prince george area - british columbia · ii. bri tish columbia. lands and housing regional...
TRANSCRIPT
Honourable James R. Chabot, Minister
PRINCE GEORGE AREA
SUB - DISTRICT
CROWN LAND PLAN
Province bfBritish ColumbiaMinistry ofLands, Parksand Housing
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication DataHain entry under title:Prince George area sub-district crown land plan
ISBN 0-7719-8855-9
1. Land use, Rural - Planning _ BritishColumbia - Prince George region. 2. Regionalplanning - British Columbia - Princa Georgeregion. 3. British Columbia - Public lands. I.Bri tish Columbia. Land Planning Branch. II.Bri tish Columbia. Lands and Housing RegionalOperations Division. Omineca Region.
HD 319 . B7P742 333.76' 15' 097112 C82-092049-5..
PRINCE GEORGE AREA
SUB-DISTRICT CROWN LAND PLAN
prepared by
Ministry of Lands, Parks and HousingLand Planning Branch, Victoria, B. C. andLands & Housing Regional Operations Division,Omineca Region, Prince George, B. C.
- December, 1981 -
.
Province of British ColumbiaMinistry of Lands, Parks and Housing
Victoria1981
STATEMENT OF ADOPTION
The Prince George Area Sub-District Crown Land Plan has beenadopted by the Ministry of Lands i Parks and Housing andrepresents official Ministry policy for the planning, managementand di sposi tion of vacant Crown lands in the Prince George Area.
All management, allocation and cìevelopment actions and decisionsof the Mini stry wi thin the Plan Area shall be guided by theprovi sions of this Plan and the Crown land designations shown onthe Plan Map. Formal review of the Plan shall take place inDecember,. 1 986.
Conformance of Cro~n land proposals wi th this Plan in no wayabsol ves a proponent from the responsibi li ty of complying wi thall other pertinent government legislation and official Ministrypoli cy.
(ar~..~...
~,I 102. ¡GDate
MINISTRY MANDATE AND PLANNING GOAL
The Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing was established in 1978with the mandate to allocate and manage unalienated Crown landsin British Columbia. The basis of this mandate is the Land Act.
A major element of its responsibility is to provide opportunitiesfor the use of .Crown lands for agricultural, commercial,industrial, residential and recreational purposes.
The Ministry has established a Crown land planning program toassist in fulfilling its mandate and responsibilities. Its goalis to facilitate and develop plans for management, use andalienation of unreserved Crown lands in a manner that willoptimize the long term economic, social and environmentalbenefits to the citizens of British Columbia.
Fundamental to the Crown land planning program is theco-operation and involvement of other levels of government,provincial agencies, industry and the public-at-large. Land usepolicies and designations made in a Crown Land Plan are not to beconfused with land designations and zoning of local governmentmade under the authority of the Municipal Act.
(i)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PageMINISTRY MADATE AND PLANNING GOAL........................... (i)TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................ (ii)LIST OF TABLES............................................... (iv)LIST OF MAP S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ( i v)ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ( v)
PART 1. 0 PRINCE GEORGE AREA CONCEPT PLAN
1. 1
1. 2
1. 3
Background, Issues and Objectives.................... 1Planning Process.................... ,e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Plan Area Characteristics............................ 4
General Description............... \ . . . . . . . . . . .4Natural Enyironment........................... 6Natural Resources............................. 7Settlement History................. . . . . . . . . . . .8Influential Plans and Studies...............:. 8Population and Economic Profile............... 9Important Growth Trends...................... 10Requirements for Crown Land....... . . . . . . . . . . .10Agricul tura1 Land Requirements............... 17Forest Land Requirements..................... 13Grazing Land Requirements.................... l3Public Recreation and Conservation Land
1.4
1.3.11.3.21.3.31.3.41.3.51.3.61.3.7Future1.4.l1.4.21.4.3l.4.4
Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14l.4.5 Wildlife Habitat Land Requirements.......... .151 .4.6 Rural Residential Land Requirements. . . . . . . . . . l6l. 4.7 Aggregate Materials Land Requirements........ l7l. 4. 8 Industrial and Commercial Land Requirements. .18l.4.9 Other Crown Land Requirements............... .18
1.5 Alternative Conceptual Plans....................... .191.5.l Alternative "A": Forest Management
Emphas is . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . '. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221.5.2 Alternative "B": Mixed Resource
Management Emphas is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221.5.3 Alternative "C": Mixed Management .and Development Emphasis.................. .23
l.5.4 Alternative "D" AgriculturalDevelopment Emphasis........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
l.6 Public Participation Program....................... .241.7 Selection of Preferred Alternative................. .261. 8 Derivation of the Crown Land Plan.................... 28
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;;'
TABLE OF CONTENTSCont i d.
Page
PART 2.0 CROWN LAD DESIGNATIONS AND POLICY GUIDELINES
2. i Plan Interpretation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .302.2 General Provisions.................................. .32
2.2.1 Relationship to the Land Act................. .322.2.2 Relationship to Other Statutes,
Regulations and Procedures................. .322.2.3 Crown Land Uses and Activities............... .332.2.4 Plan Map Interpretation....................... 342.2.5 Private Lands..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .342.2.6 Existing Crown Land Reserves.................. 342. 2 . 7 A. L. R. Crown Lands................... . . . . . . . . . 352.2.8 Flood Hazard on Crown Lands.................. .352.2.9 Linear Developments. and Roadways..... . . . . . . . . .36
2.3 Wildlife Habitat Management Area (WHMA).............. 372. 3.1 Definition~.................................. .372.3.2 General Description........................... 372 . 3 . 3 Pu rpo s e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372.3.4 Responsible Agency........................... .372.3.5 Permitted Uses and Activities................ .372.3.6 Conditional Uses and Activities.............. .382.3.7 Management and Planning Guidelines............ 382.3.8 Implementation Process.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..39
2.4 Recreation and Conservation Management Area( RCMA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
2.4.1 Definition................................... .402.4.2 General Description........................... 402.4.3 Purpose................................... . . . .402.4.4 Responsible Agency................... . . . . . . . . .412.4.5 Permitted Uses and Activities................ .412.4.6 Conditional Uses and Activities.............. .412.4.7 Management and Planning Guidelines............ 422.4.8 Implementation Process....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
2.5 Settlement Reserve Area (SRA)........................ 452.5.1 Definition.................................... 452.5.2 General Description........................... 452.5.3 Purpose....................................... 452.5.4 Responsible Agency... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .462.5.5 Permitted Uses and Activities................ .462.5.6 Conditional Uses and Activities.............. .462.5.7 Management and Planning Guidelines............ 472.5.8 Implementation Process........................ 49
2.6 Agricultural Development Area (ADA).................. 502 . 6 . 1 De f ini t ion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502.6.2 General Description.................... ~ . . . . . .502.6.3 Purpose.......................... . . . . . . . . . . . . .502.6.4 Responsible Agency.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .502.6.5 Permitted Uses and Activities................ .5l
(iii)
PART 3.0 PLAN
3. 1 Plan3.2 Plan3.3 Plan3.4 Land
Cont i d.
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Table 4
Table 5
Map 1
Map 2
Map 3Map 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page2.6.6 Conditional Uses and Activities.............. .512.6.7 Management and Planning Guidelines............ 522.6.8 Implementation Process........................ 56
2.7 Integrated Forestry Management Area (IFMA)........... 582.7. i Definition... '. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .582.7.2 General Description... ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .582.7.3 Purpose....................................... 582.7.4 Responsible Agency........................... .592.7.5 Description of Sub-Categories................ .592.7.6 Purpose of Sub-Categories..................... 602.7.7 Permitted Uses and Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .612.7.8 Conditional Uses and Activities.............. .612.7.9 Management and Planning Guidelines.......... ~ .622.7.10 Implementation Process........................ 64
IMPLEMENTATION, REVIEW AND AMENDMENT
Adoption....................................... .66Period and Formal Review........................ 67Refinement and Amendment....................... .67Application Appeals............................ .68
LIST OF TABLES
Population Projections, City of Prince Georgeand Plan Area, 1980 - 2000..........................1lA1 ternati ve Conceptual Plans: Nature and Intent,Prince George Plan Area............................. 20Al ternative Conceptual Plans: Socio-Economic andEnvironmental Implications Prince George Plan Area.. 21Preference for Alternative Conceptual Plans:Questionnaire Returns, P.G.A. Plan................. .25Preference for Alternative Conceptual Plans and:Written Briefs, P.G.A. Plan.........................27
LIST OF MAPS
Provincial and Regional Setting of Prince GeorgeArea Plan.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2P. G. S. S. A. Study: Interim Phase I Report _Recommended Des igna tions . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Preferred Concept................................... 29PLAN MAP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
( iv)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing wishes to express itsgratitude to those individuals, agencies and organizations whohave contributed to the preparation of this Plan. In particular,the following agencies are acknowledged:
B. C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food (Prince George andVictor ia)
B. C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways (Prince George andVictoria)
Regional District of Fraser - Fort GeorgeB. C. Ministry of Forests, Forest Service (Prince George)B. C. Ministry of Forests, Range Branch (Prince George)B.C. Ministry of Environment, Fish and Wildlife Branch (Prince
George)B. C. Ministry of Environment, Water Management Branch (Prince
George)B. C. Ministry of Municipal Affairs (Prince George)B. C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources (Prince
George and Victoria)B. C. Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing, Parks and Outdoor
Recreation Division (Prince George)Ci ty of Prince George, Planning DepartmentB. C. Ministry of Provincial Secretary and Government Services,
Heri tage Conservation Branch (Victoria)B. C. Ministry of Environment, Terrestrial Studies Branch
(Victoria)B. C. Ministry of Industry and Small Business Development
(Victoria)B. C. Ministry of Tour ism, Research and Development Branch
(Victoria)
(v)
o ~
PRINCE GEORGE AREACONCEPT PLAN
._._~~----------------------_. ---"
PAR T 1. 0
.:1
1.1
Page 1
PRINCE GEORGE AREA CONCEPT PLAN
This section of the Plan provides a summary of the moredetailed Prince George Area Crown Land. Concept Plan,endorsed by an inter-agency Plan Task Force inSeptember, 1981. The Concept Plan contains acomprehensive inventory of Crown land use and resourceattributes', as well as future land requirements forvarious settlement and resource-oriented uses. Fourconceptual alternatives were provided for public,interest group and government agency evaluation; and apreferred alternative selected to guide the futuremanagement, allocation and disposition of Crown lands.More detailed information can be found in the ConceptPlan document.
Background, Issues and Objectives
The Plan Area is shown in Maps 1 and 2. It constitutesthe Omineca portion of the Prince George-QuesnelSpecial Sales Area (PGQSSA), established in 1962 byOrder-in-Council under the Forest Act. The purpose ofthe Special Sales Area was to encourage theconstruction of three pulp mills in Prince George, bypermitting the sale of Crown pulpwood timber stands topulp companies. Actual timber sale was carried outthrough Pulp Timber Sale Licences first issued in 1966for twelve year terms.
Various restrictions have been applied and relaxedsince 1963 governing Crown land alienations foragriculture. In 1966, Order-in-Council 1917 of theLand Act cancelled the former land reserves andpermitted agricuYtural land alienations to"established" farmers, although the '~ special salesarea" status of the land under the Forest Act was notal tered .
The impending expiry of the Pulp Timber Sale Licencesand. uncertainty over the future of Crown land in thePGQSSA led to a sequence of studies commencing in1 977. A" Phase I" Study was developed by inter~agencycommittee in 1978, allocating land to three broadcategories of land use and management (see Map 2). TheStudy was based primarily on biophysical "landcapability" ratings. It was not formally endorsed bygovernment. During this period new licences for PulpTimber Sales were established between the Ministry ofForests and the pulp companies.
Page 4
Crown forest land most suited for inclusion in aProvincial Forest.
e) Reduce processing time for Crown land appl icationsand minimize their referral to other agencies.
1.2 Planning Process
The Plan has been prepared according to guidelinesestablished for sub-district plans in the Ministry 'sPlanning Handbook. The planning process stressesinter-agency decision-making and consènsus. It alsoemphasizes a public participation program to assist theinter-agency Task Force at critical steps in planformulation. Endorsement of the Plan by the RegionalResource Management Committee, and review by affectedlocal governments underlines the importance of regionalagency commitment to the Plan. Endorsement andadoption of the Plan at higher levels of governmentfollows regional commitment.
1.3 Plan Area Characteristics
l. 3.1 General 'Description
The Prince George Plan Area is located on theFraser Plateau in British Columbia i s CentralInterior Region. It surrounds but excludes theCity of Prince George, and lies within thePrince George Land Administration District ofthe Omineca Lands and Housing Region (Map 1).The Plan Area covers unalienated (vacant) Crownland within an area of approximately 3,800 km2.
