Fort St. John Results Based Pilot Project
Public Advisory Group Meeting #22

October 18, 2004

6:30 pm to 9:10 pm

North Peace Cultural Center

Meeting Summary

Meeting Attendance:

Name	Interest	Phone	Email
Participants
Warren Jukes	Canfor	788-4355
David Menzies	Canfor	787-3613
Don Rosen	Canfor	788-4379
Greg Taylor	Canfor	787.3640
Jeff Beale	Slocan-LP OSB Corp.	261-6464
Roger St. Jean	BC Timber Sales	262.3336
PAG Interest Representatives and Alternates
Stan Gladys	Outdoor Recreation	785-2596
Mike Waberski	Oil and Gas	787-0300
Fred Klassen	Forest Workers	785-3901
Ron Wagner	Labour	787-0172
Orland Wilkerson	Urban Communities	787-6243
Facilitator
Gail Wallin		305-1003

I. Welcome and Introductions

Gail Wallin welcomed all members to the meeting.  Each person introduced themselves and their interest in the process.

2.   Review of Agenda

Gail gave an overview of the agenda summarizing that the meeting objective is to review the audit results the annual report.  The group had no changes to the agenda.

3.   Review of Meeting Summary (Nov. 24, 2003)

Gail reviewed the meeting summary and action items.  The group had to changes to the Meeting Summary as circulated. 

One new Email address for Ron Wagner was noted (rojwagner@telus.net)

4.  Update from Participants

a.   Canfor – Slocan

Warren Jukes can an overview of recent changes in Canfor and Slocan,

• As of April 1^st, 2004 Canfor acquired all of Slocan Forest Products Ltd., assets.  It included changes to Canfor’s Board of Directors
• The new organizational changes in Canfor Peace Region operations in Chetwynd, and Fort St. John are:

· General Manager: Bob Korda

· Reporting to the General Manager are Woodlands Manager’s Fort St. John (Andy Becker) & Chetwynd (Warren Jukes), and Management Forester (Jeff Beale)

b.   Slocan-LP OSB Corp

            Jeff Beale gave an overview of the progress on the OSB plan

· Approximately $ 140 million committed and spent to date,

· Construction virtually on schedule despite latest wet & snow episodes

· Staffing of General Manager nearly complete; several other key positions (Production Superintendent and Maintenance Supervisor next)

· Out-of town OSB Project Management group locating to construction site late October

· Log deliveries set for January 10^th 2005; low volumes until mid-late summer

· OSB mill start-up scheduled for September 2005

c. Dunne-za Corporation

            Warren gave an overview of a new business entity related to the Defined Forest Area.

· Dunne-za is a business entity of West Moberly First Nations & and has a joint venture with Canfor

· Dunne-za holds a timber licence Forest Licence A56671 is now part of the Pilot Project (FSJPPR).  The licence is for 150,000m3/yr for 20yrs; conifer regular profile, west-side of the Fort St. John timber supply area; Canfor woodlands manages the fibre, logging and forestry obligations

d. PAG comments/concerns

· PAG members discussed the role of new corporate entities should be actively involved in the PAG progress while recognizing that other companies may manage their forest responsibilities. The PAG will review the Terms of Reference to avoid frequent amendments.

· In general, the PAG would like to encourage new members to attend a PAG meeting and meet PAG members

ACTION:   Working Group should invite silent partners to attend our meetings so that the PAG members can meet the new partners and to the new members can better understand the PAG process.

5.   Review PAG Terms of Reference

      Gail Wallin reviewed the Terms of Reference and proposed some changes to make them more current.  Gail reviewed all the changes with the PAG members, (see attached PAG Membership List).  The PAG discussed the need for external communication and the need to annual publish the list of members.  All members present gave approval for listing their names in external communication.

ACTION:   Working Group to phone the other PAG members to get permission for listing their names.

APPROVED:  The PAG accepted the revisions to the Terms of Reference as reviewed.

