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Denman Island Ecosystem-Based AssessmentThe following is a condensed version of:

An Ecosystem-Based Assessment of Denman Island

May 1998

prepared by: Silva Ecosystem Consultants Ltd

Tom Bradley .... Jody Hoffman .... Herb Hammond, R.P.F.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Geography and Ecology of Denman Island 2.1 Setting 2.2 Landforms and Soils2.3 Climate and Ecotype2.4 Forests and Forestry

3. Ecosystem-based Assessment Maps3.1 Creeks and Wetlands3.2 Cadastral 3.3 Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance 3.3.1 Delineating Ecologically Sensitive Areas3.3.2 ESD Mapping 3.4 Old Growth Forest3.5 Proposed Protected Areas Network3.5.1 Why is a PAN Required? 3.5.2 Cross Island Linkages3.5.3 Process Used to Identify Denman Island PAN3.5.4 Ownership of Land in PAN

4. Forest Inventory4.1 Forest Cover Mapping 4.2 Forest Sampling 4.3 Data Summaries



4.3 Data Summaries

5. Recommendations and Conclusions

List of Figures

Figure 1: Conventional Timber Management on Denman Island.Figure 2: Loss of Structures from Conventional Timber Management on Denman Island.Figure 3: Map of Creeks and Wetlands on Denman Island.Figure 4: Map of Cadastral Information for Denman Island.Figure 5: Graph of Land Ownership Classes on Denman Island.Figure 6: Map of Silva Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Classes on Denman IslandFigure 7: Graph of Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Classes on Denman IslandFigure 8: A typical Riparian Ecosystem on Denman Island.Figure 9: A typical Forested Wetland.Figure 10: Large rotting log in a typical second growth Douglas-fir forest.Figure 11: Map of Proposed Protected Areas Network on Denman Island.Figure 12: Graph of Proposed Protected Areas Network Strata on Denman IslandFigure 13: The Railway Grade Trail.Figure 14: Pickles Marsh.Figure 15: Views of Morrison Marsh.Figure 16: Map of traverse line and sample plot locations.Figure 17: Diagram of Crown Classes used in Silva sampling and reports.

List of Tables

Table 1: Area of Land Ownership Classes on Denman IslandTable 2: Area of Silva Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance ClassesTable 3: Area of Land within Proposed Protected Areas Network Strata on Denman IslandTable 4: Stratification of Proposed Protected Areas Network Elements by Land Ownership Class on Denman Island

List of Appendixes

(Appendices are not available in electronic form)

Appendix 1: Silva Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Classification SystemAppendix 2: An Ecosystem-Based Approach To Forest UseAppendix 3: Important Criteria And Parameters Of Wildlife Movement CorridorsAppendix 4: Forest Cover Map Database StructureAppendix 5: Correspondence between DFI and Silva regarding Map and Data ProcessingAppendix 6: Field Inventory Data Summaries

An Ecosystem-Based Assessment of Denman Island

I.Introduction

The purpose of this project was to perform an ecosystem-based assessment of Denman Island, focusing on the large block ofprivately held timber lands on the island. An ecosystem-based assessment identifies the ecological components, structures,processes and flows which are required to maintain fully functioning ecosystems at all scales. Management plans are thenformulated which focus first on ecological components which must be retained to maintain ecosystem health, and then onhuman uses of and harvests from the ecosystem.

Ecosystem-based planning and assessment should consider all scales, from the microscopic to the macroscopic. However,due to human and budgetary limitations, most ecosystem-based plans focus on a particular scale or set of scales. The DenmanIsland Ecosystem-based Assessment focused on the terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems of Denman Island at the landscapelevel, and was to also focus on the forest stand level for selected areas.

This ecosystem-based assessment was performed at a reconnaissance level, with limited funding. The information gatheredand presented is useful and valid, but should not be considered the "last word" on the matters discussed. Local work bycommunity members will continue to expand the knowledge base and precision of this initial mapping project. Further studywill be required to fill many gaps, and the scale range and scope of the project can be expanded. This assessment and map setserve as a starting point for discussion and further work, not as final conclusions.

Dan Stoneman



serve as a starting point for discussion and further work, not as final conclusions.

The project was funded by Forest Renewal British Columbia (FRBC) and was administered by the Denman ForestryInitiative (DFI). When the project was initiated, the private timber lands which were to be the focus of the assessment wereowned by the Hancock Timber Resources Group. However, the private lands were sold to 4064 Investments Ltd. in July1997. The 1,757 ha of land are hereinafter referred to as "the 4064 Lands".

The project goals were to:

1. identify a biodiversity network to maintain ecosystem functioning throughout the island . . . The biodiversitynetwork would include ecologically sensitive areas, remaining old growth forests, riparian reserves, connectingcorridors and biodiversity reserves. Network components identified within the 4064 Lands would reflect managementintent; network components on private land outside of the 4064 Lands would be for illustration purposes only.

2. identify areas where ecologically responsible timber management is appropriate on the 4064 Lands;

3. prepare a forest cover type map suitable for an initial estimate of ecologically responsible timber cutting rates for the4064 Lands;

4. carry out a field inventory to assess timber volumes and silvicultural characteristics of a selected subset ofrepresentative forest types;

5. provide initial information to assess the financial feasibility of purchase of the 4064 Lands by the Denman Islandcommunity, based on the value of an ecologically responsible timber cutting rate on the 4064 Lands . . . The proposedtimber cutting rate would address: the ecological limits imposed by the need to retain forest structure and composition,the short-term potential for responsible partial cutting in the young forest stands on Denman, and the long-term,ecologically sustainable timber yield.

6. identify cultural and recreational uses of Denman Island, and archeological potential.

This ambitious plan was significantly altered over the course of the project. Days before the Silva crew arrived on Denman tocommence field work, the 4064 Lands were sold to 4064 Investments Ltd. of Vancouver. Silva raised the issue of delayingthe project until the full implications of this change of ownership were known, but the DFI wished to proceed on the agreed-upon schedule.

We therefore commenced field work on July 8, 1997 in an atmosphere of blockades, altercations, protests, and communitytension. Our field activities were relatively unaffected by the unfolding political situation, except for the loss of vehicularaccess to the northern portion of the island.

As the project progressed, it became apparent that the 4064 Lands had been sold to a group of owners who had limitedinterest in reselling the property, and that they intended to realize a return on their investment through a program ofaggressive logging and subdivision. Because ecologically sound cutting rates consider both the current condition and thedesired future condition of forests under management, calculating an ecologically responsible cutting rate while the land inquestion was being rapidly clearcut was not a viable option. Without knowing which mature stands were still standing, thetask could not be completed.

As the project progressed, the community chose to change main goals of the project from:

specific mapping of forest resources and ecological limits on 4064 Lands to determine ecologically responsible timbermanagement landbase and timber yields, with overview illustrative mapping of ecological features on rest of island land;

TO

specific mapping of ecological features, ecological limits, place names, and hydrological features on entire island, withlimited utilization of timber management data collected for 4064 Lands.

The end result of these events was a high level of uncertainty, and of adaptation to changing circumstances, throughout theproject. At the time of writing, the expressed goal of the DFI and the Denman community is still to acquire the 4064 Lands asa community forest. The central concept of this document therefore remains an ecosystem-based, landscape level planfocused primarily on the 4064 Lands, but considering the broader Denman Island landscape ecosystem where appropriate.

While all of Silva's ecosystem-based projects have significant community input and guidance, we did not anticipate the levelof community input generated by the Denman project. Multiple revisions of most maps were carried out, often dealing withmatters other than ecological features and interpretations. Also, while the initial project proposal stated that the mapping of

Dan Stoneman

Dan Stoneman

Dan Stoneman

Dan Stoneman

Dan Stoneman

Dan Stoneman

Dan Stoneman



matters other than ecological features and interpretations. Also, while the initial project proposal stated that the mapping ofan ecosystem network outside of the 4064 Lands was to be for "illustration purposes", the project budget was increasinglyinvested in careful mapping of ecological and biophysical features outside of 4064 Lands to meet community wishes.

2. Geography and Ecology of Denman Island

This section of the report presents a brief overview of the understandings of forest and landscape ecology which Silva staffgained during our work on Denman Island. Matters pertaining to terrain and soils are highlighted, as these factors have greatimportance in the Silva Ecosystem Sensitivity to Disturbance Rating System, which in turn greatly impacts the determinationof ecologically responsible cutting rates.

Our goal on Denman was to gather information from field work, and from discussions with Denman Island residents, andthen to perform an ecosystem-based assessment and plan for the island. An off-island consultant cannot achieve a fullunderstanding of the landscape, community and ecology of Denman Island in the brief time we have worked on this project.The island is very complex, and there is an extraordinary amount of local knowledge about these matters in the community.We are aware that more research is required into topics such as historic and prehistoric human uses, geology, fire history,forest ecology, old growth and old forest mapping, soils mapping, groundwater hydrology, and fisheries habitat, to name afew. Island residents need to carry out this work, and to document the history of the island, not an off-island consultant.

2.1 Setting

Denman Island is a moderately sized (5,150 ha) island located in the north-central portion of the Strait of Georgia, close toVancouver Island. Denman is separated from Vancouver Island by Baynes Sound and is reached via a 2 km ferry trip acrossthe sound.

Mike Morrell of the DFI has observed:

All of Denman has been intensively logged in several passes through this century. In addition, there is widespreadevidence of fires over the same period and probably earlier. There are no old growth stands on the island, and notmany older than 100 years. In the last 20 years residential development has had an increasing impact on the Denmanlandscape. Most of the island that is not held in large parcels by forest companies consists of privately owned small-holdings, more than half of which already have residences on them. Crown land (parks and unoccupied) accounts forless than 5% of the Denman total.

Economic activity on Denman Island is a mixture of:

on-island activity centered on service industries, art, tourism, fisheries, and forestry,

the "commuter economy" of individuals who live on the island but are employed off-island in urban centers such asComox and Courtenay, and

seasonal residents of the island who earn their income elsewhere.