~ The Plan Area is predominantly rural incharacter, and dominated by the City of PrinceGeorge. The City is the focal point of road,rail and air transportation routes, and is themajor employment and settlement centre. Urbancentres in the Plan Area are small and areconcentrated along transportation routes. Themajority of the Plan Area is forest land"supporting a limited amount of timber harvestingand grazing, in addition to extensiverecreation, hunting and trapping activities.Major agricul tura1 pockets are found north, westand south of Prince George. Rural residentialdevelopment is concentrated around the Cityboundaries and adjacent to some of the oldercommuni ties wi thin short commuting distance toPrince George. Outdoor recreational facilities
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are sparse and ipclude two provincial parks,three day-use regional parks, and three ForestService recreation areas. Rural industrial/commercial sites consist of scattered sawmills,highway service centres and gravel pits.
Approximately 60 percent of the Plan Area isvacant Crown land, with the remainderprivately-owned or held under reserve.Approximately 50 percent of the Plan Area, andhalf of the- vacant Crown land lies withinAgricul tural Land Reserve (ALR) boundaries.Major reserves in the Plan Area consist of theRed Rock Provincial Forest reserve, threeecological reserves, and four community pasturereserves.
1 . 3.2 Natural Environment
The Plan Area is characterized by a generallylow relief landscape and has a general slopefrom north to south. The topography has beenstrongly modified by glacial activity and morerecent geomorphological processes. Majorfeatures of the present landscape includesinuous sand and gravel ridges (eskers) in theBednesti Lake and Stuart River areas; extensivesil t-clay plains of glacial lake origin aroundPrince George; and deeply incised stream valleysassociated with the Fraser River and its largertributaries which drain the Plan Area. Soilsare predominantly grey-brown wooded soils of theLuvisolic Order. These soils are relativelypoor in otganic matter and mineral nutrients.Climate is typified by warm summers, long andcold winters, and moderate precipitation. Thefrost-free period generally extends frommid-June to early September. The originalforest vegetation pattern consisted of spruceand sub-alpine fir in the wetter, eastern areaand lodgepole pine, spruce and Douglas fir tothe west and south. Extensive land clearing andforest harvesting activities have modified thispattern, with the major forest blocks remainingin the western and eastern parts of the PlanArea.
Page 7
1 . 3.3 Natural Re~ourcesThe Plan Area contains substantial timberresources, with the most important commercialforests found in the higher precipitationnortheast sector, south of Eaglet Lake.Additional high value forest lands are foundsouth of Strathnaver, Isle Pierre to the SalmonRi ver, and south of West Lake.
The most important geological resources of thePlan Area at present are its extensive sand andgravel deposits. Significant potential sourcesare the glacial outwash and river terracedeposi ts near Prince George, and the kame andesker deposits in the Bednesti Lake-Stuart Riverareas. Minerals found in the Plan Area includevarious combinations of gold, s il ver, lead,copper, zinc, molybdenum, and niobium.
The best agricultural soils are limited inextent and associated primarily with the valleysof the Fraser, Chilako (Mud), willow and SalmonRivers. A large portion of P.G.A. soils arerated CLI Class 4 and 5 for agriculture.Despite low capability ratings, many of thesesoils can produce a wide range of crops for agood cash return, under sound managementpractices. Remaining soils are generallyutilized in their existing state for nativerange by domestic livestock.A wide variety of fish and wildlife is found inthe Plan Ârea, with moose and mule deer the mostimportant ungulate species. Fishery resourcesare limited, although most streams and lakessupport a variety of sports fish . The Fraser andits major tributaries are spawning areas and/ormigration pathways for chinook and sockeyesalmon. The most important habitat lands aregenerally winter ranges for moose and deer,which support wildlife populations from withinand beyond the Plan Area.
Important outdoor recreational resources includelakes, streams, and unique landform, vegetationand wildlife features. The northwest sectorcontains the greatest concentration ofrecreation and conservation resources, includingthe Stuart River Esker Complex and variouslakes. Areas of interest to local and
Page 8
Provincial government agencies for recreationinclude the Stuart River Eskers, Ness Lake,Nukko Lake, Salmon River, Fort George Canyon andTabor Lake.
A limited number of heritage sites are found inthe Plan Area. The Huble Farm and associatedbuildings ~ the Giscombe Portage Trail ~ and theFort George Canyon and associated portage trailare three areas of reg ional and perhapsProvincial historical significance.
1 .3. 4 Settlement HistoryDevelopment of the Plan Area began during 1805to 1807, when Fort George was constructed as afur-trading post at the confluence of the Fraserand Nechako rivers. The fur trade constitutedthe main economic activity until the l860 's,when gold seekers drifted north from the Cariboogold fields. Settlement increased slowly untilthe westward extension of a trans-continentalrailway was built through the Plan Area duringthe period 1908-1914. The resultant developmentof sawmilling communi ties to serve the railway,and the influx of homesteaders led to theestablishment of Prince George as a majorpopulation centre.Population and economic growth generallystagnated thereafter, until major north-southroad and rail linkages were established with therest of British Columbia in the early 1950's.Centraliza~ion of the sawmilling industry intoPrince George, and the construction of threepulp mills helped Prince George become thefastest growing city in Canada between 1961 and1966. Since then, the area has sol idified itsbase as the major industrial, transportation,service, and administration centre in the B.C.Interior.
1 . 3 . 5 Influential Plans and Studies
The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George hasadopted an Official Regional Plan and threeOfficial Settlement Plans which provide policydirection and land use designations for much ofthe Plan Area. The provisions of thesettlement plans have been enforced through
Page 9
zoning by-laws and impact the development ofCrown lands.
The Ministry of Forests has recently completed aTimber Supply Area analysis which includes thePlan Area as one of nine timber supply blocks.A preliminary timber allocation strategy wasalso prepared.' The volume of timber availablewas calculated assuming that LOO percent of"Integrated", 50 percent of "Deferred", and 20percent of "Settlement" areas of the Phase IStudy would be used for sustained forestmanagement on a long-term basis (see Map 2).
1.3.6 Population and Economic Profile
For the past 30 years the Prince George Area(including the City of Prince George) hasrecorded one of the fastest population growthrates in British Columbia. With an averageannual growth rate of 4 percent since 1971, thearea has become the third largest metropo1 i tanarea in B. C . The combined population of theCity (70,000) and the surrounding Plan Area(11,900) is currently 81,900 persons. Many ofthe older, established urban settlement centreshave been declining in population, while theCity has continued to expand. Areas within 20km of the City have experienced high growthrates as a result of rapid rural residentialdevelopment during the 1960 i S and early 1 970 's.Average household size varies across the PlanArea from 3.0 in urban concentrations to 6.0 insome of the more rural districts.
The Plan Area economy is characteristicallyrural, and based almost entirely on the primaryindustries of forestry and agriculture. Sawmilloperations are the only significant secondaryeconomic acti vi ties, while tertiary trade andservices are few in number and localized. TheCi ty of Prince George, in contrast, hasestablished itself as a major manufacturing,administration and service centre with aneconomic sphere of influence extending beyond~the Plan Area into large portions of the Centraland Northern Interior regions. The PrinceGeorge area contains the largest concentrationof forest industries in B. C. outside of theLower Mainland, and includes 18 sawmills, 3 pulp
Page 10
mills and several wood manufacturingoperations. Substantial employment in trade andservice industries provides a measure ofstability to the forest-dominated economy.joint economic profile of the City and Planshows a good balance of industry typical ofProvince in general.
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1 .3.7 Important Growth Trends
Future growth and its subsequent implicationsfor Crown land allocation are dependent on botheconomic and population variables. The PlanArea and City population is expected to grow asa result of the projected continuation of theforest products industry, and on thestrengthening of trade and services associatedwith population increases as well as with theNortheast Coal Block and other resourcedevelopments in the Centrái and NorthernInterior regions. Plan Area population cantherefore be expected to increase significantlythrough in-migration of new residents.As shown on Table 1, City population may reach134,000 by the year 2000. The Plan Area couldgrow by as much as 7,600 to 14,200 over itspresent population levels, depending upon thegrowth rate selected as a basis forprojections. Assuming the more conservativemoderate and low growth scenarios of Table 1,Crown land use in the Plan Area within the next20 years may be influenced by the additionaldemands of some 75,000 new City and Plan Arearesidents, and associated industries.
1 .4 Future Requirements for Crown Land
Crown land in the Prince George Plan Area will berequired for a number of major land uses and industriesover the next 20 years. These land requirements havebeen assessed on the basis of several related factorswhich include growth trends, land values, Crown landapplications, availability of private land, localgovernment zoning regulations, and government agencymandates and programs. Maps of land suitability forthe required uses have been developed using a 5 pointscale ranging from Very High to Very Low. These mapsmay be found in the P.G.A. Concept Plan document.
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1 High scenarIo reflects Plan Area gr~wth rate from 1976-1980.
2 Moderate scenario ref lects gr~wth from 1971-1980.
3 L~w scenarIo ref lects rate arbitrari Iy set at 1.5% belo.w 1971-1980 rate.
i- Pi LQ (! i- i-
Page 12
1.4. 1 Agricultural Land Requirements
Agricul tural acti vi ties constitute the secondmost important industry in the Plan Area. Beefcattle production is the major activity, withcow-calf operations dominant~ Approximatelythree-quarters of the estimated $6 million inPlan Area farm cash receipts is derived from thesale of beef cattle, which are exported to otherareas for market and to Alberta for finishing.Considerable livestock grazing takes place onprivately-owned farmlands. Other agriculturalacti vi ties include forage production, severaldairying and poultry operations, limitedvegetable crop production, and horticulturaloperations, all of which serve the local marketthrough related food processing facilities.Farming is a part-time venture for manyoperators.
The number of applications made for Crown landagricul tural leases has risen from 29 to 378 inthe past four years. The 600 percent increasein applications between 1979 and 1980 reflectsthe removal of restrictions pertaining totimbered land alienations and to the"established farmer" eligibility requirements.
Agricul tural markets are expected to expand inthe future, thereby increasing the demand forsui table Crown land for agricultural purposes.Local proce?sing and marketing conditions areexpected to~împrove for beef cattle, swine,sheep, dairy products and local produce inresponse to a rapidly growing City and regionalpopulation.
Evaluation of land sui tabi1i ty for generalagricu1 tural use was performed by utilizing acombination of relevant factors which includedC.L.I. capability ratings, proximity of land toexisting roads and agricultural developments,and A.L.R. boundaries. The suitability analysisindicates that there are relatively fewremaining areas with Very High or Highsui tabi1ity ratings. The largest blocks areadjacent to privately-held lands in the WillowRiver, Salmon Valley, Reid Lake, Stoner andHixon areas.
Page 13
1 .4.2 Forest Land Requirements
The forest industry provides the basic economicactivity of the Plan Area and Prince George.The 18 sawmills export most of their 350 millionboard feet of lumber to U. S. housing markets.Chip production from the sawmills is currentlyinsufficient to meet pulp mill demands, andadditional quanti ties are imported from sawmillsbeyond the Plan Area.
Continued strength of the forest industry isdependent upon provision of a secure andadequate supply of timber. At present, timbersupplies for Plan Area sawmills and pulpmillscome primarily from forests outside the PlanArea. Only 0.19 of the estimated 3.76 millioncubic metres of wood required per year isallocated from the Plan Area to forestcompanies, primarily because the definition ofII sawlog stand II precludes harvesting of many ofthe available stands. The actual timber harvestfrom the Plan Area is considerably greater than0.19 million cubic metres per year, however, dueto the ongoing clearing of timbered land foragricul tural use.
A large proportion of vacant Crown land in thePlan Area has been rated Very High to Highsuitabil ity for forestry use due to high C. L. I.capability ratings, close proximity andaccessibility to wood manufacturing centres, anda good species mix and volume of timber perhectare. The most extensive and continuousareas of High sui tabili ty are found in thenortheast part of the Plan Area. Consistentwith its mandate, the Ministry of Forestsproposes to place the most suitable Crown landsin a provincial forest designation for long-termtimber production and enhanced silvicul turalprograms.
1 .4.3 Grazing Land Requirements
Productive grazing land is important in the PlanArea due to the dominance of beef cattleoperations in the local agricultural economy.Crown land grazing tenures and communitypastures provide a means of supporting largercattle herds than would otherwise be possible
Page 14
given the extent of private lands. In 1979, 5grazing licences and 44 permits were in effectin the Plan Area. Most summer grazing iscurrently concentrated in the existing communitypastures, which are close to maximum usecapacity given their present low levels ofdevelopment.
The anticipated continual expansion of the localbeef cattle industry is expected to cause ani~creased demand for Crown land for grazingpurposes. Much of this demand can beaccommodated through improvements to existingrange both within and outside the communitypastures, provided funds are available.Additional opportunities will arise on existingforest clear-cut areas. Over the long termhowever i most of the future Crown grazing landrequirements will likely be accommodated inprovincial forests given the Ministry of Forestsrange management mandate i the uncertainty ofARDSA funding, and the increased development ofCrown agricultural lands.
Areas of Very High and High suitability forgrazing use are small and scattered inlocation. They are prevalent i however, in theStrathnaver-Hixon and Willow River areas, aswell as south of the Chilako (Mud) River.