§ See Attached Revisions to Terms of Reference

6.   Update on the SFMP (Sustainable Forest Management Plan)

a.   Warren reviewed the current status of the SFMP that was approved April 2004, by Ministry of Forests (MOF) & Ministry of Water Land and Air Protection (MWLAP)

b.   Government Approval Conditions Letter was reviewed and circulated Highlights are:

i.    Landscape Level Strategies: revaluate a couple of years down the road

ii.    Work on procedures on how Landscape Level Strategies will be done

iii.   Mixedwood forest management & reforestation strategies are required and work is on going;

iv.   Continue the effort on coordinated planning and operations with oil/gas industry

v.    Non-Replaceable Forest Licence AAC (allowable annual cut) undercut uplifts are coming;

vi.   Forest health Landscape Level Strategy is required

vii.  Results-Based Pilot reporting requirements are different than FRPA, government needs to work with participants

PAG COMMENTS/CONCERNS

Some PAG members feel that further work needs to be done to estimate the impacts of oil & gas on the timber harvesting land base.  Some felt that Canfor could do more of the objective for coordinating information to (e.g., Genus) to (1) quantify the impact, and (2) gain the economic/operational benefits

7.   Update on Pilot Project Regulation

a. Working Group has prepared and submitted to the BC Cabinet a number of “house keeping” items to make the Forest Operations Schedule (FOS) consistent with the approved Sustainable Forest Management Plan (SFMP) – with a planned effective date Nov. 15^th activation

8.   Report on Outcome of KPMG Audits

a. Warren reviewed the outcomes of the FSJ Code Pilot Regulation Compliance Audit (3^rd party audit required every two yrs), a copy of the report was provided to PAG;

· KPMG assessed all the operations in fall of 2003; report went to the MOF Regional manager

· Working Group discussed the outstanding items from the Field Audit (section 3.3 of the KPMG report, pages 4-5

b.   CSA Surveillance Audit (done approximately once/yr; PAG often called upon).  Based on the recent audit there a few nonconformance and opportunities for improvement

· Nonconformance Notes (minor’s)

1.   BC Timber Sales: nonconformances have been actioned, with an Action Plan within 30 days to KPMG

2.   BCTS & Canfor: site level plan inconsistencies.  Action Planned was put in place to help ensure consistencies

3.   Canfor did not get its internal report done in the required time

· Opportunities for Improvement

1.   BCTS EMS training program improvements

2.   Crushed culverts 

9.   Review of the Annual Report

a.   This is the 2^ND ANNUAL REPORT, but it is the 1^ST Annual Report UNDER THE CSA STANDARD

b.   The Working Group gave an overview of the Annual Report

c.   The Working Group reviewed the Executive Summary and proposed some changes to the current matrix.

i. Shape Index: calculate it at the end of a harvest period; i.e., calculate it on the basis of the scheduled harvest plan period

ii. Species at Risk: change it from June 2004 to December 1^st 2004

iii. Coniferous Seeds: BCTS and Canfor planted slightly outside of the acceptable elevation range for a certain stock.  Both participants indicated that if they’d applied for variances they would undoubtedly be given it.  Participants will monitor out of range performance.

iv. Salvage: Indicator should not look at burn areas less than 5 ha in area

v. Establishment Delay: the target is not specific to the participant’s; KPMG has suggested that this target be focused on and tracked by each managing participant. 

vi. Protection of Streambanks: two incidents, tracked in ITS, one is under MOF administrative assessment

vii. Elements Pertinent to Treaty Rights: Nonconformance of streambank protection “affected water quality/quantity that may affect fishing opportunities i.e., fishing rights

viii. BCTS identified herbicide buffer areas that were not removed from the site level plan (but were also not sprayed).  High cultural values with pre-1846 Culturally Modified Tree (CMT) violation due to some mis-interpretation of the Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA) into a working harvest plan

ix. Scientific Technical Advisory Committee (STAC): there is a question of should it be continued, but for now the target should remain.

ACTIONS:  Working Group to Consider:

1) The exec summary only captures the negatives; perhaps we should beef up the positives

2) Review whether #40 actually measures the impact on the Timber Harvesting Land Bases (THLB) or not.

ACTION: PAG provide get your comments/questions on the ANNUAL REPORT in to the Working Group (jeff.beale@slocanlp.com) or FAX to 261.6864 by October 29th

10.   Information on opportunity for input on the draft Forest Operating Schedule

a.   The Working Group provided an overview of the FOS and how the public could provide input.

11.  Public Presentations

· No presentations were made.

12.  Next steps & proposed meeting date

b. Focus: to review new values/objectives that PAG wants to add to the SFM CSA Matrix

c.  Need to address “How will bugs, primarily bark beetles, affect harvesting in Fort St. John Defined Forest Area?”

Next Meeting’s Proposed Date: February 21^st, 2005

PAG Feedback on the meeting and recommendations:

i. Keep the meeting focused

i. No change needed to meeting

ii. Use PAG for getting input on how we are doing? And, How to recruit new members--- departing folks to recommend replacements

iii. Appreciate the increased access to public involvement in forest management

Meeting adjourned at 9:10 pm