Table of Contents

This document presents findings of the Scientific Panel for Sustainable Forest Practices in Clayoquot Sound from its review of forest practice standards in effect in Clayoquot Sound as of January 31, 1994.

The review assessed the adequacy of over 50 current standards documents to meet the Panel's Guiding Principles set out in its first report. These principles embody the Panel's belief that forest practices must not compromise ecosystem integrity, cultural values, or the options and opportunities of future generations.

Early in the review process the Panel found that the current approach to forest management did not meet the Guiding Principles. This finding changed the Panel's task from review and amendment of current standards to the task of creating standards for a different approach to forest planning and management in Clayoquot Sound. The new, holistic view of ecosystem management recommended by the Panel requires that forest practice standards consider ecosystem effects and cultural values, and that they be integrated.

Eleven general findings and 14 general recommendations from the review are presented. These signal the need:

• to recognize ecosystems as the base from which goods and services flow and to maintain ecosystem integrity in all management practices;
• to respect First Nations' values and to include First Nations in planning and managing resource use in Clayoquot Sound;
• to prevent loss of biodiversity, degradation of ecosystems, and damage to First Nations' heritage sites and areas; to restore areas damaged by past development;
• to preserve the options and opportunities of future generations;
• to produce adequate inventories of all resources in order to support sound decision-making and sustainable management practices; and
• to practice adaptive management so practices can improve as knowledge and experience are gained.

The Panel's general recommendations include the following:

• produce only the levels of goods and services that are sustainable witin limits that maintain the integrity of ecosystems;
• increase the level of riparian protection by increasing streamside buffer widths, including headwater and intermittent streams, and identifying and protecting unstable land areas;
• broaden the silvicultural systems used in Clayoquot Sound beyond clearcutting;

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• implement formal adaptive management in carefully selected areas to assess the effectiveness of new forest practices;
• provide education and training programs to upgrade the current workforce and increase the number of qualified workers;
• develop procedures for company or worker prequalification and disqualification to ensure high-quality practices.

The general findings and recommendations emphasize changes required in both the philosophy of forest planning and management, and the way that forest practice standards are created and applied. The Panel outlines the action required to make the transition from management of forests for products to management for sustainable ecosystems.

Specific findings note the extent to which current standards sustain watershed integrity, biodiversity, First Nations' interests, and scenic, recreation and tourism values. For each of these themes, goals and objectives are presented. Current forest practice standards are evaluated against the stated goals and objectives. Where current standards are found to be deficient, the Panel recommends changes to achieve sustainable forest practices. These changes will be reflected in the standards the Panel recommends for Clayoquot Sound in its final report. I

Four key issues in Clayoquot Sound arising from the review are identified and discussed: inclusion of First Nations', forest planning, undeveloped watersheds, and Special Management Area boundaries.

Current standards do not adequately recognize First Nations values and perspectives. The Panel recommends ways of including First Nations values and obtaining First Nations participation in the inventory, planning, and management of resources in Clayoquot Sound.

Current planning procedures are inadequate for sustainable ecosystem management. The Panel recommends that planning in Clayoquot Sound be ecosystem-based and multidisciplinary; it should integrate the full spectrum of resource values. The Panel further recommends that planning be conducted at ecologically-relevant time and spatial scales.

Care is required in undeveloped watersheds. The Panel recommends delaying activity in undeveloped watersheds until adequate inventories are prepared, exemplary forest practices and silvicultural systems demonstrated elsewhere can be applied, and a prequalification procedure is in place.

Inaccuracies in the boundaries of Special Management Areas confirm problems associated with delineating land use boundaries before conducting adequate inventories. The Panel recommends that Scenic Corridor Areas be revised using more detailed information on resources.

These changes are major, and the Panel recommends an implementation plan be established and publicized for those steps requiring significant time to implement.