1 .4.4 Public Recreation and Conservation LandRequirements
Recreational resources in the Plan Area attractconsiderable use by local residents for avariety of intensive and extensive recreationalacti vi ties. The majority of these uses takeplace on Crown land. The absence of numerouscommercial and public recreational campgrounds,parks i marinas, etc., is generally offset by theopportunities afforded hiking, ski-touring,hunting, and other land-extensive uses on vacantCrown land. Few jobs are directly dependent onthe prov is ion of recreational opportuni ti es ,however, and expendi tures a~tributed torecreational uses in the Plan Area arerelatively small.
The tourism industry has become increasinglyimportant in the Plan Area in recent years i with
Page l5
Prince George providing the majority offacilities. The peak tourist season is duringsummer, with the Prince George Area a stop-overpoint for most parties rather than adestination. Revenues from tourism aresubstantial (estimated $13 million annually) butremain below the Provincial average.
i.The demand and use of land for public recreationand conservation purposes has been increasing,al though the rate of increase is notwell-documented. The policies, plans andprograms of the Regional District, the Parks &Outdoor Recreation Division, (MLPH), and theMinistry of Forests have been influential inproviding such land in the past, and allanticipate a need to accommodate increased andmore diverse recreational demands in the next 20years. These demands will be focused on lakeshorelands, high quality stream corridors, andon critical, natural, historic and scenicheri tage sites. These focal points have beenindicated on a sui tabi1i ty map for recreationand conservation use, prepared using factorswhich included C. L. I. recreation capability,areas of interest, proximity to Prince George,distance from highways, and developmentcapability. The most significant units arefound in the Stuart River Esker Complex, FortGeorge Canyon, and the Nukko-Ness lakes areas.
1 .4.5 Wildlife Habitat Land Requirements
Both Crown' and private lands in the Plan Areaserve as habitat for a wide variety of species.The maintenance of wildlife populations andspecies diversity provides both consumptive andnon-consumpti ve recreational value, and is vi talto the ecological system which represents man "slife support system. In recent years, theamount of wildlife habitat has been in decline.This decline has resulted from land use changesand from a variety of resource managementpractices. Such changes have caused a reductionin wildlife numbers.
In an effort to protect remaining habitat, theFish & Wildlife Branch has proposed Crown landreserves in a number of critical areas. Inaddition, it has many ongoing programs for
Page 16
wildlife management and habitat improvement.Crown lands are a necessary requirement toensure that the Fish & Wildlife Branch canimplement these programs, although the preciseamount of land required cannot be readilydetermined. Sui table habitat land may beprovided wi thin provincial forest areas managedprimarily for integrated timber management aswell as on vacant Crown lands outside ofprovincial forest boundaries.
The map of land suitability for wildlife habitatuse shows significant lands in the WillowRiver-Newlands area, and Saxton and Bednestilakes. Important fishery areas are also shown.The suitability map was prepared by the Fish &Wildlife Branch on the basis of degree ofexisting development, fish and wildlife habitatvalues, land use compatibility, and RegionalDistrict land designations (see P. G. A. ConceptPlan, 1981).
1 .4.6 Rural Residential Land Requirements
Rural residential development has undergone asteady increase in the Plan Area. The majorityof rural residential development has been takingplace on private land, with the last Crownsubdivision approved in 1981 in the BlackwaterRoad area. The number of applications made forCrown land for residential purposes hasincreased steadily in the past 4 years, with 28recei ved in 1980.
This demand is expected to continue, given theprojected population increases for the City ofPrince George. Tne Ministry of Lands, Parks &Housing expects to continue to play a supportingrole in residential land development in the PlanArea, given the availability of private lands,existing supply situations ,and RegionalDistrict policy. It will take a leadership rolewhere sui table private land is unavailable orwhere excessive demands are made, and will seekto reserve high sui tabili ty residential lands inthe event they are required over the next 20years. The minimum amount of Crown land to bereserved has been projected to range between 434and 810 hectares, depending on the populationgrowth scenario selected and specific
~,
l.4.7
J
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.~
Page 1 7
assumptions concerning average household size,average size of private sector and Crown lots,and the relative roles of Crown and privatesector lands in the regional housing market.
The identification of land suitability was basedon a combination of factors, including terraincapability for development (derived by Ministryof Lands, Parks & Housing), Regional Districtland designations and settlement policies,present land use, and availability of "physical"services. Only lands around existing settlementcentres were rated, along with appropriatelyzoned lake shorelands.
Aggregate Materials Land Requirements
The sand and gravel extraction and processingindustry provides employment for over 200persons in the Plan Area, and is basic to thewell-being of the construction industry. In thePlan Area the major use of sand and gravelaggregate is in road and railway constructionand maintenance, including forestry roads. Mostpits are located close to the primary areas ofuse, and are predominantly on Crown landreserved for the Ministry of Transportation andHighways (MTH). These reserves are also usedextensively by smaller operators as occasionalgravel sources, under permit from the MLPH andwi th consent of the MTH. Most pits in the PlanArea are consequently "acti ve-on-demand", andreclamation not imminent. The areas of highestconcentration of extractive operations are foundin the City of Prince George, with the majorityof pits operated by private industry on landleased from the Crown.
The projected strong growth of the City and PlanArea is expected to increase the demand foraggregate-bearing lands. Existing gravelreserves are considered to be sufficient tosatisfy long-term requirements of the MTH, aswell as the smaller, short-term demands of thelocal construction industry. Potential graveldeposits are also available from privately-ownedlands. Nevertheless, potential aggregate-bearing lands must continue to be made availablefor both private and public sector use, andtherefore were identified on a suitability map
Page i 8
by the MLPH using knowledge of the location andcomposition of surficial deposits,accessibili ty, distance to potential market oruse areas, compatibility with the existing andadjacent land uses, and land status information.
1 .4.8 Industrial & Commercial Land Requirements
Industrial sites in the Plan Area consistmainly of rural sawmills and quarrying sites forsand, gravel and rock. Commercial uses consistof scattered recreational uses. The vastmajority of commercial and industrialdevelopments are located in Prince George.Regional District and City policies reinforcethe concentration of industrial and commercialuses in Prince George, and consequently the useof Crown land for such purposes is limited. Oneindustrial reserve was established near SalmonValley in association with a steel mill proposalseveral years ago.
Future Crown land requirements for industrial/commercial ~ses are expected to be low, and thePlan does not therefore allocate additionalCrown land for industr ial purposes besides theexisting Salmon Valley industrial reserve. Noindustrial land use suitability map has beengenerated. As a consequence of local governmentfeedback during the public .participationprogram, however, the Plan does accommodatefuture industrial use options for several Crownland areas near Prince George (see Section i. 6)
1.4.9 Other Crown Land Requirements
The Concept Plan (l98l) also assessed Crown landrequirements for recreational cottage lots.Interest in obtaining such lots does not appearhigh. Recreational cottage lots are offered ona planned disposition, lease-only basis by theMLPH. At the last lot draw (October, 1980) onlyone of nine lots available on several lakes wasleased. Future requirements anticipated at thistime are considered low in light of RegionalDistr ict regulations on shoreland development(through its Lakeshore Guidelines). A higher
Page 19
priority is attached to future use of suitableshoreland for public uses rather than private,given the lack of developed public recreationalsites in the Plan Area. Cottage lot demands maytherefore be more readily accommodated onshorelands outside the Plan Area.
Insti tutional uses are al so addressed as aresul t of issues ensuing from the publicparticipation program (see Section l. 6) . Theseuses include medical, educational, correctional,research and other institutions serving a broadpublic interest. They also include meetinghalls and recreation facilities serving a morespecific community. Most of these uses arepresently located in Prince George onpr i vately-owned land. Large rural-orientedinstitutional proposals are difficult topredict, since their need is usually determinedby Provincial or Federal government agencies.Communi ty facility requirements, in contrast,can be associated with population increases. Itis possible that Crown land may be required infuture to accommodate these var iousinstitutional uses, but the specific locationsand amount of land are difficult to determinedue to wide variations in community needs andother uncertainties. The Plan thereforeaddresses Crown land requirements forinsti tutional uses through policy provision srather than through land designations.
l.5 Al ternati ve Conceptual Plans
Four alternative means of achieving the basic Planobjectives were developed from analysis of the P.G.A.data base. Each one provided a distinctiveadministrative approach to Crown land and resources, aswell as a generalized map of the future Crown land usepattern that could result. These alternatives wereendorsed by the Task Force as representing key pointson the broad spectrum of choice available for Crownland in the Plan Area, and became the basis of detailedpublic, interest group and government agency review.The basic features and comparisons of the foural ternati ve plans are outlined in Tables 2 and 3.
CO
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ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTUAL PLANS: SooOMIC AND ENVIRONI'NTAL IWLICATIONS
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CT
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N- WILDLIFE HABITAT DISPLACEMENT; WILD-
LI
FE H
AR
ASS
ME
NT
AN
D I
NC
EA
SED
HU
NT
I I
- PR
E S
SUR
E .
B. l.lxm RE9JURCE WlNAGEMENT El.PHASI S
*LIMITED ECONOMIC DIIERSIFICATION CfPO-
TUNITIES. I'CREASED ST~ENGTH Of RECREA-
TID
N A
ND
TO
UR
ISl.
It-U
STH
Y.
-MAY RESULT IN LOI- RUN SUSTAINABLE
YIELD EXCEED
I I- THAT CALCULATED IN TSA
ANALYSIS. l.INIW.L ADDITIONAL CONTRIBU-
TIO
N T
O F
OR
EST
Ii'U
STR
Y A
ND
l.IL
LS.
OPPOTUNITY FOR EXPANSION DEPENDENT
DN
FO
RE
STS
OU
TSI
DE
PL
AN
ME
A.
-RETENTION AND POSSIBLE EXPANSION DF
EX
I ST
I I-
RA
NG
E R
E9J
UR
CE
BA
SE.
-NO
CO
NT
R I
BU
T I
ON
TO
LO
CA
L A
GR
I C
ULT
UR
AL
ECONOMY. C€ VELOPI'NT C€PENDENT ON "1E
INTENSIVE USE OF PRIVATE LAND.
-POTENTIALLY SUBSTANTIAL ENHANCEMENT ::
RECREATION AND TOURISl. Ii'USTRY. BOTH
WIL
C€R
NE
SS A
ND
FA
CIL
ITY
-ffI
EN
TE
DR
EC
RE
AT
ION
L C
PPO
TU
NIT
IES
PRO
VIC
€D.
VARIETY OF C€VELOPED PARKS AND RECRE-
ATIDN, CONSERVATION SITES.
-PO
SS
I BiE
Lll.
ITE
D E
XP
AN
SIO
N O
f l.1
~R
AL
EXTRACTION It-USTRY. MCERATE REDUCTION
IN AVAILABILITY OF FUTURE SAND AND
GRAVEL RE9JURCES.
*PO
S SI
BL
E l.
I N
ff E
XP
AN
S I
ON
OF
RE
9JU
RC
E-
ff I
EN
TE
D S
ET
TL
EM
EN
T :E
NT
RE
S,PMT I CULARL Y NUKKO LAKE, HI XON. ISLE
PIE,lRE AND LPPER FRASER. POSSIBLE
I NC
RE
.AS
E IN
C€"
1ND
FO
R C
OM
tL. I
TY
SEtV
ICE
S.
'MINI'lL POTENTIAL II''REASE IN ENVIRON-
l.ET
AL
PR
BLE
l.S, A
S S
Ul.
I;G 9
JUN
D I
t- I
V I
-D
UA
L I Z
ED
AN
D IN
TE
GR
AT
ED
RE
9JU
RC
EW
.NA
GE
l.EN
T P
RO
GR
NoS
. I 'C
LUC
CD
ME
:-R
ED
UC
ED
FO
RE
ST
RY
-RE
LAT
ED
EN
V IR
ON
i-NT
AL
PRBLEl.S, PARTICULARLY HABITAT DIS-
PLACE"1NT, WATER QUAL ITY REDUCTION,
V I
SU
AL
I WA
CT
, AN
D W
i LO
ll F
EHARAS S/ENT .
C. l.IXED WlNAGEl.ENT AND DEVELCfI'NT
EM
AA
SI S
*l.X
ll.U
M P
OSS
IBL
E E
CO
No.
lC D
IVE
RSI
FIC
l,-TIDN PPOTUNITIES. ALL ECONCJIC
AC
T I
~ I
TI E
S S
TR
EN
GT
HE
NE
D.
-w.y
RE
SUL
T I
N M
JRA
TE
SH
ffT
-TE
ff S
UP-
PLYöWHILE LOI- RUN SUSTAINABLE YIELD
I.. Y
RE
MA
I N
TH
E S
NoE
AS
TH
AT
CA
LCU
LAT
ED
IN TSA ANALYSIS. I~ LO;G TEff, NO
EXPANSION OF FOREST It-USTRY. NO
ADDITI D~L CONTRI BUT
I O
N T
O F
OR
EST
Ii'USTRY AND MILLS.
CfPOTUNITY FOR E~ANSI ON DEPENDENT
ON FORESTS OUTSI DE f'AN AREA.
-RE
DU
CT
ION
OF
EX
I S
TIN
: NA
T I
VE
Rm
GE
RE
9JU
RC
E B
AS
E.
