Denman Conservancy Association

3. Ecosystem-based Assessment Maps
3.1 Creeks and Wetlands
3.2 Cadastral
3.3 Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance
3.3.1 Delineating Ecologically Sensitive Areas
3.3.2 ESD Mapping
3.4 Old Growth Forest
3.5 Proposed Protected Areas Network
3.5.1 Why is a PAN Required?
3.5.2 Cross Island Linkages
3.5.3 Process Used to Identify Denman Island PAN
3.5.4 Ownership of Land in PAN

4. Forest Inventory
4.1 Forest Cover Mapping
4.2 Forest Sampling
4.3 Data Summaries

5. Recommendations and Conclusions

List of Figures

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

List of Tables

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

List of Appendixes

(Appendices are not available in electronic form)

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

An Ecosystem-Based Assessment of Denman Island

I.Introduction

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

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

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

The project was funded by Forest Renewal British Columbia (FRBC) and was administered by the Denman Forestry Initiative (DFI). When the project was initiated, the private timber lands which were to be the focus of the assessment were owned by the Hancock Timber Resources Group. However, the private lands were sold to 4064 Investments Ltd. in July 1997. The 1,757 ha of land are hereinafter referred to as "the 4064 Lands".

The project goals were to:

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

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

3. prepare a forest cover type map suitable for an initial estimate of ecologically responsible timber cutting rates for the 4064 Lands;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

While all of Silva's ecosystem-based projects have significant community input and guidance, we did not anticipate the level of community input generated by the Denman project. Multiple revisions of most maps were carried out, often dealing with matters other than ecological features and interpretations. Also, while the initial project proposal stated that the mapping of an ecosystem network outside of the 4064 Lands was to be for "illustration purposes", the project budget was increasingly invested in careful mapping of ecological and biophysical features outside of 4064 Lands to meet community wishes.

2. Geography and Ecology of Denman Island

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

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

2.1 Setting

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

Mike Morrell of the DFI has observed:

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

Economic activity on Denman Island is a mixture of:

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

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

seasonal residents of the island who earn their income elsewhere.

2.2 Landforms and Soils

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

Denman Island is relatively flat. The main bedrock landform on the island is a large plain of interbedded sedimentary rock. During periods of tectonic activity, the western edge of the island has risen, while the eastern edge has subsided, so the sedimentary layers dip gently to the east. The bedrock rises smoothly from the eastern shore of the island to a ridge crest near the western edge of the island, then drops sharply in an eroded scarp to the western plain and shore.

Soils on Denman are derived from:

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

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

marine deposits . . . former ocean beaches and nearshore deposits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2.3 Climate and Ecotype

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

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

2.4 Forests and Forestry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Figure 1: Conventional Timber Management on Denman Island.

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

This close-up shows the typical damage to residual coarse woody debris and former old growth structures caused by logging in second growth. These old stumps are from an earlier logging show in large timber. However, they were providing valuable rotten wood habitat for many organisms prior to being smashed by the top of this fallen second growth Douglas-fir tree. Repeated passes of logging in second growth which do not take into account the need to replenish the supplies of coarse woody debris will result in degradation of the forest ecosystem.

3. Ecosystem-based Assessment Maps

.Creeks and Wetlands
.Cadastral Information
.Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Ratings
.Proposed Protected Areas Network
.Reconnaissance Level Forest Cover Typing of 4064 Lands

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

purchased stock digital data

scanned digital data

existing printed maps

photo-interpreted information transferred to paper base maps and digitized

information from community members transferred to paper base maps and digitized

3.1 Creeks and Wetlands

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

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

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

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

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

3.2 Cadastral

.Crown Land Registry Service data

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

.DCA coastline data

Table 1: Area of Land ownership Classes on Denman Island

Description	Area (ha)	Percent of Total Area
Class "A" Provincial Parks	187.1	3.6%
Other Protected Areas	33.9	0.7%
Unoccupied Crown Lands	214.9	4.2%
4064 Investments' Holdings	1,756.1	34.1%
Other Private Land	2,958.4	57.4%
Total:	5,150.4	100.0%

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

3.3 Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance

Modern industrial timber extraction seeks to mitigate ecological limits by application of different technology on more sensitive sites and/or slower removal of timber from more sensitive ecosystems. This approach is rooted in short-term economics, where the value of current returns exceeds the value of long-term productivity. Logging sensitive sites often results in impacts which exceed the capacity of an ecosystem to absorb disturbance without substantial ecological change, that is, the impacts of the disturbance exceed the ecological limits.

