest management plans, including the determination of forest sustainability.
The geographic basis for a forest management plan is a management unit. As of April 1, 2009, there are 46 management units in Ontario's Crown forest within the area of the undertaking (Appendix I). Forest management plans are prepared for each management unit within the area of the undertaking and the Whitefeather Forest, in accordance with the requirements of the Forest Management Planning Manual. Forest management plans provide the authority to carry out forest management activities including road access, timber harvest, and forest renewal, tending and protection treatments.
On designated management units which are not managed under a sustainable forest licence, the Crown or another designated party is responsible for the preparation and implementation of a forest management plan. For the purpose of this manual, the sustainable forest licensee is referenced as the party responsible for preparing and implementing forest management plans.
Where the requirements of this manual refer to the sustainable forest licensee, those requirements will apply to the MNR or the party responsible for the preparation and implementation of a forest management plan. For the purpose of this manual, all approvals reference the MNR Regional Director, MNR District Manager and/or MNR Area Supervisor. In the case of the Algonquin Park Forest, the Park Superintendent will be considered to be the MNR District Manager, and the Operations Leader will be considered to be the MNR Area Supervisor, for the requirements of this manual.
Forest management plans are prepared for a ten-year period with two five-year operational terms. The Forest Management Planning Manual breaks the planning process into two phases. Phase I refers to the initial 36 to 39 months that results in a forest management plan that contains the long-term management direction, locations of primary and branch road corridors, and details of operations for the initial five-year operational term. Phase II refers to the 16 to 20 month planning process that occurs during the fifth year of the ten-year plan period and results in the details of operations for the second five-year term.
The Forest Management Planning Manual is divided into six major parts:
PART A provides direction for the preparation of forest management plans, and describes requirements for:
- Phase I – preparing the ten-year forest management plan (including detailed operations for the first five-year term);
- Phase II – planning of operations for the second five-year term;
- public consultation; and
- Aboriginal involvement.
PART B provides the forest management plan content requirements and describes requirements for:
- title, certification and approval pages;
- section headings and associated documentation;
- supplementary documentation;
- forest management plan summary;
- Phase II documentation; and
- forest management plan tables
PART C provides the planning requirements for plan amendments, contingency plans, and unscheduled and early plan renewals and describes the requirements for:
- administrative, minor and major amendments;
- contingency plans;
- unscheduled and early plan renewals;
- a delay in approval of operations for the second five-year term;
- public consultation; and
- Aboriginal involvement.
PART D provides direction for the scheduling of forest management operations on an annual basis, and describes requirements for:
- forest operations prescriptions;
- annual work schedules;
- prescribed burns;
- aerial herbicide and insecticide projects;
- insect pest management programs;
- public consultation; and
- Aboriginal involvement.
PART E provides direction for management unit annual reports and evaluation of forest management operations, as well as the condition of the forest, at regular intervals, and describes:
- requirements for all management unit annual reports;
- additional requirements for the year three annual report;
- additional requirements for the year seven and year ten annual reports;
- submission and review requirements; and
- management unit annual report tables.
PART F provides additional direction specific to the Whitefeather Forest, and describes:
- the role of Pikangikum Elders in the forest management planning process;
- additional requirements for the Terms of Reference and Project Plan;
- the use of Pikangikum indigenous knowledge;
- requirements for provision of caribou habitat; and
- direction for access planning
In addition to the Parts, the manual contains the following appendices:
I. Management Units within the Area of the Undertaking
II. Analysis Package Contents
III. Social and Economic Description Outline
IV. List of Information to be Portrayed on Values Maps
V. Roads Supplementary Documentation Form
VII. Area of Concern Supplementary Documentation Form
VII. Operational Standards fro Forestry Aggregate Pits
The manual also contains a glossary of terms.
The Forest Management Planning Manual is intended to be used by those involved in forest management planning including registered professional foresters, other related professionals, stakeholders and the public.
By January 31 of each year, MNR will produce a list of all management units. This list identifies forest management plans currently in preparation, all forest management plans expected to be initiated in that year, and all management units where operational planning for the second five-year term is scheduled in that year. This list will be available to the public upon request.
Phase-in Provisions for the Application of this Forest Management Planning Manual
The cyclical nature of forest management planning dictates that it will be a number of years before all requirements of this Forest Management Planning Manual can be fully implemented for all management units across the province. The requirements of this Forest Management Planning Manual will apply upon the effective date of this manual, unless otherwise directed by the phase-in provisions included at the beginning of each Part of this manual.