-PO
TE
NT
I A
LL
Y f
oRA
TE
CO
NT
RI
BlI
IO
N T
OLO
CA
L A
GR
I C
ULT
UR
AL
EC
ON
o.Y
.-POTENTIALLY MJRATE ENK'NCEMENT OF
RE
CR
EA
T I
ON
AN
D T
OJR
I S
l. I
i'UST
RY
.I !'REASED EMPHAS I S ON DE VELCf E
DR
EC
RE
AT
I D
N S
I T
ES,
WIT
H F
Ew
ER
Wi L
CC
R-
NESS-ffIENED CPPORTUN ITIES.
-PO
SS
IBLE
MJR
AT
E E
~A
NS
ION
OF
l.IN
ER
AL
EXTRACTION It-USTRY. AVAILABILITY OF
FlIURE S.AD AND GRAVEL SUPPLIES w.Y ~
LIM
ITE
D .
*MIN
CR
EX
PA
NS
ION
OF
S£T
TLE
l.EN
T :E
NT
RE
SWITH æMS I ~D AGR I CULTURAL, RECREAT I ON-
AL, TR.ASPOTATION SERVICE FUNCTIONS:
NUKKO LAKE, REID LAKE, IJAVERLEY .AD
HIX
ON
.æH'L.ITY SERVICE C€"1NDS l-Y I N:REASE.
*MO
OR
AT
E P
OT
EN
TIA
L I
!'R
EA
SE I
N E
NV
IR
ON
-~
NT
AL
PR
BLE
l.S. I
!'LU
CC
D A
RE
:
- I !'REASED C€VELCfI'NT-RElATED CON-
CE
RN
S, p
AR
TIC
UU
,RLY
LO
SS
OF
WIL
DLI
FE
HABITAT, I!'REASED ffNTIN: mD FISH-
IN: P
RE
SS
UR
ES
, MJR
AT
E W
ILD
LIF
EC
ON
FL I
CT
S A
ND
HA
RA
SSM
EN
T, S
O I
LElUSION AND IoTER QUALITY
C€T
ER
I ffA
T I
DN
.
D. A
GR
ICU
LTU
RA
L C
€VE
UP
fEN
T E
l.ftA
SI S
*MO
OR
AT
E E
CO
NC
JIC
DIV
ER
SI!'
ICA
TIO
NCfPORTUN I TIE S. POS SI BLE i..!
STR
EN
GT
HE
N I¡. OF AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY
-wiL
L
RE
SU
LT IN
HIGH SHffT-TEff TIMEER
SUPPLY; WHILE LO¡' RUN SUSTAINAElE
YIELD WILL BE REDLCED EELOW TK'T
CA
LC
UU
,TE
D I
N T
SA A
NA
L Y
S I
S. P
OSS
I B
LE
REDLCTION OF FORESTRY I~USTRY.
-REDLCTION OF EXISTI¡' NATIVE RHIGE
RE
9JU
RC
E B
AS
E.
-PO
TE
NT
IAL
LY
SU
BST
AN
TIA
L C
ON
TR
I B
lIl O
NT
O L
OC
AL
AG
RI C
ULT
UR
AL
Eæ
No.
Y-POTENTIALLY MJRATE ENK'NCEMENT OF
RE
CR
EA
T I
DN
.AD
TO
JR I
Sl.
I t-U
ST
RY
.C
C V
EL
CPE
D P
AR
KS
AN
D R
EC
RE
AT
IO
N A
RE
AS
PRi:OMI~NT. REDLCED WILCCRNESS OR
EX
TE
NS
I V
E R
EC
RE
AT
I D
N O
PP
OR
TU
N IT
E S
.-P
OS
SI B
LE M
JRA
TE
E~
AN
SI O
N O
F M
I NE
RlL
EXTRACfION I t-
US TRY . AVAIU,BILITY (F
FlIURE smD .AD GRAVEL SUPPL IES l.Y EE
LIl
.IT
ED
.
*MODERATE E~ANSI ON DF SETTLEMENT
CENTRES WITH AGRICULTURAL SERVICE
FUNCTION: NIJKO LAKE, REID LAKE,
EEA VERLEY, SALM:N V ALLEY, STRATHN' VER
AND HIXON. COl.ML.ITY SERVICE C€l.NDS
WLY
I!'R
EA
SE
.
'SU
BST
.AT
IAL
PO
TE
NT
IAL
I!'R
EA
SE I
NE
NV
IRO
//NT
AL
PR
OB
LE
l.S C
€SPI
TE
REOU IREMENTS FOR DEVELCPI'NT IMPACT
MITIGATION. IN:LUCCD ARE:
-SUBST.ATIAL ALTERATION DF STREJMFLOW
OiA
RA
CfE
RI S
TiC
S-I!'RE.ASED 9JIL ElUSION POTENTIAL
-POSSIBLE WATER QUALITY C€TERlffATION
mD C€CLI ~ IN FISH HABI TAT
-I N
:RE
ASE
D E
NV
IRO
t-E
NT
AL
HA
ZA
IIS
FRM
ÆSTlCIC€ APPLICATI ON
-SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OF WILDLIFE HABITAT;
REDLCTION IN WILDliFE POULATIONS AND
SPECIES DIVERSITY.
-IN:REASED WILDLIFE/FAff CPERATff
CO~L ieTS AND HARAS~ENT.
'ì ¡J i. CD ~ ~
Page 22
1.5.1 Alternative "A": Forest Management Emphasis
Alternative "A" maximizes the amount of Crownland available for short and long-term timberharvesting and forest management. Theintegrated management of resources by theMinistry of Forests is emphasized, consistentwith its mandate over timber, range and forestrecreation. Management programs of otherresource agencies would take place inconjunction with timber harvesting plans.The Concept A map (see Concept Plan) showsnearly all Crown land in the Plan Area allocatedto integrated foresty use for inclusion inprovincial forest, similar to the Fort GeorgeProvincial Forest proposal. As shown on Table3, Alternative A contributes the least towardseconomic diversification opportunities, but doespromote a limited expansion of the local forestindustry and mills by providing for a long-runsustainable timber yield in excess of thatcalculated in the Timber Supply Area analysis.
l. 5.2 Alternative liB ": Mixed Resource ManagementEmphas is
Alternative liB" is similar in focus to "A", butremoves from the II integrated forest" lands thoseareas where specific resource values would bebest managed by the agency responsible for agiven resource. Therefore, Crown land isallocated not only for integrated forestry usebut also for individualized recreation,conservation and wildlife habitat management(Taple 2). Development-oriented uses wouldoccur only on Crown land with low forestry,range, recreation or wildlife value.Approximately 75 percent of ~the Crown land isallocated to integrated forestry use on theConcept B map. As' shown on Table 3, Alternative"B", provides limited economic diversificationopportuni ties, due primarily to increasedstrength of the recreation and tourismindustry. Short-term timber cut would be thelowest of all options, but the long-termsustainable yield would increase. Increasedagricul tural production would be almost entirely
Page 23
dependent on more intensive use of land alreadyin private hands. Stimulus would be providedfor limited expansion of resource-orientedsettlement centres.
1 . 5.3 Al ternati ve "C": Mixed Management & DevelopmentEmphasis
Ii
Alternative "c" proposes a mixture of resourcemanagement and land development uses of Crownland. It would al low for considerableagricul tural expansion and recreationalopportunities by allocating high valueagricul tural and water-based recreational landsto those purposes, and placing the remainder ineither single or integrated resource usecategories. Approximately 45 percent of Crownland would be available for integrated forestryuses within a Provincial Forest. Al ternati ve"c" would ensure staging of agriculturaldevelopment, and make provision forresource-related industrial and commercial uses,including gravel extraction. It maximizes thepossible economic diversification opportunitiesof the Plan Area by strengthening all economicactivities to some degree. A moderate increasein short-term timber supply is possible,al though long-run sustainable yields would notincrease. Minor expansion of settlement centreswi th combined agricultural, recreation andtransportation service functions is probable(Table 3).
n
l. 5.4 Alternative liD": Agricultural DevelopmentEmphasis
Conceptual alternative "D" maximizes the amountof Crown land available for short and long-termagricul tural development. It reflects themaximum extent to which government agriculturaldisposition policy could be implemented andstill meet Plan objectives. As in Concept "C",agricul tural development would be staged overtime (Table 2). According to the Concept D map,approximately 50 percent of available Crown landwould be allocated for agricultural purposes,with some 35 percent available for integratedforestry use. Other Crown land allocation areaswould remain the same in extent as in
Page .24
Concept "C". Rural residential land allocationswould be made for the agricultural servicecentres of Hixon, Strathnaver, Beaverley andReid Lake. Alternative "D" would providemoderate economic diversification opportunities,on the strength of a possible expansion ofagricul tural, recreation and tourismindustries. It provides for a high short-termtimber harvest but the lowest long-runsustainable yield of all the al ternati ves.Opportuni ties for expansion of the gravelextraction and recreation and tourism industriesare also possible (Table 3).
l.6 Public Participation Program
A comprehensive public participation program was stagedduring the period April to July, 1981 to obtainfeedback on the information, analysis and alternativeCrown land strategies outlined in the Concept Plan.The program began with an "open house" meeting inPrince George for invited interest groups. This wasfollowed by a newspaper flyer circulated in the PrinceGeorge Citizen, containing a synopsis of informationand a "mail-in" questionnaire to obtain public views onthe four conceptual al terna ti ves . An open housemeeting for the g€neral public was held in PrinceGeorge on April 30, 1981~ In addition to these formalacti vi ties, MLPH staff held meetings (on request) withthree local farming associations and one forestindustry association~ and also held informationmeetings with the Regional District of Fraser-FortGeorge and the City of Prince George planning staff.The information poster series was displayed to a wideaudience at the April 25 - 26 "Outdoor 1981" show atthe Prince George Kin Centre, and copies of the DraftConcept Plan made available on request to interestgroups to assist in preparation of written submissions.
Twenty-three written submissions and 119 questionnairereturns were received. Most written briefs were madeby associations connected with the forest andagricul tural industries, while the questionnairereturns reflected interest from a wide tange ofoccupational groups (Tables 4 and 5). The "mixedresource management and land development" al ternati ve(Option C) received the highest support, with 43 of thel42 total responses favouring this option. Concept "D"received the second highest amount of support with 32
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PREFERENCE FOR
AL
TE
RN
AT
IVE
CO
NC
EP
TU
AL
PLA
NS
:
QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS,
PRIN
CE
GE
OR
GE
AR
EA
PL
A
Occ
upat
iona
lG
roup
Pref
erre
dC
once
ptI
AB
B to C
CC to D
DOther /
Tot
alN
one
Bus
ines
s&
Prof
essi
onal
06
215
44
031
Logg ing
&Fo
rest
Indu
stry
38
17
07
329
Farm
ing
&R
anch
ing
03
'06
76
224
Tra
des,
Lab
our& Related
Serv
ice
11
18
17
120
Hom
emak
ing,
Ret
iree
s&
Uns
peci
fied
03
12
24
3l5
Tot
al4
215
38l4
289
l19
(% of
Tot
al)
(3.4
)(1
7.6)
(4.2
)(31. 9)
(11.
8)(2
3.5)
(7.6
)(l
OO
.O)
1"C
ombi
natio
n"categories were used to accommodate
responses which
selected more
than
one
optio
n.l' PI lQ CD rv lJ
'*:
Page 26
favourable returns. Concept "B" received 24, andConcept iiA" 6 first-choice preferences in the combinedwritten briefs and questionnaire returns. This patternof support was most evident among questionnaire returns(Table 4). Written briefs also showed Concept "c" asthe most favoured of the 4 altèrnatives, but gavehighest overall support to a modified Option "C", withgreater areas devoted to integrated resource use as inOption "B".
The submissions contained many valuable commentsrelated to the planning process i the data base andmethodology i the competing land demands of theagricul tural and forest industries ¡governmentCrown land disposition policies i staging ofagricul tural dispositions i and forest managementpractices. A detailed summary of comments is providedin the P.G.A. Crown Land Concept Plan (1981).
There are several inherent limitations to the use ofthe questionnaire survey and the public input analysis,including "double-recording" of concerns, duplicationof comments, lack of pre-testing of the questionnaire,and the unknown response representativeness of thetotal Plan Area population. These limitations are notconsidered serious given the intended role of thei/public input as one of assisting in, rather thandirecting, the selection of a, preferred al ternati ve bythe inter-agency Task Force.
1. 7 Selection of Preferred Al ternati ve
Results of the public input analysis indicated to theinter-agency Task Force that a "modified Concept C"should serve as the basis for a detailed Crown LandPlan. The direction of modification of therepresentative conceptual allocation map remained to beestablished by the Task Force, however, because of theoffsetting preferences of the questionnaire returns(Table 4) and written submissions (Table 5).Task Force agencies presented their own individualpositions on the preferred alternative and met toreview these positions in conjunction with the publicinput analysis. After considerable discussion, a TaskForce consensus confirmed Concept "c" as the preferredmanagement approach, with modifications of therepresentative allocation map to reflect a combinationof Concept B and Concept C maps.