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

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

Our landscape analysis and planning methodology is based upon the principle that economies are subsets of human cultures or societies, which are subsets of ecosystems. In other words, human societies and their economies are dependent upon the natural diversity and integrity of the ecosystems they are part of. The primary objective of an ecosystem-based plan must be to maintain fully functioning ecosystems at all scales through time in the landscape being planned. To a large extent, this is achieved by respecting ecological limits through identifying and protecting ecologically sensitive areas.

3.3.1 Delineating Ecologically Sensitive Areas

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

slope gradient
slope shape or complexity
soil depth to a water impermeable layer
site moisture conditions

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

Riparian ecosystems
Steep terrain (slopes greater than 60%)
Wetlands
Complex terrain
Areas of shallow soil
Dry sites, such as ridge tops and deep gravel soils

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

3.3.2 ESD Mapping

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

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

Top part of Denman Island

Bottom part of Denman Island

Table 2: Area of Silva Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Classes

Description	Area (ha)	Percent of Total Area
Ecologically Sensitive Natural Features
Lakes	35.5	0.7%
Wetlands	191.3	3.7%
Rocky Islands	1.4	0.0%
Sand Dune or Sand Spit	39.3	0.8%
Mapped Ecologically Sensitive Areas
Riperian Ecosystems	682.4	13.2%
Steep Terrain and/or Shallow Soils	256.9	5.0%
Landbase Potentially suitable for development
Moderately Stable Terrain	155.7	3.0%
Stable Terrain	3,788.0	73.5%
Total:	5,150.4	100.0%

Figure 7: Graph of Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Classes on Denman Island

Denman Island is, as previously noted, largely flat with subdued terrain. At the landscape scale, the main ecologically sensitive features identified were:

steep terrain / shallow soils on the Graham Ridge and Denman Ridge on the west side of island;

steep terrain on Komass Bluffs;

riparian ecosystems and wetlands in long, linear patterns which run the length of the island;

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

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

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

The following ESD classes were identified on Denman Island:

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

Figure 8: A typical Riparian Ecosystem on Denman Island.

The picture shows the central reach of Beadnell Creek. This area is typical of the slow flowing streams on the low relief sedimentary rock plain of Denman Island. The diversity of habitats in the riparian zone is highlighted, as is the diversity of aquatic habitats in the streams. Riffle and pool habitats are shown in the picture.

ES 2

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

MS - Moderately Stable Terrain. Moderately Stable sites are "in between" Ecologically Sensitive terrain and Stable terrain. On Denman, MS terrain was identified in several locations occupied by a fine grained mixture of forested wetlands and drier uplands, which could not be differentiated at the mapping scale used in the analysis. We would include 50% of the forested area on the MS terrain in potential timber management landbase when calculating an ecologically responsible cutting rate.

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

Figure 9: A typical Forested Wetland.

This small wetland is located in shallow depression on flat terrain. We believe this area is underlain by impermeable sandstone. Water collects in the depression, producing a wetland. Coniferous trees growing on a drier site are visible in the background. Small wetlands like these are scattered throughout many of the forested areas on Denman Island, especially those which occur on flat or nearly flat terrain. These areas provide significant enhancement of biodiversity within the second growth forests which dominate Denman, and are small, ecologically sensitive areas which must be avoided during any timber harvest operations. Locations that contain many of these small wetlands are classed as Moderately Stable, or Ecologically Sensitive, depending on the wetland density.

3.4 Old Growth Forest

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

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

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

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

This site is east of the Railway Grade Trail on the northern portion of the 4064 Lands. The Douglas-fir forest regenerated following the last disturbance, which was likely clearcut logging and possibly burning, about 70 years ago. A hemlock understory is now forming beneath the Douglas-firs. The large log which dominates the foreground emphasizes the difference in size between the current second growth forest and the original large-diameter fir forest which occupied this site prior to European settlement. Living or dead, the large-diameter trees contribute a completely different structure to ecological processes than the small second growth fir. The large logs last much longer and, as is well illustrated here, become immense piles of moist, rotten, red wood which support unique ecological functions. Only by growing trees of this size can we hope to replace this critical ecological structure in the future. Obviously, it will take several hundred years to achieve living trees of this size, and several hundred more years to achieve rotten logs of this condition and dimension.