2.2 Landforms and Soils

The landforms and surficial geology of Denman have been formed by a complex interaction of bedrock geology, platetectonics, glaciation, rebound, and erosion. Denman appears to be a small plate fragment riding in the subduction zonebetween Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland.

Denman Island is relatively flat. The main bedrock landform on the island is a large plain of interbedded sedimentary rock.During periods of tectonic activity, the western edge of the island has risen, while the eastern edge has subsided, so the

sedimentary layers dip gently to the east. The bedrock rises smoothly from the eastern shore of the island to a ridge crest nearthe western edge of the island, then drops sharply in an eroded scarp to the western plain and shore.

Soils on Denman are derived from:

colluvial deposits . . . bedrock weathered in place or at the base of cliffs

glacial deposits . . . unsorted gravels deposited beneath glacial ice sheets

marine deposits . . . former ocean beaches and nearshore deposits



The sedimentary bedrock of Denman Island includes varieties of sandstone, siltstone, and conglomerate. Resistance toerosion and potential soil fertility vary widely between the various types of parent material. Sandstone is hard, resistant toweathering, and produces relatively infertile soils dominated by sand particles. Siltstone is softer and weathers easily toproduce rich, fine textured soils. The local conglomerates are highly variable in hardness, particle size, and resistance toweathering, and may produce infertile or fertile soils.

The permeability and resistance to root penetration of the sedimentary rocks also vary widely. The sandstone is impermeableto water and roots. Locations where sandstone is near the surface are often occupied by a fine grained mix of areas ofsensitive, shallow soils and small perched wetlands. Areas underlain by more permeable conglomerate and siltstone are betterdrained, and often have very deep soils. The siltstone in particular is easily weathered by soil water, and many tree roots maypenetrate 20 to 40 cm into fissures in the underlying bedrock. Conglomerate is again highly variable, depending on dominantparticle size and degree of cementation.

Extensive areas near the western scarp are underlain by hard, nutrient poor sandstone, which may lie within 10 cm of the soilsurface. The sandstone strata dip gently to the east, so the sandstone is within a few centimeters of the soil surface for asignificant distance, before being eventually replaced by softer, more easily weathered strata. Thus, areas of shallow, poorsoil over impermeable layers gradate into deeper, rich soils in an irregular banding pattern over the flatter areas of the island.Glaciation has had significant effects on Denman.

Denman Island is long and narrow, with the long axis aligned from the north-west to the south east. This parallels both thepath of glaciers through the Strait of Georgia, and the exposed edges of the tipped sedimentary strata. As a result, Denmanhas been scoured by the ice moving "with the grain," with an effect similar to that produced by wirebrushing exposed woodgrain. Areas of soft exposed bedrock have been scoured away by the moving ice, increasing the prominence and relief of theremaining harder, more resistant strata. The parallel valley structure is highlighted on the map of creeks and wetlands onDenman , and is duplicated at a finer scale in the microtopography of the island.

The weight of the glaciers in the last ice age depressed the Gulf Islands of B.C. Low lying islands such as Denman weresubmerged or nearly submerged. As a result, the former oceanic shoreline ran along areas which are now near the top ofridges. Marine beach deposits can be found on many upland areas, and very deep marine deposits, likely associated withglacial deposits, occupy the north end of the island.

The geologic history has produced a complex soil landscape, and a complex intermixture of stable and ecologically sensitiveareas. Several general classes exist:

.Deep marine deposits are found on low relief terrain with variable soil permeability and drainage patterns. Deep,rapidly drained sands are mixed with impermeable calcified sand or clay lenses, resulting in complex intermixtures ofwetlands and drier sites.

.Nearly level sedimentary strata rise from the east to the west to form the long gentle eastern side of Graham Ridge andDenman Ridge. The intermixture of hard resistant sandstone, easily weathered siltstone, and easily weathered butrelatively nutrient poor conglomerate, in conjunction with the striation effects of moving ice, have created verycomplex soil regimes.

.The steep western slopes moving down into the sea are a mixture of weathered in situ colluvium, accumulatedcolluvium weathered at the base of hills, and basal till deposits. The sedimentary rock weathers rapidly in both theexposed strata on the steep escarpment and where accumulated as colluvium. Weathering is especially rapid in valleybottoms, where accumulated colluvium is exposed to mild acid conditions from forest humus. Soils can be extremelydeep and rich in this area.

The soil landscape on Denman illustrates one of the most important concepts of landscape ecology: the chosen scale ofexamination tends to determine the results of examination. There are few uniform soils on the island, and average soil typesize viewed at a human scale is usually less than 50 m wide and about 150 m long. At a small scale, soils appear uniform. Atlarger scales, soils are highly variable, and often include both very poor and very rich growing sites. This complexity posesinteresting challenges for estimating site productivity in these forests. Site productivity is high in many areas, but may also bevery low in immediately adjacent wet depressions or areas of shallow soil within the same forest type.

The combination of striated terrain, deeply incised glacial valleys, and high growth potential create special difficulties forphoto interpretation of terrain features. The lush forest vegetation tends to obscure the ground over all but the largestopenings, and also tends to obscure relief. Douglas-fir trees on a dry ridge beside a small, steep-sided valley may grow only25 meters tall, while the trees in the valley bottom may grow 45 to 50 meters tall. Thus, up to 25 meters difference inelevation of vertical relief can be obscured by vegetation, and appear only as a shift in canopy density or a slight dip in theforest canopy. We compensate as much as possible for this effect with field checking of terrain, and careful inspection ofterrain features in manmade openings where the forest canopy does not obscure terrain features.



terrain features in manmade openings where the forest canopy does not obscure terrain features.

2.3 Climate and Ecotype

Denman Island lies within the northern end of the Coastal Douglas Fir biogeoclimatic zone, in the Georgia DepressionEcoregion.

This zone occupies the rain shadow in the lee of the Vancouver Island mountain ranges. The proximity of the oceanmoderates seasonal temperatures. The climate is dominated by warm, sunny summers and mild winters. Growing seasons arevery long, although summer drought may result in a summer dormant period.

2.4 Forests and Forestry

Forest vegetation on Denman Island is dominated by Douglas-fir, grand fir and western red cedar. Hemlock stands occur onthe northern portion of the island, and hemlock understories are common in many island forest types. Some of the most rapidtree growth in Canada can be achieved on better growing sites. Young 60- to 80-year-old stands may contain high volumes ofmerchantable, 18 to 24 inch diameter saw timber. Over several centuries, spectacular forests of large-diameter Douglas-fir,red cedar, and grand fir would develop.

The relationship between forests and fire in this dry, warm climate is a topic of debate. All or almost all of Denman and theother Gulf Islands have been logged and/or burned more than once since European settlement. This has largely obscurednatural records of pre-settlement disturbance regimes. It is not clear at this time whether this ecotype would have beendominated by frequent, low intensity fires which would have tended to maintain open, mixed forests and grasslands, whetherfires would have been less frequent and more intense, resulting in stand replacement disturbances, or whether a unique fireregime existed. This is an issue of more than academic interest, as the natural disturbance regime must be reasonably wellunderstood to practice ecologically responsible forestry in the long term. We were not able to answer this question within thescope of this project.

The Denman forest landscape is currently dominated by second growth Douglas-fir forests, which regenerated followinglogging and/or fire in the early part of this century. These forests now present excellent opportunities for ecologicallyresponsible forest management. Protected areas within the second growth forest will likely develop old growth forestcharacteristics within a century, due to the large current size and rapid growth rates. The potential for ecologicallyresponsible timber management within these stands is the highest in Canada. The timber management objective for areassuitable and available for timber cutting, should be to maintain fully functional forest ecosystems on all sites, throughmaintaining forest cover and through creation of old growth forest attributes under a partial cutting regime.

The shade tolerant hemlock understory present on the island may tend to replace Douglas-fir stands over time in a single treeselective logging regime, but this successional dynamic could be managed by varying the density of the remaining Douglas-fir canopy, and through commercial thinning of young hemlock from beneath the Douglas-fir canopy as required.

The forested land on Denman Island general contains some of the best timber growing and timber management sites inCanada. The combination of a landscape dominated by stable, near-level terrain and of moderate climate and long growingseason results in truly exceptional potential for ecologically responsible timber management. In no other region of BritishColumbia would economic returns be generated so quickly from investment in land, silviculture, and responsiblemanagement activities.

The photographs highlight the problems with conventional forestry as currently practiced in Denman Island.

Silva's most recent paper on responsible forestry, titled An Ecosystem-Based Approach To Forest Use: Definition andscientific rationale is included in Appendix 2 of this report.

Figure 1: Conventional Timber Management on Denman Island.



The stand level photo shows a typical job of current "selective logging" onDenman. Note how the leave trees are the small spindly members of the originalstand. Examples of the original stand are lying on the ground in the foreground ofthe photo. The leave trees have very limited live crown, usually between 10 and20%, which equates to limited photosynthetic ability and growth potential. Also,trees with small amounts of live crown generally have small root systems. Treeswhich have a small crown perched on top of a long thin stem are very susceptibleto snow damage in the winter. The crown collects heavy wet snow and the entirestem bends double, or nearly so, and/or breaks. While snow is not common onDenman, it does occur and trees do not recover from this damage. While leavingsome forest structure on a site is better than no forest structure whatsoever, anecologically responsible timber cutting operation would leave larger trees whichwould have increased chances of surviving the post-cutting environment, andwould likely contribute superior genetic material to future stands.

Figure 2: Loss of Structures from Conventional Timber Management on Denman Island.

This close-up shows the typical damage to residual coarsewoody debris and former old growth structures caused bylogging in second growth. These old stumps are from anearlier logging show in large timber. However, they wereproviding valuable rotten wood habitat for manyorganisms prior to being smashed by the top of this fallensecond growth Douglas-fir tree. Repeated passes oflogging in second growth which do not take into accountthe need to replenish the supplies of coarse woody debriswill result in degradation of the forest ecosystem.