----
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E. 5
PRE
FER
EN
CE
FOR
AL
TE
RN
AT
IVE
CO
NC
EPT
UA
LPL
AN
S:
WR
ITT
EN
BR
IEFS
,PRINCE GEORGE AREA
PLA
N
Type of Association
Preferred Concept
AB
B to C
CC to D
DO
ther
IT
otal
Non
e
Fore
stIn
dust
ry1
25
10
00
9
Agricul tural
00
01
22
05
Local Government,
00
13
00
15
Publ
icIn
stitu
tions
and Agencies
Rec
reat
iona
l0
10
00
00
1
Publ
ic-a
t-la
rge
10
00
02
03
Tota 1
23
65
24
123
(% of
Tot
al)
(8.7
)(1
3.0)
(26.
1)(2
1.7)
(8.7
)(1
7.4)
(4.4
)(l
OO
)
i- PJ \Q CD N -.
Page 28".;1¡i
,This modified Concept C map was developed through aseries of meetings with individual Task Force agenciesand endorsed by the Task Force on June l8, 1981. Shownon Map 3, it indicates increased areas devoted tointegrated forestry activitiesend a correspondingdecrease in several areas previously assigned in theConcept C map to agriculture, recreation, wildlife, andaggregate extraction uses. A reduction in size of areaallocated to these uses does not in most cases imply areduced level of utilization of lands for theseactivities. Map ~ also shows a new land category,termed "Land Bank", proposed by local governmentrepresentatives on the Task Force for possibleresidential, industrial, recreational and institutionaluses. This category generally reflects the RegionalDistrict Official Regional Plan policy ?esignating afringe area around Prince George for protection of landfor future urban expansion. NO land requirementanalysis was done for this category.
" t
J.~
(
l
The preferred concept and accompanying map werereviewed and endorsed by the Omineca-Peace RegionalResource Management Committee on June 22, 1981. TheExecutive Committee of the MLPH gave its approval inprinciple on June 26, 1981, while formal approval wasobtained at a July 14, 1981 joint meeting of theexecutives of the MLPH and the Ministry of Forests.The Environment and Land Use Technical Committee(ELUTC) approved the preferred concept map on August 6,1 981, while the Environment and Land Use Committee ofCabinet (ELUC) endorsed the Concept on November l3,1981.
" rh
!
I-I,¡.."
Jl.8 Derivation of the Crown Land Plan
The information, inventory and analysis provided in theConcept Plan has been utilized as the basis for adetailed Crown Land Plan for the Prince George Area. Adetailed Plan Map has been developed from the broadconceptual allocation map (Map 3) of the Concept Plan,and designates Crown land for specific uses andacti vi ties using more precise district lot boundaries.The land categories themselves have been modified fromthose of the Concept Plan Map to more clearly conveythe level and nature of use. A set of policyguidelines has also been prepared for each Crown landcategory to establish commitment, clarification anddirection for government agencies. The pol icyguidelines are comprehensive statements of existinggovernment policy and special management conditionspertinent to the Plan Area. The policy guidelines andPlan Map constitute Part 2.0 of this Plarr document.
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Prince George AreaCrown Land Plan',,1.:,\" 3PREFERRED CONCEPT ß "
~ agriculture~ rural residence~ recreation and conservation
c= integrated forestry8J wildlire habitatIB industrylI'and bankC= excluded land Pf--,-.iiy ."..... In" I. c....... i.ft
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CROWN LANDDESIGNATIONS &POLICY GUIDELINES
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Page 30
PART 2.0 CROWN LAND DESIGNATIONS AND POLICY GUIDELINES
2. 1 Plan InterpretationAGRICULTURAL LAND RESERVE (A. L. R.) means theAgricul tural Land Reserve established pursuant to theAgricul tural Land Commission Act to protect land withagricul tural potential for future agricultural use, andto encourage uses compatible with agriculture.
A.R.D.S.A. means the Agricultural and Rural DevelopmentSubsidiary Agreement between the Federal Department ofRegional Economic Expansion and the B. C. Ministry ofAgricul ture and Food designed to intensify the beefcattle industry and diversify the agriculturalprocessing industry in B. C.
APPLICANT means a person applying for a disposition ofCrown land under the Land Act respecting Crown land.
CONCEPT PLAN means the Prince George Area Crown LandConcept Plan (1981) of the Ministry of Lands i Parks andHousing which provides technical background informationanalysis and conceptual land use alternatives for thePlan Area.
CONSERVATION means the act of planning and managinglands, buildings or natural resources or environmentalfeatures to ensure that their full potential can berealized in the future when required by society.
CROWN means Her Majesty in right of the Province ofBritish Columbia.
CROWN LAND PLAN means the Prince George Area Crown LandPlan (P.G.A. Crown Land Plan) which contains Crown landdesignations, policy guidelines and Plan Map and isadopted under authority of the Minister of Lands, Parksand Housing. .CROWN LAND DISPOSITION means the act of disposal bywhich an interest in Crown land is transferred from theCrown to an interested. party, or by which the Crowndivests itself of Crown land.
FLOOD HAZARD AREA means a low land area or floodplain,whether flood-proofed or not, which by reason of landelevation is susceptible to periodic flooding from anadjoining stream, lake or other body of water.
Page 31
LAND CAPABILITY means the natural ability of land andresources to support a specified activity or use, basedon the natural biological and physical (biophys ical)characteristics of the land.
LAND SUITABILITY means the ability of the land tosupport a given activity based upon biophysicalcharacteristics and the constraints and advantages ofthe land due to existing use, location, and a varietyof social, economic and political (policy) factors.
LI NEAR DEVELOPMENT means a right-of-way or easement fortelephone lines, oil and gas transmission lines, powerlines, sewage outfall lines and other public utilities.
MLPH means the B. C. Ministry of Lands, Parks andHousing.
PLAN AREA means the Prince George Area (PGA) asdescribed and mapped in the Crown Land Plan and ConceptPlan. It excludes privàtely-owned land and the City ofPrince George, and conforms to the boundaries of thePrince George Special Sales Area north of theCot tonwood River.
RECLAMATION means the manipulation, recontouring andrevegetation of a land surface disturbed in theextraction of sand, gravel, and minerals or by otherland uses in order to restore it to a desireableproducti ve use.
RESERVED LAND means Crown land that has been withdrawnfrom disposition under the Land Act or some other Act.
RESPONSIBLE AGENCY means the government agencyidentified in the Crown Land Plan as responsible forthe management, planning and jurisdiction of Crownlands assigned to a specific land allocation category.
SPECIAL SALES AREA (S.S.A.) means the Prince GeorgeSpecial Sales Area (P.G.S.S.A.) established in 1962 byOrder-in-Council pursuant to the Forest Act, whichpermitted Crown pulpwood timber stands to be offeredfor sale to pulp companies through pulpwood harvestingagreements.
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2.2 General Provisions
2.2.1 Relationship to Land Act
This Crown Land Plan shall assist the Ministerof Lands, Parks and Housing and the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council in carrying out thefollowing responsibilities pursuant to the LandAct (R.S.B.C., Ch. 214):
i) the administration of all Crown land in thePrince George Plan Area, except Crown landunder the specific administration of anotherMini,ster, branch or agency of government(Land Act, S. 4 ) :
ii) the disposition of Crown lahd in thePrince George Plan Area. by lease; permit,licence to occupy or sale in the publicinterest (Land Act, S. 8) :
iii) the reservation of Crown land fromdisposi tion by Order-in-Council Reserve forany purpose considered advisable in thepublic interest (Land Act, S. 11) :
i v) the temporary withdrawal of Crown land fromdisposi tion by Map Reserve for any purposeconsidered advisable in the public interest(Land Act, S. 12 ) :
v) the designation of the most sui table use ofCrown land and its withdrawal, in the publicinterest, from disposition for any purposeother that the designated use by Land Actdesignation (Land Act, S.13): and
vi) the amendment or cancellation of reserves,designations, and withdrawals fromdisposition pursuant to the Land Act (S.LL,12 and 13).
2.2.2 Relationship to Other Statutes, Regulationsand Procedures
(a) This Crown Land Plan shall assist theMinister of Forests, the Chief Forester andthe Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council incarrying out their responsibilities pursuantto the Ministry of Forests Act (R. S . B. C. i
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Ch. 272) and the Forest Act (R.S.B.C., Ch.140), and particularly in the designation offorest land as Provincial Forest and orderingthat provincial forests be consolidated ifpracticable.
(b) Compliance with the provisions of this CrownLand Plan in no way absolves Crown landapplicants and tenure holders from compliancewi th local government Offical Plans andzoning regulations; relevant B. C. and Federalstatutes, and terms and conditions ofexisting and future Crown land tenures.
( c) The provisions of this Crown Land Plan shallreinforce and supplement the landadministration policy and proceduresestablished by the Ministry of Lands, Parksand Rous ing .
(d) The provisions of this Crown Land Plan shallreinforce and supplement existing and futureProtocol Agreements established between theMinistry of Lands, Parks and Housing andother Ministries and agencies of the Crowngoverning the administration and use of Crownland for various purposes.
(e) The designations and provisions of this Planin no way preclude the utilization of Crownland for exploration, extraction, reclamationor other uses and activities authorizedpursuant to other statutes and regulations inBritish Columbia.
2.2.3 Crown Land Uses and Acti vi ties
(a) Crown land uses and acti vi ties shall bepermi t ted and undertaken in accordance withthe Crown land designations and policyguidelines contained herein (Sections 2.3 to2.7) and the Plan Map, which is deemed partof the Crown Land Plan. The policyguidelines will reinforce and supplement, butnot supercede the policies of other agencies.
(b) Applications for Crown land for usespermitted and conditionally permitted by thePlan shall be processed and adjudicated bythe agency responsible for management of theCrown land, as identified for each individualland allocation category. Applications for
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Crown land which remains the jurisdictionalresponsibili ty of the Ministry of Lands,Parks and Housing shall be processed andadjudicated according to MLPH policy.
(c) Applications for public institutional usesincluding hospitals, penal institutions,educational institutions, communíty parks,research and other facilities designed toserve broad community interests, shall beentertained in all land categories of thePlan which remain under the jurisdiction ofLands and Housing Regional OperationsDivision, MLPH, and shall be evaluated ontheir individual merit pursuant to MLPHpolicy.
2.2.4 Plan Map Interpretation
The Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housingshall interpret the specific location and extentof each land allocation category of the Plan Mapwhen Crown land applications are made pursuantto the Plan Map in areas where boundaries do notcoincide with district lot boundaries, otherlegally-defined boundaries, or man-made orphysical boundaries.
2 .2. 5 Private Lands
Privately owned lands which may be shown on thePlan Map as allocated to a specific Crown landuse are not governed by the provisions andpolicy guidelines of this Plan.
2.2.6 Existing Crown Land Reserves
(a) Order-in-Council Reserves established underSection 11, Land Act or any other Act are notaltered or affected. by the provisions of thisPlan.
(b) Existing Section 12 Land Act Map Reservesshall be reviewed in this Plan and the landassigned to specific land categories. Unlessotherwise stated in the Plan, these reservesshall be cancelled and the land secured byother specified means for individual landallocation categories.
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(c) Section 12 Land Act reserves not cancelledpursuant £0 this Plan shall be re-eval uatedrelative to their merit and purpose at thefirst formal Plan review.
(d) Existing Section 12 Land. Act reserves forsand and gravel purposes shall be assigned tospecific land allocation categories of thePlan in accordance with the most sui table useof the reserved land. A systematic review ofthese reserves shall be undertaken by theMinistry of Lands, Parks and Housing pursuantto this Plan. Cancelled reserves shall besubject to the provisions of the landcategory to which they have been assigned.Provision should be made for reclamation ofdisturbed lands to a condition capable ofaccommodating the permitted uses of the landcategory to which they have been assigned.
2.2.7 A.L.R. Crown Lands
(a) Applications for Crown land uses notpermit ted as outright uses in an Agricul tura 1Land Reserve (A.L.R.) shall be forwarded tothe Regional District and Agricultural LandCommission for approval, in accordance withboth the Agricultural Land Commission Act andthe regulations made pursuant to this Act.
(b) Soil removal or placement of fill materialassociated with sand and gravel operations onA.L.R. Crown lands shall require a permitfrom the Regional District pursuant to theSoil Conservation Act.
2.2.8 Flood Razard on Crown Lands
All use applications and development proposalsfor Crown lands located on flood hazard areasshall be referred to the Ministry of Environmentfor comment, pursuant to Section 82 (1) and (2),Land Titles Act. Special terms and conditionsmay be imposed to govern the development of suchlands, including restrictive covenant fortenures leading to clear title of land, tominimize property damage, injury and otherflood-related hazards.
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2.2.9 Linear Developments and Roadways
(a) Linear developments and roadways shall,wherever possible, be required to minimizeland disturbance, adverse environmentalimpact, and the unnecessary fragmentation ofCrown land, particularly land underlease-purchase agreement for agriculturalpurposes.
(b) Major right-of-way proposals for Crown landsin the Plan Area are subject to existingProvincial guidelines governing review andapproval of linear developments and majorenergy projects, and shall be forwarded tothe appropriate co-ordinating agency forreview and assessment.