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

3.5 Proposed Protected Areas Network

.to protect ecologically sensitive sites,

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

.to protect unique habitat areas,

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

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

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

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

North Part of Denman Island

South Part of Denman Island

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

Description Area (ha) Percent of Total Area

Ecologically Sensitive Natural Features

Lakes 35.5 0.7%

Wetlands 191.3 3.7%

Rocky Islands 1.4 0.0%

Sand Dune or Sand Spit 39.3 0.8%

Mapped Ecologically Sensitive Areas

Riperian Ecosystems 682.4 13.2%

Steep Terrain and/or Shallow Soils 256.9 5.0%

Proposed Protected Areas Network on Stable and Moderately Stable Terrain 531.1 10.3%

Landbase Potentially Suitable for Development on Stable and Moderately Stable Terrain 3,412.5 66.3%

Total: 5,150.4 100.0%

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

The LAPG has requested an ecological assessment of the entire island, with a focus on lands currently owned by Hancock Timber Resource Group. The Denman Forestry Initiative's project goal is to identify areas that will form a biodiversity network in order to maintain ecosystem functioning throughout the island....

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

In our opinion, inclusion of private holdings other than the 4064 Lands in a final PAN should be voluntary. Inclusion in the PAN would not necessarily require complete ecological protection of private properties, but would require the maintenance of sufficient forest cover to allow movement of various biota through the area. We do not know if the owners of the parcels included in this proposed PAN are amenable to participating in this program. If not, alternative locations with less desirable levels of connectivity would have to be identified. The distribution of the land within the proposed PAN by ownership status is discussed in Section 3.5.4.

3.5.1 Why is a PAN Required?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.5.2 Cross Island Linkages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

old growth forest patches,
passes between hills or mountain ranges,
wetland ecosystems,
riparian ecosystems, and
undisturbed areas of the landscape.

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

3.5.3 Process Used to Identify Denman Island PAN

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

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

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

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

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

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

Figure 13: The Railway Grade Trail.

This location is near the south end of the trail, in a typical Denman second growth Douglas-fir forest. While the forest is somewhat uniform and has limited biological diversity in the lower canopy layers, it is still a very beautiful and attractive place for recreational activity. The entire length of the old Railway Grade Trail should be protected by a suitable buffer which will be managed for maintenance of visual attributes and recreational potential. In our view, this would not necessarily mean cutting no trees in the trail management corridor. However, any and all tree cutting would be subordinate to maintaining an intact forest canopy and aesthetically pleasing conditions.

Chickadee Lake . . . The Chickadee Lake wetlands and Chickadee Lake are ecologically significant features. The lake is a high recreational use area. The east side of the lake lies within a narrow extension of the 4064 Lands. The entire 1/8th section of the 4064 Lands should be protected in order to maintain the shoreline ecology of Chickadee Lake, to provide a buffer around the wetlands, and to provide continued recreational area for the community. The large square south of Chickadee Lake is an unoccupied Crown lot, owned by the provincial government. Protecting this lot would provide a substantial protected area, and would provide links between Chickadee Lake, Denman Ridge, and Pickles wetland.

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

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

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

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

increase the area of high quality protected forest habitat

provide a protected node on the Beadnell Creek riparian zone

protect a large forested wetland complex

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

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

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

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

Figure 14: Pickles Marsh.

This area is currently protected through a combination of Department of Fisheries and Oceans reserve, and the Inner Island Nature Reserve. Pickles is another example of the linear wetland and valley features which occupy the glacially scoured valleys on Denman Island. Pickles contains some open water, and is a very ecologically important sedge grass and wetland complex.

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

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

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

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

Lindsay Dickson Property . . . The Lindsay Dickson property is a 56 ha piece of private land which the Denman community has been endeavoring to purchase and protect for a number of years. We did not visit the property, but we understand that it is occupied by an older second growth forest, well on its way to developing old growth attributes. The Lindsay-Dickson property is close to the McFarlane Marsh and Graham Lake, and would enhance the proposed protected areas in the vicinity by adding a large, contiguous block of forest to the proposed PAN.

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

Figure 15: View of Morrison Marsh.

Long wetlands occur in the glacially scoured valleys running the length of Denman Island. Morrison Marsh is one of the longest and contains some of the most expansive areas of open water. Many significant landscape features on Denman have a linear shape, a result of bedrock structure and glaciation, which this open view across water highlights exceptionally well. These frames also highlight the diversity of habitats found in the typical wetland and surrounding forest areas.

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

Boyle Point Park . . .