3. Ecosystem-based Assessment Maps

The most important project deliverable from the Ecosystem-based Assessment of Denman Island is a set of digitallyproduced maps which show:

.Creeks and Wetlands

.Cadastral Information

.Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Ratings

.Proposed Protected Areas Network

.Reconnaissance Level Forest Cover Typing of 4064 Lands

The map sets were produced using PAMAP GIS, a raster-based GIS which also manipulates and presents vectorinformation. A 5 meter raster size was used for the project, meaning that the island was represented and analyzed usinga grid of 5 meter by 5 meter squares.



The map set was produced using a variety of information sources, including:

purchased stock digital data

scanned digital data

existing printed maps

photo-interpreted information transferred to paper base maps and digitized

information from community members transferred to paper base maps and digitized

The following sections of the report describe the data source(s) and method used to create each map of the set, andexplain the philosophy and science behind the maps developed specifically for this project.

3.1 Creeks and Wetlands

The creeks and wetlands map was the first map created for the Denman Island Ecosystem-based plan, and served as thebase map for all other maps for this project. The creeks layer was used to create a riparian ecosystem network in theEcological Sensitivity to Disturbance map and the proposed Protected Areas Network map. The wetlands informationwas also utilized to identify sensitive wetlands areas on these two maps.

Figure 3: Map of Creeks and Wetlands on Denman Island. (Not available electronically)

Note: Maps of Denman Island are included at fig 6 and fig 11 of this Report

The wetlands on Denman Island include natural wetlands and ditched wetlands. Ditched wetlands have been modified(drained) for agricultural purposes, and these areas have been themed separately on the creeks and wetlands map. Theditched wetlands include: the wetland at Komas Ranch, The Swale, and the large wetland southwest of the Pickleswetland complex. The ditched wetlands did not receive a riparian buffer on the Ecological Sensitivity map and theproposed Protected Areas Network map.

The Madigan wetland was altered for agricultural uses, but time, neglect, and natural succession have started to make amore "natural" wetland in this area. Since the Madigan is not currently being used for agricultural purposes, it isclassified as a natural wetland on the creeks and wetlands map, and receives a riparian buffer on the EcologicalSensitivity map and the proposed Protected Areas Network map.

Small wetlands and watercourses (especially seasonal creeks) have not been mapped completely for the Denman IslandEcosystem-Based Plan. Mapping small wetlands and seasonal creeks was beyond the scope of this project and the finalmap scale. The Denman Conservancy Association is engaged in an ongoing mapping project that shows wetlands andcreeks, especially seasonal creeks, in more detail than has been possible for this project. People interested in more

detail about creeks and wetlands on Denman Island are referred to the Denman Conservancy Association.

3.2 Cadastral

Three sources of cadastral data have been combined to make the final cadastral map for Denman Island:

.Crown Land Registry Service data

.AutoCAD "drawing interchange" file format (DXF) data from Jim Mathews on Denman Island

.DCA coastline data

Figure 4: Map of Cadastral Information for Denman Island. (Not available electronically)

Table 1: Area of Land ownership Classes on Denman Island

Description Area (ha) Percent of Total AreaClass "A" Provincial Parks 187.1 3.6%Other Protected Areas 33.9 0.7%



Other Protected Areas 33.9 0.7%Unoccupied Crown Lands 214.9 4.2%4064 Investments' Holdings 1,756.1 34.1%Other Private Land 2,958.4 57.4%

Total: 5,150.4 100.0%

Figure 5: Graph of Land Ownership Classes on Denman Island.

3.3 EcologicalSensitivity toDisturbance

The shape of theterrain, the slopegradient, the soildepth, the soiltexture, the amountof moistureavailable, and localclimatic conditionsare key factors indefining theecological limits tohuman use of forestecosystems.Technologicallyequipped, industrialresource exploitationvirtually knows nolimits.

Modern industrialtimber extractionseeks to mitigateecological limits byapplication ofdifferent technologyon more sensitive sites and/or slower removal of timber from more sensitive ecosystems. This approach is rooted inshort-term economics, where the value of current returns exceeds the value of long-term productivity. Loggingsensitive sites often results in impacts which exceed the capacity of an ecosystem to absorb disturbance withoutsubstantial ecological change, that is, the impacts of the disturbance exceed the ecological limits.



Disturbance and change are required in ecosystems, but disturbances which exceed ecological limits result in change tothe ecosystem, not fluctuations within ecosystem limits. Disturbances which exceed natural limits result in sitedegradation such as soil erosion and landslides. These events result in long-term ecological change, negatively impactthe logging site, damage downstream water supplies, and cause population losses in wildlife populations whichdepended upon the resources of the undisturbed area to meet a portion of their needs.

Ecosystem-based planning and activities require that ecological limits be respected, and that human uses be designed toprevent (as opposed to mitigate) damage to ecosystem functioning. Thus, identifying ecological limits is the startingpoint for the development of ecosystem-based plans.

Our landscape analysis and planning methodology is based upon the principle that economies are subsets of humancultures or societies, which are subsets of ecosystems. In other words, human societies and their economies are

dependent upon the natural diversity and integrity of the ecosystems they are part of. The primary objective of anecosystem-based plan must be to maintain fully functioning ecosystems at all scales through time in the landscapebeing planned. To a large extent, this is achieved by respecting ecological limits through identifying and protectingecologically sensitive areas.

3.3.1 Delineating Ecologically Sensitive Areas

Silva uses an Ecosystem Sensitivity To Disturbance (ESD) rating system to estimate the sensitivity of parts of thelandscape to human uses. Map and air photo interpretation, coupled with field assessments, are used to determine thecharacteristics of the landscape through this rating system, which has been developed and refined by the Silva staffover the past 15 years. Further information on the Silva ESD Ratings system is contained in Appendix 1.

The ecological sensitivity to disturbance rating or classification system is based upon ecological limits as described bya group of physical factors which are:

slope gradientslope shape or complexitysoil depth to a water impermeable layersite moisture conditions

Various combinations of these factors result in high or extreme ecological sensitivity to disturbance ratings. Timbermanagement, road construction, mining, and other activities that require extensive modification of ecosystems areexcluded from all but the stable and moderately stable areas.

Sites which generally are rated with "high" or "extreme" sensitivity include:

Riparian ecosystemsSteep terrain (slopes greater than 60%)WetlandsComplex terrainAreas of shallow soilDry sites, such as ridge tops and deep gravel soils

In Silva's opinion, the ecological limits indicated by high and extreme ecosystem sensitivity to disturbance ratings aresuch that unacceptable losses of ecosystem functioning will result if timber management, road construction, miningactivities, and other consumptive resource extraction occur in these ecosystem types. Mitigation measures and high-quality conscientious operations cannot overcome or obviate the ecological limits. This assessment is based on theprinciple that prevention of ecosystem degradation must be placed ahead of mitigation of ecological limits. Indeed,"mitigation" of ecological limits is seldom, if ever, successful in maintaining ecosystem functioning, particularly in thelong term.

Ecologically responsible timber management, road construction, mining, and other consumptive resource extractionactivities are permitted within moderate and low ecosystem sensitivity to disturbance (ESD) ratings. Such activities canalso be carried out in low and moderate ESD inclusions located within larger high and extreme ESD rating areas.

3.3.2 ESD Mapping

The ESD data layer was derived through a combination of air photo interpretation, field reconnaissance, existinginformation, and GIS modeling. Polygons of land with similar ESD status were delineated on air photos, field verified,



information, and GIS modeling. Polygons of land with similar ESD status were delineated on air photos, field verified,and then imported into the GIS. Wetlands and streams were mapped using existing information provided by DIRA.Community information was also used to identify sand spits and foreshore cliffs.

The riparian ecosystems were modeled by creating a variable width buffer around water features in the GIS, which wasthen added to the digitized ESD layer. Figure shows a map of the final results of this process. Table summarizes theareas of the stratifications shown in Figure , and Figure presents a chart of the stratifications.

Figure 6: Map of Silva Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Classes on Denman Island

Top part of Denman Island



Bottom part of Denman Island



Table 2: Area of Silva Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Classes

Description Area (ha) Percent of Total AreaEcologically Sensitive Natural Features

Lakes 35.5 0.7%Wetlands 191.3 3.7%Rocky Islands 1.4 0.0%Sand Dune or Sand Spit 39.3 0.8%

Mapped Ecologically Sensitive AreasRiperian Ecosystems 682.4 13.2%Steep Terrain and/or Shallow Soils 256.9 5.0%Landbase Potentially suitable for developmentModerately Stable Terrain 155.7 3.0%Stable Terrain 3,788.0 73.5%

Total: 5,150.4 100.0%

Figure 7: Graph ofEcological Sensitivityto DisturbanceClasses on DenmanIsland

Denman Island is, aspreviously noted,largely flat withsubdued terrain. Atthe landscape scale,the main ecologicallysensitive featuresidentified were:

steep terrain / shallowsoils on the GrahamRidge and DenmanRidge on the westside of island;

steep terrain onKomass Bluffs;

riparian ecosystemsand wetlands in long,linear patterns whichrun the length of the



run the length of theisland;

two areas of Moderately Stable terrain: fine grained matrixes of forested wetlands and drier, stable ground;

the coastal belt, which is a mixture of ecologically sensitive features: ocean shore riparian zones, intertidal flats,and rock and sediment cliffs.

Silva ESD ratings are based on combinations of soil depth, slope, soil moisture, and terrain complexity. We used stereopairs of 1:15,000 color air photos and 1:20,000 topographic maps to initially delineate sensitive areas. These large-scale photographs provide a high degree of resolution, enabling the interpreter to see fine details, but they also suppressthe presentation of relief. This makes identification of steep terrain difficult. However, on Denman, most ecologicallysensitive areas are wetlands, forested wetlands and riparian zones, so this was not a severe problem. The only areaswith large areas of steep slopes are the central ridges and Komass Bluffs, which can be delineated on the air photos.