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2.3 Wildlife Habitat Management Area (WHMA)
2.3.1 DefinitionCrown lands cons idered both sui table forwildlife habitat use and. important to thecontinuous production, maintenance andconservation of local and regional wildliferesources.
2.3.2 General Description
(a) Crown land rated sui table for wildlifehabi tat use by the Prince George Area CrownLand Concept Plan (1981).
( b) Crown land cr i tical or very important forproduction and maintenance of species numbersand diversity, primarily as winter range orsummer range for local and regional ungulatepopulations.
2 . 3 . 3 Purpose
( a) To promote the us e of Crown land forlong-term management of wildlife resources tosatisfy the recreational, aesthetic,environmental and economic needs of local andregional residents.
(b) To protect critical Crown wildlife habitatlands from conflicting or incompatibleresource management activities and competingland uses.
(c) To secure suitable Crown wildlife habitatlands for intensive management by the agencydirectly responsible for wildlifeconservation and management in B.C.
2.3.4 Re sponsible Agency
B.C. Ministry of Environment, Fish and WildlifeBranch assumes responsibility for management ofWRMA lands.
2.3.5 Permitted Uses and Activities
(a) Wildlife habitat management and enhancementprograms of government.
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(b) Wildlife management programs and activitiesof government pursuant to the B. C. wildlifeAct.
(c) Non-tenured public recreational uses andactivities compatible with wildlife habitatand wildlife management programs. Generallyland-extensive, non-motorized andfacility-independent activities.
(d) Watershed management activities of theMinistry of Environment.
2.3.6 Conditional Uses and Activities
(a) Timber harvesting activities and the grazingof domestic livestock may be permittedsubj ect to conditions imposed by theresponsible agency respecting objectives andprograms for wi ldl ife habitat management.
(b) Resource-related industrial uses of atemporary or transient nature may bepermitted in association with forestharvesting activities subject to conditionsimposed by the Ministry of Environment inassociation with the Ministry of Forests andconsistent with local government zoningrestrictions.
(c) Linear developments and roadways and theirassociated rights-of-way and easements may bepermitted, subject to:i) conformance with impact mitigation,
reclamation, aesthetic, or otherrequirements specified by the Ministry ofEnv ironment: and
ii) conformance with performance requirementsrespecting linear developments as outlinedin Section 2.2.9, General Provisions.
2.3.7 Management and Planning Guidelines
( a) Habi ta t Management Plans should be preparedfor WRMA lands by the Fish and WildlifeBranch and with assistance from advisorycommi t tees of local residents and associatedgovernment agencies. These Plans willidentify guidelines and approaches to habitatenhancement in the subject areas.
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The plans should indicate the necessity for,as well as the nature. and timing of, timberharvesting activities and grazing scheduleson WHMA lands.
(b) Timber harvesting activities, if deemednecessary, shall be co-ordinated through theMinistry of Forests and performed accordingto an acceptable cutting and reforestationplan.
(c) Existing grazing tenures in lands designatedWHMA shall be reviewed by the Fish & WildlifeBranch in conjunction with the tenure-issuingagency to evaluate their compatibility withthe stated purpose of this land category.
2.3.8 Implementation Process
(a) Crown lands designated Wildlife HabitatManagement Area are reserved under the LandAct, Section 12, for wildlife habitatprograms and related uses specified in thisPlan.
(b) Existing Land Act reserves for recreationpurposes currently in place on WHMA-designated lands shall be cancelled.
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. ,.\2.4 Recreation and Conservation Management Area (RCMA)
2.4. 1 DefinitionCrown lands considered most sui table for outdoorrecreation and natural or heritage conservationuses and which may be required to meet thefuture outdoor recreational and conservationneeds of the region.
2.4.2 General Description
(a) Crown lake and stream shorelands and uplandareas rated suitable for recreation andconservation (natural or heritage) uses bythe Prince George Area Crown Land ConceptPlan (1981).
(b) Crown land of interest to the RegionalDistrict of Fraser-Fort George, the Parks andOutdoor Recreation Division, MLPH, and theMinistry of Forests for future provincialparksi regional parks, Forest Servicerecreation sites, or for other publicrecreational facility development, includingscenic areas and viewpoints, heritage sites,and unique natural features or representativelandscapes of local, regional or provincialsignificance.
2.4.3 Purpose
(a) To secure Crown recreational lands requiredby communities and by local, regional andprovincial government agencies to satisfytheir respective park, outdoor recreation andconservation goals and objectives.
(b) To protect valuable recreation andconservation resources from competing orincompatible land uses and resourcemanagement acti vi ties.
(c) To provide suitable Crown land for expansionof the provincial and regional park andrecreation system to enable continued andfuture recreational use and enjoyment ofCrown land by regional communi ties, residentsand recreational user groups.
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2.4.4 Responsible Agency
The Lands and Housing Regional OperationsDivision, MLPH, retains responsibility foradministration of RCMA Crown lands until suchtime as these lands are granted or leased tolocal governments, communi ties or recreationaluser groups , or revested in the Crown forprovincial park purposes. The Parks and OutdoorRecreation Division, MLPH, shall act as theprimary advisory agency in the administration ofRCMA lands.
2.4.5 Permitted Uses and Activities
(a) Full range of extensive, non-facility,recrea tional acti vi ties by the generalpublic.
(b) Fish and wildlife management and enhancementactivities of the Fish and wildlife Branch.
(c) Camps and community recreation halls and usesintended for recreational enjoyment of thegeneral public, operated and developed bynon-profit organizations or communityassociations.
2.4.6 Conditional Uses and Acti vi ties
(a) Sand and gravel extraction may be permittedon RCMA lands provided that the lands arecurrently held under a Land Act gravelreserve or tenure.
(b) Minimal facility development for extensiverecreation uses, such as ski-touring andhiking trail systems, and day-use recreationareas, may be pe rmi t ted prov ided that:
i) development is undertaken by localgovernment , community, or a non-profitrecrea tional organization:
ii) development is compatible with the naturalenvironment and recreation resource valuesof the land under application: and
iii) the proposed facility development has the_approval of local government and the Parksand Outdoor Recreation Division, MLPH.
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(c) Selected timber harvesting acti vi ty may bepermitted, provided such activity is deemedbeneficial for enhancement or improvement ofthe recreational resource or for reduction offire, insect or safety hazard on public land.
(d) Linear developments and roadways and theirassociated rights-of-way and easements may bepermitted, subject to:i) conformance with MLPH policy and
procedures governing such developments:including written consent from any lesseeor licencee of the RCMA land affected bythe linear development: and
ii) conformance with performance requirementsrespecting linear developments as outlinedin Section 2.2.9, General Provis ions.
(e) Public institutional uses may be permitted,subject to conformance with Section 2.2.3 (c) ,General Provisions.
(f) Grazing of domestic livestock may bepermitted on an annual basis, subject toapproval of the Regional Director, MLPH, andapproval of the responsible agency if alease, grant or revestment of RCMA land hasbeen made pursuant to this Plan.
2.4.7 Management and Planning Guidelines
(a) All gravel extraction areas on RCMA landsshall be reclaimed to a condition amenable tofuture use for public outdoor recreationaluse. Reclamation performance and compliancewith an approved pit Development Plan is ajoint responsibility of the MLPH and theMinistry of Energy, Mines and PetroleumResources.
(b) In consultation with the Regional District ofFraser-Fort George, the Parks and OutdoorRecreation Division, MLPR, should undertakean analysis of gravel reserves on RCMA landsto determine the most appropriatepost-extracti ve recreational land use forfuture park and recreation facilitydevelopment.
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(c) Applications for Crown land lease or licenceof occupation for recreational use andfacili ty development must be accompanied by aRecreational Development Plan which includesmaps and details of facility design anddevelopment, and sequence of. development.
(d) Pursuant to MLPH policy, the disposition ofRCMA lands to non-profit organizations willbe made directly to local government, whowill in turn arrange for management anddevelopment of the lands for theorganization.
(e) All Crown land applications for recreationalleases or reserves for RCMA lands shall bereferred to the Parks and Outdoor RecreationDivision and the Regional District for reviewand comment as well as to the ReritageConservation Branch for heritage resourceimpact considerations.
(f )'''Applications for recreational uses of RCMAlands by local government must be submittedpursuant to resolution of Council and shallbe processed and adjudicated according toMLPR policy.
(g) Existing grazing tenures on RCMA lands shallbe reviewed by the Regional Director, MLPH,in consul ta tion with the Ministry of Forests,to evaluate their compatibility with themaintenance of the recreation andconservation resources of the affected lands.
2.4.8 Implementation Process
(a) Recreation and Conservation Management Arealands are designated under the Land Act,Section 13, for recreation and conservationuses specified in the RCMA category of thisPlan.
(b) RCMA lands currently held under Section 12Land Act reserve for recreational purposesshall be cancelled by the Regional Director,MLPR, and replaced by Section 13 designationsfor uses specified in the RCMA category.
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(c) Existing Land Act reserves for gravelextraction purposes on RCMA lands shall beaccommodated pursuant to Section 2.2.6,General Provisions . Cancelled reserves shallbe reserved under the Land Act, Section 13,for recreation and conservation managementuses pursuant to the RCMA designations ofthis Plan.
\'.'
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2.5 Settlement Reserve Area (SRA)
2.5. 1 DefinitionCrown lands with capability or sui tabili ty for arange of future settlement-oriented uses andwhich should be reserved until development foran appropriate use is considered desirable.
2.5.2 General Description
(a) Crown land rated suitable for ruralresidential use by the Prince George AreaCrown Land Concept Plan (1981).
(b) Crown land with High to Moderate TerrainCapabili ty for rural residential developmentby the Prince George Area Crown Land ConceptPlan (1981).
(c) Crown land adjacent to the City of PrinceGeorge boundaries which may have potentialfor accommodating future urban residential,industrial, commercial, institutional orrecreational uses, or which may serve an openspace function.
2.5.3 Purpose
(a) To maintain future land use options byreserving Crown land for unforeseen futureresidential, industrial, commercial,insti tutional or recreational requirements ofthe public and private sector until requiredfor utilization.
(b) To identi fy and reserve sufficient Crown landto meet projected rural residential Crownland requirements in selected settlementnodes of the Plan Area.
(c) To protect the City of Prince George fromfuture Crown land developments which may beundes irable with respect to timing or use andincompatible with adjacent City land uses, orwhich may adversely hinder future expansionof the City boundaries.
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(d) To encourage the use of sui table Crown landfor residential, industrial, and commercialuses pursuant to the goals, objectives anddevelopment programs of the Ministry ofLands, Parks and Housing.
2.5.4 Responsible Agency
The Regional Operations Division, MLPH, retainsresponsibility for administration of SRA lands.
2.5.5 Permitted Uses and Activities
Full range of non-tenured uses, which includebut are not limited to the fol lowing:i) extensive recreational activities by the
general publ ic:ii) wildlife management activities: and
iii) uses consistent with open space and scenicbuffer functions adjacent to the City ofPrince George boundaries.
2.5.6 Conditional Uses and Activities
(a) Residential, industrial, commercial,insti tutional and municipal or communityrecreational uses and activities may bepermitted, provided that:i) the proposed use is supported by both
local government zoning by-law andOfficial Regional and Settlement Planpolicy and land designations:
ii) the proposed use is compatible withadjacent land uses: and
iii) action for development of the proposed useis supported by resolution of localgovernment board or council.
b) Linear developments, roadways and theirassociated rights-of-way and easements may bepermitted, subject to:i) conformance with MLPH policy and
procedures:
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ii) conformance with the performancerequirements respecting lineardevelopments as outlined in Section 2.2.9,General Provisions: and
iii) support from municipal government andaffected provincial agencies.
(c) Publ ic institutional uses on SRA lands may bepermitted, subject to conformance withSection 2.2.3 (c), General Provisions, andSection 2.5.6 ( a) above.
(d) Selected resource uses and activities may bepermitted on SRA lands on a tenured basis,subject to approval of the Regional Director,MLPH, and provided a proposed resource use oractivity has been referred to and supportedby the affected municipal government.
(e) Sand and gravel extraction acti vi ties on SRAlands may be permitted, subject toconformance with Section 2.5.6 (d) above, andprovided that extraction is compatible withadjacent uses and is to occur in accordancewith a submitted Development Plan forextraction and reclamation of the pit.
(f) Grazing of domestic livestock may bepermi tted on an annual basis, subject toconformance with Section 2.5.6 (d) above.
(g) Selected timber harvesting activity may bepermitted, subject to conformance withSection 2.5.6 (d) above, and provided suchactivity is deemed beneficial for enhancementor improvement of the recreational resourceor for reduction of fire, insect or safetyhazard on public land.
2.5.7 Management and Planning Guidelines
(a) All gravel extraction areas on SRA landsshall be reclaimed to a condition amenable tofuture use for settlement purposes specifiedby appropriate official local plans.Reclamation performance and compliance withan approved Pit Development Plan is a jointresponsibility of the Ministry of Lands,Parks and Housing and the Ministry of Energy,Mines and Petroleum Resources.