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

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

3.5.4 Ownership of Land in PAN

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

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

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

Description Total Area Lakes, Wetlands, Sand Spits Terrestrial Ecosystems Mapped Ecologically Sensitive Classes Percentage of Terrestrial Ecosystems in Mapped ES Classes Stable Terrain inside PAN Stable Terrain Outside PAN Percentage of Stable Terrain Inside PAN Percentage of Terrestrial Ecosystems in PAN

Current Protected Areas

Class "A" Provincial Parks 187.1 35.9 151.3 55.2 36% 96.1 0 100.0% 100.0%

Other Protected Areas 33.9 12.2 21.7 8.7 40% 12.9 0 100.0% 100.0%

Unoccupied Crown Lands 214.9 2.3 212.7 22.7 11% 190.0 0 100.0% 100.0%

Privately Owned Lands

4064 Investments' Land 1,756.1 102.4 1,653.7 307.8 19% 200.7 1,145.2 15% 31%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are aware that proposing limitations on private property rights is a sensitive, and potentially divisive, political issue. In our opinion, inclusion of private holdings other than the 4064 Lands in a final PAN should be voluntary. While voluntary participation by the current owners of the 4064 in developing the proposed PAN is very desirable, inclusion of substantial portions of the 4064 Lands in the proposed PAN is based on the premise that the community eventually gains ownership of the properties, and can manage them at their discretion.

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

4. Forest Inventory

identifying potential timber management landbase on 4064 Lands,

inventorying the standing timber on those lands,

identifying near-term silvicultural options on those lands, and

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

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

We sampled a proportion of the larger forest types which contained merchantable volumes. Many forest types were not sampled. We planned to extrapolate timber information from sampled stands to unsampled stands where possible, using air photos and field observations to establish appropriate correlations. At best, this approach is less accurate than actual field measurements, but no other options existed within funding limits.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.1 Forest Cover Mapping

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

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

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

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

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

The forest cover type labels and associated data were derived from several sources:

forest inventory information from field sampling;

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

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

Species Composition
Age
Height
Stocking Code
Crown Closure Class
Site Index
Disturbance Type

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

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

4.2 Forest Sampling

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

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

Species
Crown Class
Diameter
Percent Live Crown
Crown Width
Health and Vigor
MoF Tree Class
Pathological Indicators of Decay (if any)

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

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

The crown classes are defined below:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.3. Data Summaries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. Recommendations and Conclusions

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

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

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

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

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

List of Appendixes

APPENDIX 1:Silva Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Classification System

APPENDIX 2:An Ecosystem-Based Approach To Forest Use

APPENDIX 3:Important Criteria And Parameters Of Wildlife Movement Corridors

APPENDIX 4:Forest Cover Map Database Structure

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

APPENDIX 6:Field Inventory Data Summaries

Denman Conservancy Association

Forestry Archive

Denman Island Ecosystem-Based Assessment

An Ecosystem-Based Assessment of Denman Island

May 1998 prepared by: Silva Ecosystem Consultants Ltd

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

List of Appendixes

An Ecosystem-Based Assessment of Denman Island

I.Introduction

The project goals were to:

2. Geography and Ecology of Denman Island

2.1 Setting

2.2 Landforms and Soils

2.3 Climate and Ecotype

2.4 Forests and Forestry

Figure 1: Conventional Timber Management on Denman Island.

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

3. Ecosystem-based Assessment Maps

3.1 Creeks and Wetlands

3.2 Cadastral

Table 1: Area of Land ownership Classes on Denman Island

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

3.3 Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance

3.3.1 Delineating Ecologically Sensitive Areas

3.3.2 ESD Mapping

Table 2: Area of Silva Ecological Sensitivity to Disturbance Classes

Figure 8: A typical Riparian Ecosystem on Denman Island.

Figure 9: A typical Forested Wetland.

3.4 Old Growth Forest

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

3.5 Proposed Protected Areas Network

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

3.5.1 Why is a PAN Required?

3.5.2 Cross Island Linkages

3.5.3 Process Used to Identify Denman Island PAN

Figure 13: The Railway Grade Trail.

Figure 14: Pickles Marsh.

Figure 15: View of Morrison Marsh.

3.5.4 Ownership of Land in PAN

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

4. Forest Inventory

4.1 Forest Cover Mapping

4.2 Forest Sampling

4.3. Data Summaries

5. Recommendations and Conclusions

May 1998
prepared by: Silva Ecosystem Consultants Ltd