A reconnaissance level field check of the photo-interpreted terrain sensitivity was carried out over 6 days in July 1997.Field checking was limited to the 4064 Lands, per the project proposal and general agreement. The field crew walkedthrough the 4064 Lands using the air photos to navigate between identifiable points (wetlands, openings, roads,coastline, creeks), assessing terrain and noting forest cover types for inventory mapping. Information gained during thefield assessments was used to revise and improve the initial ESD mapping and interpretations. The areas of forestedwetlands and of central island ridges were increased following field assessments.

The following ESD classes were identified on Denman Island:

ES 1 - Large Riparian Ecosystems and ES 7 - Wetlands. These ecotypes are located in valley bottom areas, nearlakes, or in forested areas which contain many small perched wetlands. As computer-generated buffers wereadded around all mapped wetlands and streams in later steps, photo-identified riparian ecosystems were onlydelineated where the Silva staff believed that the computer-generated buffers would be inadequate.

Figure 8: A typical Riparian Ecosystem on Denman Island.

The picture shows the central reach of BeadnellCreek. This area is typical of the slow flowingstreams on the low relief sedimentary rock plain ofDenman Island. The diversity of habitats in theriparian zone is highlighted, as is the diversity ofaquatic habitats in the streams. Riffle and poolhabitats are shown in the picture.

ES 2 - Steep Terrain. ES 2 terrain includes all areas with slopes greater than 60% gradient. Steep slopes areunstable and prone to landslides and other forms of erosion, especially after logging and road construction. Steepsites can be economically logged with modern equipment, but we believe that they are too ecologically sensitiveto be sustainable timber management sites. Steep slopes are not common in the relatively subdued terrain onDenman Island. Many steep slopes which we encountered in our field work were short, and could not be mappedat the scale used in this analysis. Such slopes would be identified and protected at later operational planning

stages.

ES 5 - Areas of Shallow Soil. ES 5 sites have soil less than 50 cm deep over bedrock or other impermeablesubstrate. While soil depth cannot be measured on air photos, signs such as open, patchy forests, patches ofexposed rock in the forest canopy, and complex rocky terrain all indicate areas which likely have shallow soil.Most shallow soil areas on Denman are associated with steep slopes on the central ridges. Many small areas ofshallow soil over impermeable soil lenses or sandstone bedrock lenses can be found on the island. These smallareas could not be mapped at the scale used in this analysis, but would be identified and protected at lateroperational planning stages.

MS - Moderately Stable Terrain. Moderately Stable sites are "in between" Ecologically Sensitive terrain andStable terrain. On Denman, MS terrain was identified in several locations occupied by a fine grained mixture of



forested wetlands and drier uplands, which could not be differentiated at the mapping scale used in the analysis.We would include 50% of the forested area on the MS terrain in potential timber management landbase whencalculating an ecologically responsible cutting rate.

S - Stable Terrain. Stable sites are areas with moderate slopes, deep well-drained soils, and even terrain. Weincluded 100% of the forested area of S terrain in the potential timber management landbase. Substantial areas ofStable terrain will be protected in later steps in planning processes to create a Protected Areas Network, and tomeet other land use needs.

Figure 9: A typical Forested Wetland.

This small wetland is located in shallow depressionon flat terrain. We believe this area is underlain byimpermeable sandstone. Water collects in thedepression, producing a wetland. Coniferous treesgrowing on a drier site are visible in thebackground. Small wetlands like these are scatteredthroughout many of the forested areas on DenmanIsland, especially those which occur on flat ornearly flat terrain. These areas provide significantenhancement of biodiversity within the secondgrowth forests which dominate Denman, and aresmall, ecologically sensitive areas which must beavoided during any timber harvest operations.Locations that contain many of these smallwetlands are classed as Moderately Stable, or Ecologically Sensitive, depending on the wetland density.

3.4 Old Growth Forest

Old forests and old forest structures within second growth forests are an important part of a protected landscapenetwork. The project proposal states that "The assessment will include identification and GIS mapping of... location ofany remaining old growth forest...". This requirement was only partially met. Two large old growth areas wereidentified, but due to time and budget limitations, we were not able to fully map the scattered, small areas ofecologically significant old forest remnants on Denman.

The two significant areas of old growth, or near old growth, forest were identified in the area east of the Madigan. Oneis a hemlock and cedar forest on steep rocky terrain; the other is a Douglas-fir forest on an elevated rocky plateau.These areas were included in the Proposed Protected Areas Network, discussed in Section 3.5.

Many other ecologically significant "old growth" patches are scattered about Denman Island. These include old forestsin cedar swamps and forested wetlands, scattered groups of old trees, remnant patches of old forest on inaccessible orunproductive terrain, and forests within existing protected areas. The size of the remnant old growth patches variesfrom several trees to substantial acreage.

In a landscape dominated by second growth forests, all old growth areas and trees are ecologically significant. Manyspecies which can exist in second growth forests require large standing trees, snags, or fallen trees for seasonal orperiodic habitat. As long as these features are available, they can exist in younger forest habitat. Therefore, mappingthe location of all existing old growth resources, and developing a plan to replenish old growth resources, is a requiredcomponent of ecologically responsible forest management on Denman Island.

Figure 10: Large rotting log in a typical second growth Douglas-fir forest.

This site is east of the Railway Grade Trail on thenorthern portion of the 4064 Lands. The Douglas-firforest regenerated following the last disturbance,which was likely clearcut logging and possiblyburning, about 70 years ago. A hemlock understoryis now forming beneath the Douglas-firs. The largelog which dominates the foreground emphasizes thedifference in size between the current second growth



difference in size between the current second growthforest and the original large-diameter fir forestwhich occupied this site prior to Europeansettlement. Living or dead, the large-diameter treescontribute a completely different structure toecological processes than the small second growthfir. The large logs last much longer and, as is wellillustrated here, become immense piles of moist, rotten, red wood which support unique ecological functions.Only by growing trees of this size can we hope to replace this critical ecological structure in the future.Obviously, it will take several hundred years to achieve living trees of this size, and several hundred more yearsto achieve rotten logs of this condition and dimension.

Some, but not all, of the smaller old forest areas which fall within the 4046 Lands were identified on the forest covermap prepared for the timber inventory portion of the project. However, as discussed in Section 4, our goal in the forestcover typing work was to identify broad, general forest types suited to the main project goal of preparing a feasibilitystudy on purchase of the 4064 Lands by the community, not to develop an operational level, ecoforestry type map.While some older stands are identified, usually in conjunction with wetlands, our forest cover type map does notreliably and uniformly identify ecologically significant old forests. We therefore did not utilize our forest cover typinginformation to identify remnant old forests in the 4064 Lands.

Further interpretation and mapping work should be carried out in Denman forests to completely identify ecologicallysignificant old forest structures and resources.

3.5 Proposed Protected Areas Network

The Protected Areas Network (PAN) combines the biophysical features and assessments shown on the EcologicalSensitivity to Disturbance map with proposed land management decisions to form a network of protected areas whichextends across Denman Island. The purposes of the PAN are:

.to protect ecologically sensitive sites,

.to protect important "biodiversity hotspots" such as wetlands, riparian ecosystems and old forests,

.to protect unique habitat areas,

.to maintain undisturbed, representative natural areas within common habitat types,

.to develop additional old forest habitat throughout the landscape, and

.to maintain connections across the island at the landscape level.

The proposed PAN map is shown in Figure . Table quantifies the areas in the various PAN stratifications, and Figureillustrates this breakdown graphically.

Figure 11: Map of Proposed Protected Areas Network on Denman Island.



North Part of DenmanIsland

South Part of DenmanIsland



Table 3: Area of Land within Proposed Protected Areas Network Strata on Denman Island

Description Area(ha)

Percent of TotalArea

Ecologically Sensitive Natural FeaturesLakes 35.5 0.7%Wetlands 191.3 3.7%Rocky Islands 1.4 0.0%Sand Dune or Sand Spit 39.3 0.8%

Mapped Ecologically Sensitive AreasRiperian Ecosystems 682.4 13.2%Steep Terrain and/or Shallow Soils 256.9 5.0%

Proposed Protected Areas Network on Stable and Moderately Stable Terrain 531.1 10.3%Landbase Potentially Suitable for Development on Stable and Moderately

Stable Terrain 3,412.5 66.3%



Stable TerrainTotal: 5,150.4 100.0%

Figure 12: Graph of Proposed Protected Areas Network Strata on Denman Island

The scope and natureof the proposed PANwas set in the projectproposal for theEcosystem-basedAssessment, whichstates:

The LAPG hasrequested anecologicalassessment ofthe entireisland, with afocus on landscurrentlyowned byHancockTimberResourceGroup. TheDenmanForestryInitiative'sproject goal isto identifyareas that willform abiodiversity network in order to maintain ecosystem functioning throughout the island....

... The assessment will include identification and GIS mapping of areas that are ecologically sensitive, locationof any remaining old growth forest, riparian ecosystems, connecting land corridors throughout the landscape,and biodiversity reserves. These elements will form a biodiversity network where human activities such aslogging will normally be limited or excluded. Inclusion of private property outside of HTRG lands in thebiodiversity network will be for illustration purposes only....



While our focus was to be on the Hancock/4064 Lands, we were logically required to consider landscapes and linkagesoutside of the 4064 Lands in developing a proposed PAN. The 4064 Lands are large parcels scattered about Denman,and linkages between proposed protected areas in different parcels of the 4064 Lands, and between the 4064 Lands andexisting protected areas, had to be considered. Thus, the proposed PAN contains some areas of privately owned landoutside of the 4064 Lands, and strongly recommends that the remaining unoccupied Crown lands on Denman beincluded as components of a protected landscape network.