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(b) New sand and gravel extractive operations onSRA lands may be permitted through Land Actleases. Sites must be sequentially reclaimedto a post-extraction settlement use specifiedin the terms and conditions of the lease.
(c) All development proposals for permitted andcondi tional uses in SRA lands shall beaccompanied by a Development Plan, whichincludes maps and text on site layout,services and infrastructure, and adevelopment time schedule.
(d) Resource use proposals and developmentproposals for settlement uses on SRA landsshall be referred to the appropriate localgovernment for review and comment.
(e) Pursuant to MLPH policy, industrialdevelopment on SRA land is the responsibilityof the B. C. Development Corporation, exceptfor temporary industrial developments whichdo not exceed 5 years in duration andindustrial development of foreshore. SRAlands may be sub-leased to a third party forindustrial use by the B. C. DevelopmentCorporation, which is also responsible forleasehold terms, conditions and amendments.
(f) Commercial and rural residential subdivisionon SRA lands shall be undertaken by theMinistry of Lands, Parks and Housing.
(g) Development proposals for settlement-orienteduses shall be referred to the HeritageConservation Branch for comment on heritageresource impacts.
(h) Applications for community or municipalrecreational use of SRA lands shall bereferred to the Regional District and theParks and Outdoor Recreation Division forreview and comment. SRA land dispositions tonon-profit organizations for recreationaluses shall be made in accordance with MLPHpolicy and procedures.
(i) Existing grazing tenures shall be reviewed bythe Regional Director, MLPR, in consultationwi th the Ministry of Forests and the affectedlocal government, to evaluate thecompatibility of existing tenures with thepurpose and intent of SRA lands.
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2.5.8 Implementation Process
( a) Settlement Reserve Area Crown lands arereserved under the Land Act, Section 13 forthe permitted and conditionally permitteduses specified in the Plan.
(b) SRA lands currently held under Section 11 or12 Land Act reserve for settlement-orienteduses as described herein, including U. R. E. Ps,shall remain under reserve for such purposes.
(c) All other existing Land Act reserves shall becancelled, except those for sand and gravelextraction purposes, which shall beaccommodated pursuant to Section 2.2.6,General Provisions. Cancelled reserve areasshall be designated under the Land Act,Section 13 for settlement purposes pursuantto the SRA land category of this Plan.
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2.6 Agricultural Development Area (ADA)
2.6 .l Definition
Crown lands considered most sui table foragricul tural production and necessary for theexpansion and development of a viableagricul tural industry, the diversification ofthe regional economic base, and strengthening ofthe agricultural community in the Prince GeorgeArea.
2.6.2 General Description
(a) Crown land rated sui table for agriculturaluse by the Prince George Area Crown LandConcept Plan (198l).
2.6.3 Purpose
(a) To provide sui table Crown land sufficient tomeet the present and foreseeable demands ofthe agricultural industry in the PrinceGeorge Area.
(b) To promote the orderly and efficientdisposition and development of suitable Crownland for agricultural purposes through asequential staging process.
(c) To provide opportunities on sui table Crownland for the expansion of existing farmoperations and the development òfeconomically viable new family farmenterprises.
(d) To minimize the environmental impacts of theclearing and development of Crown land foragricul tural purposes.
2.6.4 Responsible Agency
The Regional Operations Division, MLPH, retainsresponsibility for the management, developmentand disposition of ADA lands subject to theprovisions of the Agricultural Land CommissionAct.
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2.6.5 Permitted Uses and Acti vi ties
(a) General ( extensive) and intensiveagricul tural uses, such as the production andharvesting of field crops and root crops,dairying, tree nurseries, and the raising oflivestock and other animals on a commercialbasis.
(b) Agricultural research, product storage,service facilities and miscellaneous usesassociated with agricul tural production.
(c) Transportation, communication and publicutili ties uses associated with and necessaryfor the settlement of land for agriculturalpurposes.
2.6.6 Conditional Uses and Acti vi ties
(a) Timber cutting and harvesting acti vi ties maybe permitted, subject to the terms andconditions established for leasing andpurchase of ADA lands and the timber licencecondi tions of the Ministry of Forests.
(b) Timber management and woodlot production maybe permitted, on non-arable lands outside ofthe boundaries of ADA land parcels disposedby leasehold or fee tenures.
(c) Extensive recreational, grazing, and wildlifemanagement programs may be permitted on ADAlands scheduled for staged agriculturaldevelopment, pending an initiation ofdevelopment activities and subject to therights conveyed by existing U. R. E. P.reserves, and existing tenures under the LandAct or Range Act.
(d) Existing and future public access corridors,such as recreational trail systems and ForestService road corridors, may be permitted onADA disposition areas, provided that thepublic access is secured through terms andcondi tions of individual agr icul turallease-to-purchase agreements.
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(e) Sand and gravel extraction and processing maybe permitted as follows:
i) on ADA lands currently reserved or tenuredunder the Land Act for such purposes: and
ii) on ADA lands subsequently provennon-arable by the Ministry of Lands, Parksand Housing. If such lands lie within anAgricul tural Land Reserve, approval forextractive operations shall be required bythe Agricultural Land Commission inconformance with Section 2.2.7, GeneralProvisions.
(f) Linear developments and their associatedrights-of-way and easements may be permitted,subject to:i) conformance with MLPH policy and
procedures, and:ii) conformance with the performance
requirements respecting lineardevelopments as outlined in Section 2.2.9,General Provisions.
(g) Public institutional uses may be permitted,subject to conformance with Section 2.2.3 (c) ,General Provisions.
2.6.7 Management and Planning Guidelines
(a) The Ministry of Lands, Parks and Rousingshall prepare, in consultation with affectedProvincial and municipal government agencies,a Development Implementation Strategy todocument the evaluation, planning,development and marketing activities andschedules for ADA lands.
(b) The disposition of ADA lands shall beundertaken in stages. Staging shall be basedupon identification of individual landparcels where dispositions may be madeon the basis of MLPH policy: and upon largerblocks where dispositions should be made onlyafter development of the necessaryinfrastructures and services.
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(c) The staging of ADA lands for dispositionshall be identified in the DevelopmentImplementation Strategy and shall conform tothe following basic sequence:
i) Stage 1: Dispos i tion of scattered ADAlands on Which the necessaryinfrastructure developments already existor can readily be provided by thelessee.
ii) Stage 2: Sequential disposition ofdistinctive land blocks which requireextensive infrastructure improvements.
(d) Scattered parcels of agricultural land willbe disposed of according to the Ministrymarketing policies which are in effect.Arable land in project areas will be marketedaccording to Ministry policy.
(e) Dispositions of ADA land parcels containingless than 15 hectares of arable land forextensive agricultural use will be made onlyto adjacent landowners and under thecondition that the subject parcels will beconsolidated in title with adjacent landholdings of the applicant.
(f) The Ministry of Lands, Parks and Rousingshall be responsible for the necessaryoperational planning of Stage 2 dispositionareas identified in the DevelopmentImplementation Strategy for ADA lands.
(g) No timber shall be cut, removed or destroyedon ADA lands without a licence to cut issuedby the Ministry of Forests. Timber removalon ADA lands leased for agr icul tural useshall be restricted to the arable portions ofthe land and areas required for buildings orimprovements. Remaining standing timber willbe disposed pursuant to MLPH policy when thelessee exercises the purchase option of thelease-purchase agreement.
(h) The Ministry of Forests i Small BusinessProgram may be applicable to ADA landsdesignated Stage 2 disposition areas. TimberSale Licences issued pursuant to this Program
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should make provisions for the clearing oftimber from arable land, stump removal, slashburning, and construction of access roadssui table for upgrading for future landdevelopment.
(i) On ADA Stage 1, and on Stage 2 dispositionareas where the Small Business Program willnot be applied, all agricultural leases shallbe made subj ect to approval of a ClearingPlan which will show the area of arable andnon-arable land and identify areas to becleared for the siting of improvements andfor cultivation. The area to be cut andcuI tivated under the initial licence to cutissued by the Ministry of Forests shallconstitute 25 percent of the arable land or20 hectares, whichever is the greater,provided that the area to be cut does notexceed the arable portion of the land underlease. Any additional clearing of land onthe leasehold, over and above the initialarea required to qualify for purchase of theland, will be confined to the arable landarea identified on the Clearing Plan.Licence to cut administration by the Ministryof Forests will regulate the rate of timberharvesting, and controls may be exercised toensure that the arable lands are broughtunder cultivation as the timber is removed.
(j) Guidelines for agricultural cleartngpractices on ADA lands identified in pointi (i)' above shall be developed by theMinistry of Lands, Parks and Housing inconsul tation with the Ministry of Agricultureand Food and Ministry of Forests. Theclearing of land and the siting ofimprovements shall consider such
~ environmental and agricultural clearingpractices as leave strips adjacent to streamsand waterbodies, field windbreaks and treeshel terbel ts, and other soil managementpractices.
(k) The Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housingshall make applications to the AgriculturalLand Commission for inclusion in theAgricul tural Land Reserve boundary of those
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ADA lands disposed of for agriculturaldevelopment pursuant to the Plan which arenot within existing A.L.R. boundaries.
(1) The Ministry of Lands, Parks and Rous ingshall undertake field inspections of all ADAlands prior to their disposition to evaluatearability as defined in MLPH policy. Fiftypercent of the land in a parcel underapplication must be deemed arable andconsti tute at least 15 hectares of the totalarea before dispos i tion will be approved foragriculture. Parcels with less than 15hectares of arable land shall be disposedonly if contiguous to the holdings of anapplicant and if they can be bound in titleor consolidated with a contiguous parcel ofan applicant i s land.
(m) The disposition of ADA lands for intensiveagricul tural operations shall be madeaccording to existing MLPR policy forintensive agricultural uses and with dueconsideration of principles established inthe "Green Zone" Program of the Ministry ofAgriculture and Food for such uses asgreenhouses, plant nurseries and intensivelivestock operations.
(n) Lands to be developed and disposed of as ADAStage 2 disposition areas for extensiveagricul tural operations shall be marketed onthe principle of viable farm size. TheMinistry of Lands, Parks and Housing shallpromote dispositions in these areas whichestablish a preferred gross parcel size of130 hectares in order to enhance potentialviability of developing extensiveagricul tural operations.
(0) ADA land parcels in Stage 1 and 2 dispositionareas found in subsequent arabilityinvestigations to be unsuitable foragricul tural disposition shall be elig iblefor licence under the Forest Act for timberproduction purposes and for grazing tenurespursuant to the Range Act. The Ministry ofLands, Parks and Housing shall regularly
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advise the Ministry of Forests of ADA landparcels which become available for suchpurposes.
(p) The Ministry of Forests i Information Branch,in co-operation with the Regional Office(Central) of the Ministry of Agriculture andFood, is encouraged to increase its promotionof timber management programs and treefarming as an extension service on tenuredA.D.A. lands.
(q) Existing and future sand and gravel reservesin ADA lands shall be reviewed to ensureprovisions for reclamation to a conditionamenable to future agricultural use. Oncereclaimed, applications for agricultural usemay be entertained purs uant to Land Actpolicy and the provisions of the Plan.
(r) The Ministry of Lands, Parks and Rousingshall make provision for a publicrecreational trail system linking RCMA andIFMA - Recreation and Conservation Emphasislands in the Stuart River Esker-Nechako Riverarea. Provision shall be made for publicrecreation access lands in the lease-purchaseconditions for appropriate ADA land parcels.If necessary, access corridor locations shallbe determined in conjunction with the Parks &Outdoor Recreation Divis'ion, MLPH, theMinistry of Agriculture and Food, theMinistry of Forests and the RegionalDistrict.
(s) Existing grazing tenures shall be reviewed bythe Regional Director, MLPH, in consultationwi th the Ministry of Forests, to ensureconsistency with the purpose of the ADA landcategory.
2.6.8 Implementation Process
(a) Crown lands designated AgriculturalDevelopment Area shall be designated underthe Land Act, Section 13 for those usespermitted and conditionally permitted in theADA land category of the Plan. Applications
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for woodlot production and timber managementacti vi ties shall only be considered for ADAlands found unsuitable for agriculturaldisposition.
(b) ADA Lands currently reserved under the LandAct for recreation purposes (U.R.E.P.s) shallremain under reserve for such purposes.Other Land Act reserves shall be accommodatedpursuant to Section 2.2.6, GeneralProvisions, and reserves subsequentlycancelled shall be subject to the provisionsof the ADA land designation.
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2.7 Integrated Forestry Management Area (IFMA)
2.7.1 DefinitionCrown lands considered most sui table for timber,range, watershed, fish and wildlife productionand forest-oriented recreation, which should bemanaged in an integrated and co-ordinatedfashion to maximize the long-term environmental,social and economic benefits of these resourcesfor local and regional residents.
2.7.2 General Descriptionl
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(a) Crown lands rated sui table for forestry useby the Prince George Area Crown Land ConceptPlan (1981).
(b) Crown land currently reserved under theForest Act.
(c) Existing or proposed Community Pastures andintensively-developed grazing areas.
