Background

Prince George’s proactive approach:

Prince George is a city within a forest. Even within its boundaries, Prince George’s landscape is rich with forested areas. The risk of urban interface fire in the forests within and surrounding the city has increased significantly as a result of the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) epidemic.

In 2005, the City of Prince George prepared a strategy to address the growing threat to residents and infrastructure from potential fires. The Wildland/Urban Interface Wildfire Management Strategy makes broad recommendations and provides tools to help reduce the wildfire risk in and around the city, while also providing for the future health of the forest.

At the same time, the provincial government invited the City of Prince George to apply for a Probationary Community Forest Agreement to help deal with the mountain pine beetle infestation on Crown lands. It was estimated that there is at least 60,000 cubic metres of dead pine on Crown land to remove.

The City applied for and received a Community Forest License in October 2006 with an allowable annual cut (AAC) of 12,000 cubic metres per year. The City saw a community forest license as an opportunity to achieve three objectives:

• management of the fire hazard in and around the city;
• management of the MPB impacts on the urban forest; and,
• support for the city’s Official Community Plan, which emphasizes “improving safety and security in the city” as part of its mission to improve quality of life for residents.
  

Today

What is a Community Forest?

In British Columbia, a community forest can be described as any forestry operation managed by a local government, community group, or First Nation for the benefit of the entire community.

The provincial government’s objectives in establishing community forests are the following:

• Community forests are an important and growing opportunity for communities, supporting new options in recreation, wildlife and watershed management.
• Harvesting operations can also provide a source of revenue, supporting local priorities, while harvest rates and exact locations within the tenure can be set to meet locally determined objectives and interests.

For more information on community forests in British Columbia, click here.

How is Prince George’s Community Forest unique?

In Prince George the development of a community forest was driven by an urgent need to remove dead lodgepole pine in order to ensure the city, its residents and businesses are safe from the threat of wildfire. Eventually the Prince George Community Forest will also serve as an economic venture, benefiting the region with jobs for the future.

Community forests typically operate on land that is outside of city boundaries. The Prince George Community Forest (PGCF) is unique in that it is contained completely within the official City of Prince George boundary (a total area of approximately 33,000 hectares).

The City of Prince George is also responsible for managing large areas of municipal-owned forest lands. These are managed in a manner consistent with the Community Forest Management Plan. The integrated approach of the community forest model allows the City to effectively manage all public lands within its boundaries more effectively together. Combined, these managed areas create a more “fire safe” community, while at the same time ensuring all values of the forest are considered – from the wildlife inhabiting the area, to the rich recreation opportunities, to the viewscapes in our city.

Tomorrow

The Probationary Community Forest Agreement provides a 5-year license to manage Crown forests within the city limits. At the end of that period, the City will have the opportunity to apply for an extension to a full Community Forest Agreement. The long term vision for the City is a sustainable forest condition that results in long-term protection from the interface fire hazard.

The current Community Forest Management Plan covers the five-year period, and outlines the goals and objectives for the Probationary Community Forest Agreement. As the current issues are addressed, the City will look toward a future vision for the Prince George Community Forest. The City will explore the option of expanding the original community forest area and to securing a Long Term Community Forest Agreement with the Province, with the intention of managing the PGCF in a more traditional sustainable forestry context.

Future Goals

A long-term community forest license will support the City of Prince George as it pursues a number of social, economic and environmental goals.

• A long-term tenure will allow the city to maintain the fire safe urban interface zones being created now and in the future.
• Well-managed, fire safe urban interface zones will help ensure the safety and security of residents as well as the health of forested areas in and around the city.
• A long-term license will allow the PGCF to produce a long-term sustainable harvest, which will provide economic opportunity to the city.
• A community forest license will help provide educational and recreational opportunities for Prince George residents.
• And a long-term community forest tenure will allow the city to manage the forest for visual quality, wildlife habitat, and water and soil health.