In our opinion, inclusion of private holdings other than the 4064 Lands in a final PAN should be voluntary. Inclusionin the PAN would not necessarily require complete ecological protection of private properties, but would require themaintenance of sufficient forest cover to allow movement of various biota through the area. We do not know if the

owners of the parcels included in this proposed PAN are amenable to participating in this program. If not, alternativelocations with less desirable levels of connectivity would have to be identified. The distribution of the land within theproposed PAN by ownership status is discussed in Section 3.5.4.

3.5.1 Why is a PAN Required?

Forest landscapes and other natural landscapes contain a full array of ecosystem types, and have successional patternsthat are tied to natural disturbance regimes. Such natural landscapes are fully occupied by plants and animals, andsupport natural flows of water, nutrients, and energy. Extensive modification of these landscapes results in degradation,loss of ecological integrity, and, if human perturbations are persistent, in ecological collapse. Scientists and plannersnow recognize the need to maintain, protect, and, where necessary, restore a framework of ecosystems throughout thelandscape to ensure connectivity and ecosystem functioning at all scales. This "framework" must be an interconnectedweb within which natural ecosystem functioning remains intact and undisturbed by all but the softest of humaninterventions.

It is hoped that such protected areas networks will ensure the short- and long-term health and ecological functioning offorest landscapes at all scales. Protected networks are thus necessary not only for ecological health, but also for thelong-term survival of healthy human societies and economies.

The actual contents of any PAN are greatly influenced by local ecology, topography, and geography. All ecologicallysensitive terrain and riparian ecosystems are by default part of the PAN: they are sensitive for biophysical reasons,their location is fixed, and they are protected. Connecting corridors and protected areas on stable terrain are identifiedas a management exercise. These features are located partially in response to biophysical features (linkage to sensitiveterrain, linkage to important ecological resource patches, utilization of rational travel routes) and partly in response tohuman geography (avoidance of settled areas, avoidance of private property, reduction of resource use conflicts).Ecological factors take precedence, but human factors are not ignored.

A protected areas network is maintained as a permanent, undisturbed network of ecosystems, and provides the basicframework for landscape level functioning through time. A protected areas network should connect small and largeprotected areas to ensure ecological integrity of the landscape through time. For example, the proposed Denman PANconnects the narrow ridges, wetlands, and corridors of the PAN to the more substantial protected areas of Boyle PointPark and the Pickles wetland protected areas.

A protected areas network is a permanent feature in terms of human time frames. It is theoretically possible to movecomponents of the protected landscape network over long time periods (i.e. 250+ years), and such realignments will berequired after natural disturbance in some cases. For example, a part of a cross island corridor and a timber zone couldtrade places, provided that the timber zone had developed ecosystem composition and structure similar to those in thecross island corridor to be "replaced". In the real world, this type of switch would likely prove to be unusual, butperhaps required in less than optimal conditions following a stand replacement fire or other significant naturaldisturbance in the corridor.

After defining the protected landscape network, human use zones are usually designated for the areas outside of thePAN. Human use zones designate a priority use that dictates the terms of other human uses within a particular zone.However, more than one use is frequently encouraged within human use zones. Consumptive human uses, like timberand mining, are generally limited to the stable and moderately stable areas and are generally assumed to be a "soleuse". However, human use zones were not designated by Silva for Denman Island because local land use planning isalready in place.

Some human uses may also be expected to occur in selected areas within the PAN. For example, hiking trails, built andused to ecologically responsible standards, may be designated in various portions of the protected landscape network.Continued use of Provincial Parks is expected. Responsible wildcrafting may also occur. However, generally speaking,human activities are discouraged from components of the protected areas network.



human activities are discouraged from components of the protected areas network.

If long-term studies (i.e. 150+ years of observations) demonstrate that some portions of the protected areas networksare surplus in their ecological roles, limited timber extraction and other human activities may be able to occur toecologically responsible standards within some portions of the protected landscape network. However, for all intentsand purposes, protected landscape networks are permanent fixtures, in human time scales, within the forest landscape.Hopefully, together with large protected reserves and the maintenance of ecological integrity in areas modified byhuman activities such as timber management, protected landscape networks will ensure the maintenance through timeof forest landscapes that are able to withstand the spectrum of natural disturbances.

3.5.2 Cross Island Linkages

Connecting corridors, or cross island linkages, form an important part of the PAN. These corridors have severalpurposes:

.to provide movement paths for plants and animals which wish or need to migrate across the island;

.to (eventually) provide linear, connected areas of old forest habitat in readily accessible locations which extendthroughout the island landscape; and

.to link specific ecological features, or ecological resources, with undisturbed forest habitat.

The cross island corridors in the Denman Island PAN were identified in a meeting with Jennie Balke, Chris Pileou, andMike Morrell from Denman Island and Tom Bradley from Silva. The rationale for each corridor, as we understand it, isrecorded in Section 3.5.3 of this report.

Questions are often raised about the concept of corridors or corridor design. We are often asked why we havedelineated corridors through areas which "the deer don't walk through," or other similar observations. We do notdispute these observations based upon local knowledge. However, corridor networks are not based upon the habitatneeds of a specific wildlife or game species, but are rather an attempt to preserve ecological connections throughout thelandscape. Putting corridors "where the deer walk" is usually a good thing, but placing corridors "where the deer don'twalk" is not necessarily a bad thing.

Corridors would be unnecessary if human forest use practices did not cause severe ecological impacts. No other speciesroutinely removes many or all of the forest trees from large areas, while tearing up the ground and re-arranging thecreeks. In a natural landscape without human disturbances, animals and plants can move through a variety of seralstages and old growth phases of forest ecosystems. However, typical human disturbances break natural movementcorridors and create systematic patterns of disturbed areas on the landscape which do not mimic or reflect naturaldisturbance patterns. Because of the impacts of human use, even of wholistic timber management, we believe it isrequired to maintain an network of corridors or linkages throughout any landscape where human disturbances are notpermitted.

Corridors, or landscape linkages, are not a perfect solution to the problem of human disturbance. Ecologists andscientists are engaged in an ongoing debate about the effectiveness of corridors, and the possible negative impacts ofdesigning corridors in the landscape. A review of the likely benefits and negative impacts of corridors is provided inAppendix 3. In brief, ecologists fear that corridors may increase predation or lure animals into less than suitable habitatresulting in population decline, not population maintenance. However, there is solid support for corridors on the basisthat they are the best option available, barring complete landscape protection.

There is also consensus that managing the landscape to provide resources for biodiversity on all portions of the land(the matrix) is greatly preferable to severely impacting some areas and relying on a corridor system to maintain plantand animal population. Ecologically responsible forest use seeks to achieve this goal by ensuring that forest structureand function remains intact on all areas, regardless of human use. However, even activities believed to be ecologicallyresponsible may result in unanticipated ecological damage. We believe a corridor system is required in order to providean insurance policy, or a refuge and movement system, for organisms that require resources not found in wholistictimber management zones, riparian zones, or protected ecologically sensitive terrain.

Corridors are located so as to take advantage of natural features such as:

old growth forest patches,passes between hills or mountain ranges,wetland ecosystems,riparian ecosystems, and



undisturbed areas of the landscape.

While corridors are not specifically designed to mimic large animal movement routes, they are designed to avoidbarriers to movement, and to link existing protected areas within the landscape. It is very important that animals andother organisms have an undisturbed movement corridor to access large protected areas.

The linkages delineated on Denman Island are generally 150 to 300 m wide. In some special locations, the corridorsswell to over 800 m in order to encompass and protect an ecological feature such as a wetland complex, or to provide aprotected node on unoccupied crown land. Corridors take in a mix of stable and ecologically sensitive terrain. The"grain" of Denman Island is evident on the proposed PAN map in Figure . The conjunction of glacial movement andbedrock morphology has resulted in the prominent northwest to southeast linearity of all features on the island. This isplainly shown in the corridor linkages which follow the path of the ice, and in the long, linear wetlands and ridgeswhich do likewise.

3.5.3 Process Used to Identify Denman Island PAN

The initial proposed protected areas network on Denman Island was identified in a meeting with Jennie Balke, ChrisPileou, and Mike Morrell from Denman Island and Tom Bradley from Silva in July 1997. The draft PAN was sketchedon a copy of the Denman Island Surface Waters map at that meeting.

Protected areas network planning at the landscape level is an inexact science. Further study or local knowledge mayindicate that some corridors should be shifted from their proposed location to other nearby locations which have agreater habitat value. This is not unexpected and is part of the process of improving this initial plan to meet the finalrequirements of the Denman community.

The rationale for including each of the following areas in the proposed PAN, as we understand it, is recorded below.These notes were made on the day following the meeting at which the first draft of the PAN was designed by Denmanresidents and Silva staff. The notes discuss areas of stable or moderately stable terrain which were included in theproposed PAN, not ecologically sensitive areas, as ecologically sensitive areas should be protected regardless of PANstatus. The stable areas are generally added to mapped ecologically sensitive areas to increase the protected area sizeand diversity. The stable and moderately stable areas are colored yellow on the PAN map in Figure .

Railway Grade Trail and Railway Marsh . . . This is an important combination of aquatic habitats and wetlandswithin a narrow steep sided valley. The wetland complex extending south-eastward from Railway Marsh contains avariety of ecological significant bog types which are not common on the island. As well, this protected area forms awide corridor moving from the north end of the island to The Swale and Chickadee Lake areas.

The area is accessed by a well used walking trail which extends along the historical logging railway grade through thearea.

This link in the PAN is a critical component of a long corridor which runs from Fillongley Park, up Beadnell Creek,through The Swale, Eagle Marsh and Railway Marsh, and back to the ocean at Komass Ranch.

The enhanced node between Railway Marsh and Eagle Marsh is included to encompass additional recreational trailareas and to add a significant area of high quality forest habitat to the protected area.

Figure 13: The Railway Grade Trail.