2 .7. 3 Purpose
(a) To secure sui table and sufficient lands forthe integrated management of forestresources, including intensive sil vicul tureprograms, in a Provincial Forest designationpursuant to the Forest Act.
(b) To reinforce and promote the timber, rangeand recreation programs of the Ministry ofForests.
(c) To encourage and facilitate the coordinationof management programs for fish, wildlife,watershed, and sand and gravel resources withtimber, range and recreation programsundertaken in a Provincial Forest.
(d) To maintain the economic strength of thelocal and regional forest products industryby providing the land base to generate on along-run sustainable yield basis theprojected timber requirements from the PlanArea.
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(e) To minimize the environmental impact offorest harvesting activities and practices.
2.7.4 Responsible Agency
The Ministry of Forests assumes responsibilityfor the administration of all IFMA lands,subj ect to:
(a) The provisions for administration ofnon-forest uses within Provincial Forests,pursuant to the September 14, 1978 ProtocolAgreement with the Ministry of Lands, Parksand Housing.
(b) The provisions respecting administration ofgrazing leases and core lands, pursuant to aProtocol Agreement with the Ministry ofLands, Parks and Rousing.
(c) The provisions of an agreement with theMinistry of Agriculture and Food respectingadministration of community pasture lands andgrazing lands in a Provincial Forest.
2.7.5 Description of Sub-Categories
(a) IFMA - Community Pasture Emphasis:
Crown land currently under Land Act reservefor community pasture purposes, and in whichland clearing and improvements for domesticgrazing purposes has been undertaken or isproposed utilizing public funding programs.
(b) IFMA - Recreation and Conservation Emphas is:
Crown lands currently under Land Act reservefor recreational purposes: existing Forestservice recreation areas: and lands ratedsuitable for stream corridor, upland and lakeshoreland recreation and conservation use bythe Prince George Area Crown Land ConceptPlan (1981).
(c) IFMA - Wildlife Habitat Emphasis:
Crown land rated suitable for wildlifehabi tat use by the Prince George Area CrownLand Concept Plan (1981).
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(d) IFMA - Sand and Gravel Emphasis:
Crown land identified as being potentiallysuitable for aggregate use by the PrinceGeorge Area Crown Land Concept Plan (1981):and lands currently under Land Act reservefor sand and gravel extraction purposes.
2.7.6 Purpose of Sub-Categories
(a) To ensure, within the Integrated ForestManagement Area, recognition of the followingresource values and their due considerationin timber harvesting, range and forestrecreation plans, programs and activities:
i) existing and potential community pasturedevelopment lands:
ii) high value recreation and conservationresource lands:
iii) high value wildlife habitat lands: andiv) potential areas of valuable sand and
gravel deposits.(b) To promote a continued high level of
commi tment to range improvement programs andpractices for community pasture developmentwi thin the context and purpose of the IFMAland category.
(c) To encourage enhancement of existing forestrecreation programs, and increased extensiveforest recreational facilities andopportuni ties wi thin the context ofcompatible resource use in the IFMA landca tegory .
(d) To promote an increased awareness of theimportance of wildlife habitat management inthe integrated and coordinated management offorest land.
(e) To reinforce and support the util iza tion andappropriate reclamation of lands currentlyheld under Land Act reserve for sand andgravel purposes, and ensure the availabilityof supplies to meet future aggregate demands.
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2.7.7 Permitted Uses and Activities
(a) Timber production, extraction, utilizationand management acti vi ties.
(b) Forage production and grazing use forlivestock and wildlife.
(c) wildlife management and habitat enhancementprograms.
(d) Extensive , limited facility forest recreationuses and related management activities.
(e) Watershed and fisheries management andenhancement programs.
(f) Forest uses pursuant to the Forest Act.
2.7.8 Conditional Uses and Activities
(a) Non-forest uses may be permitted in IFMAareas pursuant to the Forest Act, Section5 (6), and in conformance with the existingProtocol Agreement on planning andadministration of Crown land withinProvincial Forests, subject to thedesignation of IFMA lands as ProvincialForest.
(b) Leases for agricultural uses leading toland-ownership of rFMA lands, excludingcommuni ty pasture or range uses, may bepermitted under the following conditions:i) the lease applicant for agricultural use
is an established farmer requiring landfor immediate expansion of an existingfarm operation which lies within orimmediately adjacent to the subject IFMAlands subsequently established asProvincial Forest. The existing farmoperation must be occupied by theapplicant and must be classified asfarmland for taxation purposes by theB. C. Assessment Authority:
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ii) IFMA lands required for agriculturaloperations which do not meet thecondi tions of Section (b) (i) above may bemade available on a planned dispositionbasis only:
iii) the area for which a lease is issued issubsequently excluded from the ProvincialForest by an Order-in-Council initiated bythe Ministry of Forests.
(c) Agriculture, commercial and privaterecreation, sand and gravel extraction andprocessing, and other non-forestry uses maybe permitted on IFMA lands on a lease-onlybasis, subject to the following conditions:
i) application for tenure is subject to theapproval, terms and conditions of theMinistry of Lands, Parks and Housing:
ii) the proposed use meets all terms andcondi tions of Ministry of Forests policy:and
iii) the prdposed use conforms to the ProtocolAgreements respecting administration ofnon-forest uses in Provincial Forest, andthe administration of grazing tenures.
2.7.9 Management and/ Planning Guidelines
(a) Planning and management activities withinIFMA lands shall be undertaken with the leadrole assumed by the Ministry of Forests.
(b) All applications for non-forest uses in IFMAlands shall be made under provisions of theLand Act.
(c) Applications for non-forest uses of IFMAlands shall be referred to affectedgovernment agencies in accordance withexisting MLPH policy.
(d) Leases and permits for sand and graveloperations shall be subject to Ministry ofForests i and MLPH policies respectingroyal ties, development plans, and reclamationrequirements. Reclamation of the land to acondition amenable to reforestation may berequired.
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(e) Timber harvesting on IFMA lands shall beundertaken in accordance with a developmentplan approved by the Ministry of Forests, andwhich addresses the reduction of potentialenvironmental and aesthetic impacts pursuantto the Forest Act. Harvesting plans shall bereferred to other relevant resource agenciesand to agencies responsible foradministration of adjacent Crown landspursuant to this Plan.
(f) Forest recreation plans and programs forIFMA-Recreation and Conservation Emphasislands should be developed in conjunction withthe Parks and Outdoor Recreation Division,MLPH, and the Regional District to promote anintegrated and balanced recreational systemin the Plan Area. Wherever considereddesirable and feasible, recreation plansshould include public recreational trailsystems connecting RCMA lands, IFMA-Recreation and Conservation Emphasis lands,and existing regional and provincial parks.
(g) Pursuant to the Protocol Agreement with theMinistry of Lands, Parks and Housingrespecting the administration of outdoorrecreation, the Ministry of Forestsshould:
i) develop, manage and maintain a system offorest recreation sites and trails, andrecreation corridors within IFMA -Recreation and Conservation Emphasislands: and
ii) manage and facilitate the use of forestroads within its mandate for outdoorrecreational purposes on IFMM - Recreationand Conservation Emphasis lands.
(h) Timber and range utilization plans andprograms for IFMA - Wildlife Habitat Emphasislands should be developed in conjunction withthe Ministry of Environment to ensurecompatibility with the wildlife managementgoals and production targets of that agency.
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(i) IFMA - Community Pasture lands shall bemanaged and developed for range improvement,purposes by the Ministry of Forests, inconjunction with the Ministry of Agricultureand Food. The coordination and integrationof timber cutting, wildlife habitat andrecreational uses of these lands should befacilitated through the development ofCo-ordinated Resource Management Plans.
( j) Application for Crown land leases for sandand gravel extraction purposes in rFMA landsshould be directed towards IFMA - Sand andGravel Emphasis areas to minimize the arealimpacts of such operations on forestproduction and enhance efficient supervisionof operations and reclamation activities.
(k) Forest utilization and management programsand plans for IFMA - Sand and Gravel Emphasislands should be developed in consul ta tionwi th the Ministry of Transportation andHighways and the Ministry of Energy, Minesand Petroleum Resources to further evaluatethe potential of the sand and gravelresource, and to ensure that any anticipateduse of such resources will be compatible withforest harvesting schedules and s il vicul turalprograms.
(I) Land tenures for grazing purposes and coreland shall be administered according to theProtocol Agreements respecting theadministration of grazing leases and theoperation of Core Land Committees, and theadministration of Crown land in ProvincialForests. No new grazing leases will beissued, although existing leases may berenewed, provided they are accompanied by aGrazing Management Plan. Applications forgrazing licences and permits may be issuedpursuant to the Range Act.
2.7.10 Implementation Process
(a) Crown lands designated Integrated ForestManagement Area shall be reserved byOrder-in-Council pursuant to the Forest Actas gazetted Provincial Forest. The lands may
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consti tute a new provincial forest or beadded to existing, adjacent provincialforests.
(b) Existing Land Act Section 12 reserves forrecreation purposes shall be maintainedwi thin IFMA lands and wi thin the ProvincialForest reserve to be established over these1 and s .
(c) Existing Land Act Section i 2 reserves forcommunity pasture purposes shall bemaintained wi thin the Provincial ForestReserve.
(d) Existing sand and gravel reserves under thejurisdiction of the MLPR shall beaccommodated pursuant to Section 2.2.6,General Provisions.
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PLAN IMPLEMENTATIONREVIEW & AMENDMENT
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PART 3.0 PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, REVIEW, AND AMENDMENT
3.1 Plan Adoption
(a) The Crown Land Plan shall be endorsed by theEnvironment and Land Use Technical Committee ofGovernment and Ministry of Lands, Parks andHousing. The Plan Map and policy guidelines shalldirect the Ministry in its planning, management anddisposi tion of unalienated Crown lands in the PlanArea. It shall also direct other governmentagencies with jurisdictional responsibilitieswi thin the Plan Area.
(b) Upon adoption by the Ministry of Lands, Parks andHousing, the Crown land base shall be secured forthe assigned land uses and activities through theappropriate Land Act Map Reserves and DesignatedUse Reserves specified under the Plan for each landca tegory .
(c) The existing Land Act Section 13 Designationestablished over the Plan Area (P.G.S.S.A.) on June25, 1981 for the purpose of withdrawing Crown landfromagricul tural and residential/recreational useapplications shall be cancelled upon formaladoption of this Plan.
(d) The Ministry of Forests shall, upon formal adoptionof this Plan, initiate action to cancelOrder-in-Council 2811 and its subsequent amendmentswhich established the Prince George Special SalesArea. The Order-in-Council shall be replaced byOrder( s) -in-Council establishing a ProvincialForest (s) in the Plan Area consistent with theboundaries of the Integrated Forest Management Areadesignated in the Plan.
(e) Local government is encouraged to utilize theinformation provided by this Plan and the ConceptPlan in the preparation and refinement of zoningby-laws and Official Settlement Plans. Zoning andOfficial Settlement Plan amendments shall be'proposed by the Ministry of Lands, Parks andHousing wherever subsequent zoning by-laws andsettlement plans prove inconsistent or incompatiblewith the provisions of this Plan.
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3.2 Plan Period and Formal Review
(a) The Plan shall be in effect for a period of fiveyears from the date of its formal adoption. Crownland requirements and management activities have,however, been proj ected for the Plan Area over atwenty year time frame.
(b) A comprehensive formal review of this Plan shall beini tia ted five years from the date of its formaladoption and every five years thereafter. Thereview shall be initiated by the Ministry of Lands,Parks and Housing and accomplished with theassistance of those agencies who have participatedin the preparation of this Plan and otherssubsequently deemed to have an interest in Crownland use in the Plan Area.
3.3 Plan Refinement and Amendment
(a) The Ministry of Lands, Parks and Hous ing shallcontinue to expand, update and refine itsinformation base for the Plan Area, with theco-operation and assistance of other governmentagencies and the private sector.
(b) The Regional Director, MLPR, may propose a formalamendment to this Plan where a Plan provision ordesignation proves unnecessary or is modified bychanges in government policy or new information.The amendment and supporting documentation shall bereviewed and endorsed by the Regional ResourceManagement Committee, and if deemed necessary,endorsed by the Executive Committee of the MLPR.Necessary amendments to the appropriate Land Actreserve boundaries shall be made by the RegionalDirector.
(c) A Crown land applicant or development proponent maymake formal request to the Regional Director of theagency responsible for administration of thesubject area for an amendment to the Plan. Theapplicant or proponent shall be required to providethe necessary supporting information and rationalefor the amendment. The Regional Director, ifsupportive of the amendment, shall propose formalPlan amendment to the Regional Director, MLPH. Ifsupported by the Regional Director, MLPH, theamendment proposal shall be forwarded to theRegional Resource Management Committee as in 3.3 (b)above.
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(d) All Plan amendments shall be consistent with thegoal and objectives of the Plan and with themandate and responsibilities of the Ministry ofLands, Parks and Housing.
3.4 Land Application Appeals
Land use decisions made pursuant to the Land Act andbased on this Plan, may be appealed by aggrievedapplicants through formal application to amend the Planas outlined in Section 3.3 (c), Plan Refinement andAmendment.
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