This location is near the south end of the trail, in a typical Denmansecond growth Douglas-fir forest. While the forest is somewhat uniformand has limited biological diversity in the lower canopy layers, it is still avery beautiful and attractive place for recreational activity. The entirelength of the old Railway Grade Trail should be protected by a suitablebuffer which will be managed for maintenance of visual attributes andrecreational potential. In our view, this would not necessarily meancutting no trees in the trail management corridor. However, any and alltree cutting would be subordinate to maintaining an intact forest canopyand aesthetically pleasing conditions.



Chickadee Lake . . . The Chickadee Lake wetlands and Chickadee Lake are ecologically significant features. The lakeis a high recreational use area. The east side of the lake lies within a narrow extension of the 4064 Lands. The entire1/8th section of the 4064 Lands should be protected in order to maintain the shoreline ecology of Chickadee Lake, toprovide a buffer around the wetlands, and to provide continued recreational area for the community. The large squaresouth of Chickadee Lake is an unoccupied Crown lot, owned by the provincial government. Protecting this lot wouldprovide a substantial protected area, and would provide links between Chickadee Lake, Denman Ridge, and Pickleswetland.We propose this lot, and four other Crown lots in other locations, for inclusion in the proposed PAN. There is verylittle Crown land on Denman, and the existing 5 Crown lots are the best opportunity for the provincial government tomake a meaningful contribution to maintaining ecosystem health and community amenities. Subdividing and sellingthe lots would increase the pressure on the Denman ecosystem through habitat loss and increased population density;adding these areas to the proposed protected PAN would greatly help to maintain healthy forest ecosystems andwildlife habitat.

The Swale Ridge . . . This long tongue of higher land juts up into The Swale from the south. This low forested ridgeforms a peninsula of terrestrial habitat, surrounded on all sides by wetlands. The ridge also borders Beadnell Creek formost of its length. Growing sites in the area are good, and current forest cover is a 60-70 year old uniform Douglas-firstand. The large trees in this stand will begin to express old growth forest features within the next century. This sitewas selected in order to protect some high quality forest land. It is also an important associate of the wetland andriparian zone habitats in the area.

This link in the proposed PAN is a critical component of a long corridor which runs from Fillongley Park, up BeadnellCreek, through The Swale, Eagle Marsh, and Railway Marsh, and back to the ocean at Komass Ranch.

Beadnell Creek wetlands and riparian zone . . . This protected block occupies the southern-most portion of the largenorthern 4064 Lands block. Beadnell Creek cuts through the very southern corner of this parcel, which is dominated bylevel terrain on the extensive marine sands deposits in the area. At this point, Beadnell Creek flows through a widevalley with unstable clay sides. Near the valley, the marine deposits are well-drained, and extremely rich forest sitesoccupied by very large young Douglas-fir are found. Moving away from the creek valley, poor drainage on the flatmarine deposits results in a complex interplay of forests, perched wetlands, and open fens. An extensive forest type inthe heart of this 1/8th section was classed as moderately stable due to wetland inclusions. While very ecologically rich,and containing some excellent growing sites, this area is a challenge for timber management and is well-suited forprotection in order to:

increase the area of high quality protected forest habitat

provide a protected node on the Beadnell Creek riparian zone

protect a large forested wetland complex


Fillongley Park . . . This Provincial Park occupies 26.5 hectares at the mouth of Beadnell Creek. The park containsecologically significant large trees and old growth forest structures, as well as being a high intensity recreational usearea. The Beadnell Creek estuary—a long, brackish marsh—extends across the ocean foreshore in the park area. Thisprovincial park forms an important component of the protected landscape network on Denman.


The Pickles Wetland complex . . . The proposed PAN swells considerable in the neighborhood of Pickles to protectforested habitat adjacent to this very significant wetland area.

The land ownership around Pickles is complex. The wetland itself is largely surrounded by Crown preserve area. The



The land ownership around Pickles is complex. The wetland itself is largely surrounded by Crown preserve area. The

Denman Island Conservancy owns two parcels which border the wetland outside of the Crown reserve. 4064 Ltd. ownsthe quarter section which borders the entire northern half of Pickles wetland. Unoccupied Crown land fills the spacebetween Chickadee Lake and Pickles, and a second block of unoccupied Crown land connects Pickles and The Swale.We propose a wide protected corridor extending from Chickadee Lake down to and encompassing the Pickles wetland,thence eastward to The Swale. The corridor would use portions of all of the above-mentioned land ownerships.

We propose the two Crown lots bordering Pickles, and three other Crown lots in other locations, for inclusion in theproposed PAN. There is very little Crown land on Denman, and the existing five Crown lots are the best opportunityfor the provincial government to make a meaningful contribution to maintaining ecosystem health and communityamenities. Subdividing and selling the lots would increase the pressure on the Denman ecosystem through habitat lossand increased population density; adding these areas to the proposed protected PAN would greatly help to maintainhealthy forest ecosystems and wildlife habitat.

Figure 14: Pickles Marsh.

This area is currently protected through acombination of Department of Fisheries andOceans reserve, and the Inner Island NatureReserve. Pickles is another example of the linearwetland and valley features which occupy theglacially scoured valleys on Denman Island.Pickles contains some open water, and is a veryecologically important sedge grass and wetlandcomplex.

Graveyard Marsh . . . Graveyard Marsh is a long, narrow wetland in the center of Denman Island. A proposedcorridor links the Pickles wetlands with the Madigan complex through Graveyard Marsh. Land ownership along theproposed Graveyard Marsh corridor is varied. Most is in private hands. Hopefully, an arrangement in support ofconservation can be reached with the landowners in question.

The Madigan Old Forests . . . 4064 owns a substantial parcel of land surrounding the Madigan Marsh. Much of thisland is occupied by Douglas-fir forests and much of it is being actively logged at this time. However, the area east ofthe Madigan Marsh contains two stands of very ecologically significant, near-old growth forests. These stands consistof an area of Douglas-fir on a level rock plateau on the northeast corner of the property, and an area of cedar/hemlockon a steep hillside on the southeast corner of the property. A narrow valley currently occupied by a beaver pond andextensive wetlands lies between these two forest types. Both of these older forests should be completely protected.They contain large trees and are showing evidence of the type of old growth structures which are rare in the currentDenman forests. These include large open crowns, diverse forest canopies, large stems with loose bark, and/or cavitynesting sites. The area of younger Douglas-fir forests between the two older forest areas should also be protected toform a cohesive forest unit which includes the beaver wetland in the valley bottom.

The old forest areas, and the ecologically sensitive areas around the Madigan, form a substantial protected area. Thisproposed core area is enhanced by extending the protected area to Graham Lake, and by adding a linkage from theMadigan to the Denman Ridge ecologically sensitive area.

Graham Ridge / Deep Swamp property . . . The western half of this 4064 quarter section is proposed for completeprotection. Much of the area is ecologically sensitive due to steep slopes, shallow soils, or wetland areas, but a belt ofhigh quality timber growing land is located between the ridge toe and Deep Swamp in the valley bottom. Thisproposed protected area contains a diverse mix of terrain types and a steep elevational gradient from the ridge crest tothe lowlands. The diverse terrain results in a wide range of forested ecotypes within a small area, including cedarforest, Douglas-fir forest, maple forest and arbutus forest. The diversity of important and threatened habitats makes thisarea a high priority for protection.

Lindsay Dickson Property . . . The Lindsay Dickson property is a 56 ha piece of private land which the Denmancommunity has been endeavoring to purchase and protect for a number of years. We did not visit the property, but weunderstand that it is occupied by an older second growth forest, well on its way to developing old growth attributes.The Lindsay-Dickson property is close to the McFarlane Marsh and Graham Lake, and would enhance the proposed



The Lindsay-Dickson property is close to the McFarlane Marsh and Graham Lake, and would enhance the proposedprotected areas in the vicinity by adding a large, contiguous block of forest to the proposed PAN.

South end of Morrison Marsh . . . Morrison Marsh extends into the southernmost 4064 quarter section, which hasbeen almost completely clearcut in the last 20 years. However, forests are redeveloping rapidly on the logged sites andthis area should be protected to provide a protected forested area surrounding the south end of Morrison Marsh in thefuture. The protected area should also extend south along the Morrison Marsh valley, through the piece of adjacentvacant Crown land to join Boyle Point Provincial Park at the southern tip of the island.

Figure 15: View of Morrison Marsh.

Long wetlands occur in the glacially scouredvalleys running the length of Denman Island.Morrison Marsh is one of the longest and containssome of the most expansive areas of open water.Many significant landscape features on Denmanhave a linear shape, a result of bedrock structureand glaciation, which this open view across waterhighlights exceptionally well. These frames alsohighlight the diversity of habitats found in thetypical wetland and surrounding forest areas.

The cleared area at the far end of Morrison Marshis the southernmost lot of the 4064 Holdings, whichwas clearcut 15 to 20 years ago by the former landmanagers. The close-up photo shows two members of a family of mink that were foraging in the Morrison Marsharea when we visited the site.

Boyle Point Park . . . Boyle Point Provincial Park occupies the southern most tip of Denman Island. This 130 hectareprotected area encompasses sea coast rock bluffs and areas of older Douglas-fir forest habitat. The park is an importantcomponent of the Denman Island protected landscape network.

The proposed PAN significantly expands the protected area on Boyle Point by adding two quarter sections to thecontiguous protected area. One of these is the southernmost of the 4064 Lands, adjacent to Morrison Marsh. The otheris the unoccupied Crown quarter section adjacent to the park.

We propose this Crown lot, and four other Crown lots in other locations, for inclusion in the proposed PAN. There isvery little Crown land on Denman, and the existing 5 Crown lots are the best opportunity for the provincialgovernment to make a meaningful contribution to maintaining ecosystem health and community amenities.Subdividing and selling the lots would increase the pressure on the Denman ecosystem through habitat loss andincreased population density; adding these areas to the proposed protected PAN would greatly help to maintain healthyforest ecosystems and wildlife habitat.

3.5.4 Ownership of Land in PAN

While the focus of ecosystem-based assessment and delineation of the proposed protected areas network was to be onthe 4064 Lands, we were logically required to consider landscapes and linkages outside of the 4064 Lands indeveloping the proposed PAN. The 4064 Lands are large parcels scattered about Denman, and linkages betweenproposed protected areas in different parcels of the 4064 Lands, and between the 4064 Lands and existing protectedareas, had to be considered. Thus, the proposed PAN contains some areas of privately owned land outside of the 4064Lands, and strongly recommends that the remaining unoccupied Crown lands on Denman be included as componentsof a protected landscape network.

Table shows a detailed breakdown of the land within the proposed PAN by ecological sensitivity and ownership status.

Lakes, wetlands and sand spits are subtracted from the total area of each ownership class to derive an estimate of thequantity of land, or terrestrial ecosystems, within each ownership class. Lakes and sand spits are not likely to bedeveloped, and including them in the "area to be protected" figure inflates the estimates. We recognize that wetlandscan be drained, filled, or otherwise developed, but we feel that many of the wetlands on Denman will be retained intheir current form.



their current form.

Table 4: Stratification of Proposed Protected Areas Network Elements by Land Ownership Class on DenmanIsland

Description TotalArea

Lakes,Wetlands,

SandSpits

TerrestrialEcosystems

MappedEcologically

SensitiveClasses

Percentageof

TerrestrialEcosystemsin MappedES Classes

StableTerraininsidePAN

StableTerrainOutside

PAN

Percentageof StableTerrainInsidePAN

Percentageof

TerrestrialEcosystems

in PAN

CurrentProtected

AreasClass "A"ProvincialParks

187.1 35.9 151.3 55.2 36% 96.1 0 100.0% 100.0%

OtherProtectedAreas

33.9 12.2 21.7 8.7 40% 12.9 0 100.0% 100.0%

UnoccupiedCrownLands

214.9 2.3 212.7 22.7 11% 190.0 0 100.0% 100.0%

PrivatelyOwnedLands

4064Investments'Land

1,756.1 102.4 1,653.7 307.8 19% 200.7 1,145.2 15% 31%

OtherPrivateLand

2,958.4 114.6 2,843.8 544.2 19% 141.2 2,158.4 6% 24%

Total: 5,150.4 267.4 4,883.1 938.6 19% 640.8 3,303.6 16% 32%

Currently protected areas are of course included in the proposed PAN.

All unoccupied crown lands were included in the proposed PAN, to create an opportunity for the provincialgovernment to make a meaningful contribution to maintaining ecosystem health and community amenities on Denman.

A total of 19% of the terrestrial ecosystems within both the 4064 Lands and other private lands were designated asecologically sensitive areas during this planning process. These ES areas are mostly riparian zones, and steep terrainalong the Denman Ridge complex and the coast. All ES terrain is included in the PAN, although the managementintent for ES terrain in privately owned residential areas will be determined by the landowners.

Much of the ecologically sensitive terrain on Denman is on private land outside the 4064 Lands. While we would hopethat ecologically sensitive terrain types would be avoided in residential development, the open forests, meadows, andexpansive views provided by homesites perched on top of steep and rugged terrain are attractive to humans. Thisecosystem-based plan does not recommend legislation to ban such activities, but we would encourage a publiceducation process to discourage expansive development of residential dwellings on ecologically sensitive terrain.

The contribution to the proposed PAN of stable terrain (which is potentially suitable for human use and development)is heavily weighted towards the 4064 Lands. Fifteen percent of the stable or moderately stable terrain within the 4064Lands is included in the proposed PAN. As discussed in Section 3.5.3, the proposed PAN within the 4064 Landscontains both connecting corridors and substantial proposed protected areas, or nodes. Six percent of the stable terrainunder other private ownership is also included within the proposed PAN, largely as connecting corridors.

We are aware that proposing limitations on private property rights is a sensitive, and potentially divisive, politicalissue. In our opinion, inclusion of private holdings other than the 4064 Lands in a final PAN should be voluntary.While voluntary participation by the current owners of the 4064 in developing the proposed PAN is very desirable,inclusion of substantial portions of the 4064 Lands in the proposed PAN is based on the premise that the community



eventually gains ownership of the properties, and can manage them at their discretion.

Inclusion in the PAN would not necessarily require complete ecological protection of private properties, but wouldrequire the maintenance of sufficient forest cover to allow movement of various biota through the area. We do notknow if the owners of the parcels included in this proposed PAN are amenable to participating in this program. If not,alternative locations with less desirable levels of connectivity would have to be identified.

4. Forest Inventory

The original goals for this ecosystem-based assessment included:

identifying potential timber management landbase on 4064 Lands,

inventorying the standing timber on those lands,

identifying near-term silvicultural options on those lands, and

providing an initial assessment of the feasibility of funding community purchase of those lands throughecologically responsible timber management.

These goals are interlinked. The desired end product - a feasibility study - required the assessment or determination ofthe three earlier goals.

The timber cruise work carried out on Denman was part of a limited feasibility study of the purchase of the 4064 Landsby the DFI. It should not be misconstrued as an intensive timber cruise of the lands. The intensity of our sampling waspredetermined by the project budget, not by a professional determination of the amount of sampling required to achievea stated level of accuracy. This issue was discussed during the planning of the project.

We sampled a proportion of the larger forest types which contained merchantable volumes. Many forest types were notsampled. We planned to extrapolate timber information from sampled stands to unsampled stands where possible,using air photos and field observations to establish appropriate correlations. At best, this approach is less accurate thanactual field measurements, but no other options existed within funding limits.

We expected to encounter some stands which cannot be grouped with forest types for which we have field data. Standvolumes would not be generated for these types. We expected that most of the unusual types would be withinEcologically Sensitive polygons (i.e. forested wetlands).

The main goal of the forest sampling cruise was not just to determine timber volume for the 4064 Lands, but also toassess silvicultural possibilities under an ecologically responsible management regime. This was important becausesilvicultural choices, not total standing volume, would determine the cutting rate and the log profile for the near-termfuture in the 60 year old stands on Denman, which would in turn guide the business plan for ownership. For example,the cruise might report a net volume of 500 m 3/ha, dominated by 24 inch sawlogs, but the medium-term standmanagement plan might predict a silvicultural yield of only 80 m 3/ha of 14 inch logs in the first 20 years.

Unfortunately, the emphasis on silviculture was overtaken by events. After the lands were sold, these project goals wasgradually seen to be less and less relevant. It became apparent that the new owner of the property, 4064 InvestmentsLtd., had limited interest in re-selling the property, and that they intended to realize a return on their investmentthrough a program of aggressive logging and subdivision. At this time, we no longer know which forests on the 4064Lands will be standing in a month's time. As well, we do not know when the DFI will achieve control over anyparticular area. Given the extraordinarily rapid timber growth rates on Denman, a 10 year wait could result in acomplete revision to a silvicultural prescription, even without logging impacts. Silva and the DFI jointly decided thatpreparing silvicultural prescriptions is not an appropriate activity at this time.

However, the field work had been completed by that point. After discussion with the DFI, it was decided to proceed tocreate a forest cover map from our initial air photo interpretation of forest cover types, and compile the inventoryinformation to develop stand profiles and timber volumes. The rationale for this choice was to ensure:

.that the work which has been completed so far (the timber cruise and field measurement) not be lost to posterity;

.that the DIFC have access to a basic forest cover map and data set, identifying location, tree species, stand area,and current stand volume for the 4064 Lands; and

.that the DIFC have access to growth and yield predictions for the 4064 Lands on a type-by-type basis.



.that the DIFC have access to growth and yield predictions for the 4064 Lands on a type-by-type basis.

4.1 Forest Cover Mapping

The objective of the forest cover type mapping on Denman Island was to create a reconnaissance level forest covermap for use in the determination of an ecologically responsible cutting rate for the 4064 Lands, not to complete a fullforest inventory map of the 4064 Lands. The ecologically responsible cutting rate was to be used in a feasibility studyof the Denman community purchasing the 4064 Lands. The intensity of ground truthing and general precision of forestcover mapping was constrained by the project budget. The mapping objective was to delineate broad forest cover typessuitable for estimating the resources available for ecologically responsible timber management.

Forest cover types were delineated on 1995 1:15,000 color air photos according to the following parameters:

Create the largest practical forest cover types . . . some diversity within a type is acceptable, as long as patternsof diversity are relatively constant throughout the type, and silvicultural options remain uniform. Large typeswere needed in order to apply our limited field inventory to the largest possible forest area for the plannedfeasibility study.

Delineate small openings and other features . . . to use as tie points for field work

Delineate logged areas . . . given the complex history of timber management on some of the 4064 blocks, thisresulted in the creation of many small openings.

Identifying and mapping all of the ecologically sensitive forested wetlands found on Denman Island was beyond thescope of this project. Larger forested wetlands were delineated in the Ecological Sensitivity mapping, and forestedwetlands which border open wetlands were generally identified in the forest cover mapping. However, some of thelarge upland forest cover types contain small, difficult to interpret polygons of wetlands, openings, and various loggedareas. All appear as changes in forest cover density, but many partially cut logged areas appear identical to forestedwetlands on the air photos. Small forested wetlands can only be positively identified by field assessment, and ourlimited field budget was devoted to other matters. Complete and consistent mapping of forested wetlands on Denmanis an important task to complete in a later project.

The goal of the forest cover map was to calculate the area of general forest cover types to enable timber and harvestvolume calculation, not to produce a cartographically perfect product. The forest cover map prepared for thisecosystem-based plan performs the function for which it was prepared adequately, but is not suited for road and blocklayout, or as a source for traverse tie points. The Weldwood forest cover map (originally produced in 1979 and revisedin 1980) is a more detailed and cartographically correct map that can be used for operational level forestry.

The forest cover type labels and associated data were derived from several sources:forest inventory information from field sampling;

notes from reconnaissance level traverses through 4064 Lands using air photos to navigate between identifiablepoints, and noting forest cover types;

a complete copy of the Weldwood forest cover map which was provided to us near the end of the project. TheWeldwood map was used as a data source for species composition, age, site class, and crown closure forpolygons which we had not visited or sampled.

Type labels on the forest cover map present the following information for every forested polygon, to Ministry ofForests standards:

Species CompositionAgeHeightStocking CodeCrown Closure ClassSite IndexDisturbance Type

The digital version of the forest cover map is linked to a database which contains the above information, plus moredetailed species composition data, information on non-forested lands, and stand area.

If an ecologically responsible AAC is going to be calculated in the future, the groupings of forest cover types intomanagement units will need to be revised according to the forest cover types present at the time.



management units will need to be revised according to the forest cover types present at the time.

4.2 Forest Sampling

A forest inventory sampling plan was developed by Tom Bradley of Silva after the initial terrain and forest typereconnaissance work had been completed. The objective of the sampling plan was to gather timber volume andsilvicultural information representative of the largest forest area possible, given our limited sampling budget. Largeforest types, which were in turn representative of common forest type groups, were chosen for sampling. Sample siteswere spread across the 4064 Lands as much as was possible, while focusing on large representative types. The selectedsample locations are shown on the map in Figure .

Figure 16: Map of traverse line and sample plot locations. (Not Available)

Sample plots were measured to Ministry of Forest standards, with a set of additional data required for Silva'ssilvicultural prescription and stand modelling processes. At each plot, the crew measured and/or recorded the followinginformation for each tree:

SpeciesCrown ClassDiameterPercent Live CrownCrown WidthHealth and VigorMoF Tree ClassPathological Indicators of Decay (if any)

Our silvicultural sampling and summaries are stratified by crown class, also referred to as height class. This powerfuldata organization tool is the keystone to Silva's ecologically responsible approach to stand level forestry. Because theposition of each sampled stem within the canopy is known, we can assess such factors as intertree and interspeciescompetition, stand successional dynamics, and the relative growth potential of various species of various heightclasses. This enables Silva to select specific components of the stand for harvest, to explain why these selections areappropriate, and to determine the volume of merchantable timber which will be produced by any silviculturalprescription. Each stem measured in the field was classified by the field crew as dominant, co-dominant, intermediateor suppressed, depending on the position of the tree crown in the main forest canopy. Figure illustrates these terms.

Figure 17: Diagram of Crown Classes used in Silva sampling and reports.

The crown classes are defined below:

D - Dominant: A tree which extends well above the general canopy of the forest.

CD - Co-dominant: A tree which is part of the general canopy of the forest. The co-dominant layer occupies themost canopy area in the stand, and receives direct sunlight to the top and sides of the crown.

I - Intermediate: A tree that is clearly below the general canopy layer of the forest, and receives direct sunlightonly on the top of the crown. Intermediate trees may be in this crown position because they are loosing thecompetition for growing space in the stand, or because they are younger tress which germinated in the shade ofthe co-dominant layer and are now growing up through the canopy.



S- Suppressed: A tree that is well below the general canopy of the forest, and that is at a competitivedisadvantage for growing space. The position of suppressed trees in the forest is the same as that described forintermediate trees.

The location of each stem relative to plot center was mapped. This information is used to create computer generateddiagrams of sampled forests, which in turn are used to show stand conditions before and after a harvesting prescriptionhas been implemented.

Age and total height were measured for at least one tree from each species and crown class combination on each plot.Extra co-dominant heights and ages were measured where time permitted to facilitate developing height to diametercurves in the volume summary process, and to improve estimates of site index.

The crew also recorded the number and type of understory trees found on each plot. The understory trees weregrouped, and data was recorded for each similar group of trees rather than for each individual tree. Species, height,diameter, percent live crown, crown width and health and vigor were recorded for each class of understory trees.

The crew also recorded helpful observations about stand conditions, ecology and forest dynamics. General quality ofthe field work was excellent.

4.3. Data Summaries

The field inventory information was intended to be used to produce data summaries of stand conditions, timbervolumes, and silvicultural prescriptions.

Silva's cruise compilation software was used to generate data summaries by of all stand components, includingunderstory, by species, by height class, and by species and height class. These summaries are included in Appendix 6of this report. A guide to the summary tables is contained in the Appendix.

Site index was calculated for each sampled area, as discussed in Section 4.1.

The next step in the data summary process should have been to write a silvicultural prescription for each sampled area.A silvicultural prescription identifies which trees, if any, are available for harvest, and explains why they areconsidered available. Because the data summaries are stratified by species and height class, we can identify specificstand components for harvest, such as "intermediate fir with less than 30% live crown". In young second growth standssuch as those on Denman, harvesting usually is concentrated on commercial thinning from below, removing smallerand weaker trees with limited growth potential. The trees left behind are the largest, healthiest trees which may begenetically superior, are best suited to the site, and are healthiest and have the greatest potential for rapid growth.Overstory thinning is sometimes also a suitable prescription to increase growing space for the remaining co-dominantand dominant trees, but again, cutting focuses on the trees with the lowest proportion of live crown and slowest growthrates in any crown class.

As previously noted, silvicultural choices, not total standing volume, would determine the cutting rate and the logprofile for the near-term future in the 60 year old stands on Denman. For example, the inventory might report astanding net volume of 500 m 3/ha, dominated by 24 inch sawlogs, and a net stand growth rate of 6.5 cubic meters perhectare per year. However, the silvicultural plan might predict a yield of only 80 m 3/ha of 14 inch logs in the first 20years, well under the stand yield of 130 m3/ha over that period, and also in a less valuable product than the 24 inchlogs. Silvicultural prescriptions, not timber volumes, would guide business plans.

Computer generated stand diagrams would also have been produced, to provide a three dimensional image of standconditions, and to demonstrate the effect of silvicultural prescriptions.

The site index data should have been used to estimate the net timber productivity, and the ecologically responsiblecutting rate under a continuous partial cutting regime, for the potential timber management landbase. Long termproductivity and yield are linked to soil and climate, not to current conditions and silviculture. Silva uses the Ministryof Forests Variable Density Yield Prediction software package to estimate potential net timber yield. We then assumethat approximately 75% of net timber productivity of a site under timber management can be realized as logs, but thatat least 25% of the timber productivity should be retained on site to maintain old growth structures, forest soils, andbiodiversity. Unfortunately, we made limited use of the field data. The project budget was diverted into detailedmapping exercises, and all parties agreed that writing silvicultural prescriptions for stands which may be alreadylogged was a moot point.

The summarized data is included with this report so that, if desired, the Denman community can pursue some of these



The summarized data is included with this report so that, if desired, the Denman community can pursue some of thesematters independently at a later date. We would be happy to assist with further data transfer exercises if necessary.

5. Recommendations and Conclusions

This report outlines a proposed Protected Areas Network to maintain landscape level connections and ecosystem healthacross Denman Island. Community work must be carried out to finalize and implement a protected network toaccomplish these goals. The proposed PAN concentrates on the 4064 Lands, and will be most successful if the 4064Lands are held as a community forest. However, the proposed PAN also suggests protective management on manyother areas of privately held land. Proposing limitations on private property rights is a sensitive, and potentiallydivisive, political issue. In our opinion, inclusion of private holdings other than the 4064 Lands in a final PAN shouldbe voluntary. Inclusion in the PAN would not necessarily require complete ecological protection of private properties,but would require the maintenance of sufficient forest cover to allow movement of various biota through the area.

The initial steps of a reconnaissance level forest inventory were carried out for this project. A forest cover map suitedto the limited objective of the project was produced, and a reconnaissance level field inventory carried out inrepresentative forests. However, the forest inventory component of the project was not fully completed. The projectconcentrated more on ecosystem and cultural feature mapping than had been planned, and developing initialsilvicultural prescriptions and estimating ecologically responsible timber yields for the 4064 Lands was dropped due tothe ongoing, rapid logging in these forest areas and the depletion of the project budget. Additional work with the dataand maps provided may assist the community in forest planning, or in obtaining control of all or part of the 4064Lands.

The main deliverable from this project is a set of maps of Denman Island. These are being provided to the communityin paper and digital format. The information gathered and presented is useful and valid, but is at a reconnaissance orlandscape level. Work by community members will continue to expand the knowledge base and precision of this initialmapping project. Further study will be required to fill information gaps, and the scale and scope of the project can beexpanded. This assessment and map set serve as a starting point for discussion and further work, not as finalconclusions.

The 4064 Lands on Denman Island are a unique land parcel. The combination of a rural community, moderate terrain,exceptional access, and excellent growing conditions would provide an ecologically responsible timber manager withexceptional options and opportunities. Conditions on Denman Island for responsible forestry are unsurpassed inCanada.

Unfortunately, the 4064 Lands did not become community forest lands at this time. However, even those areas that arebeing currently clearcut will have commercially utilizable forests on them in 40 years time. These will be forests ofsmaller trees, but we expect that they will be merchantable and that the timber market of the day will value themhighly. Another pass of logging will be commenced. Our recommendation to the Denman Island community is thatthey should endeavor to obtain ownership of the 4064 Lands as soon as possible, regardless of the condition of theforest on those lands at the time. Forty years will pass very quickly. It would be a gift to future generations of islandersto pass on the foundation for ecologically responsible community forestry, rather than the foundation for divisive andpainful conflict.

We appreciate that acquiring the 4064 Lands without a timber resource to assist in financing the purchase is asignificant challenge for the community. However, there is no substitute for ownership and control of these privatetimber holdings in building a long-term sustainable economy and ecology on Denman Island.

List of Appendixes

APPENDIX 1:Silva Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Classification System

APPENDIX 2:An Ecosystem-Based Approach To Forest Use

APPENDIX 3:Important Criteria And Parameters Of Wildlife Movement Corridors

APPENDIX 4:Forest Cover Map Database Structure

APPENDIX 5:Correspondence between DFI and Silva regarding Map and Data Processing

APPENDIX 6:Field Inventory Data Summaries

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