Morice Land and Resource Management Plan
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IntroductionPurposeThe Morice EDAP is designed to be a companion document to the LRMP report. The purpose of the LRMP is to:
Relative to the LRMP objectives the purpose of the EDAP is covered in point #2 above. The Economic Development Action Plan is intended to provide the Morice LRMP Table with additional direction on how to manage the land and resources when considering economic development opportunities. It should be noted that this report is only one of many pieces of information intended to assist the LRMP Table in the decision-making process. Plan LocationThe Morice Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) area is situated on the western edge of British Columbia’s Interior Plateau. The eastern slopes of the Coast Mountains bound the area to the west, Tweedsmuir Park and the headwaters of the Nechako Reservoir to the south and Takla Lake to the northeast. The Bulkley River Valley winds its way through the centre of the area and provides the only access corridor to northwestern British Columbia (Map 1). The total land area is approximately 1.5 million hectares, of which 32,607 hectares is private land. Numerous lakes of varying sizes are scattered across the entire plan area. Of special significance are two very large bodies of water, Babine Lake, the longest and largest natural fresh-water lake in British Columbia located in the north and the Ootsa Lake/Whitesail Lake/Tahtsa Reach complex, part of the Nechako Reservoir in the south. Three major rivers flow through the area, the Bulkley, Morice and Nadina. The Morice River is internationally renowned for steelhead fishing. The area has cool summers and cold winters. The average July temperature in the community of Houston is 21.4C and the average January temperature is –7.4C. The average annual rainfall is 305mm (12 inches) and total snowfall is 1640 mm (65 in). The population of the plan area is currently estimated at 5,192. The largest community in the area is Houston, which is, located approximately 300km west of Prince George. Located along Highway 16 the District of Houston is home to about seventy percent of the plan area population, with the remainder living in smaller communities such as the Village of Granisle, the unincorporated communities of Topley and Buck Flats and First Nations settlements. There are also numerous ranches, farms and small acreages along the Highway 16 corridor where populations are conglomerated. District of HoustonThe District of Houston developed as a rail-tie cutting centre in the early 1900s. The community grew as farming, forestry and mining expanded in the area. Today the population stands at just over 4200. The most significant industries in terms of employment in the area are logging, forestry, timber processing, mining, retail trade and the resulting service and trade “spin-off” jobs. I  n recent years, Houston has promoted itself as the “Steelhead Capital of B.C.” and there is a growing tourism market in fishing and other forms of outdoor recreation. A number of tourism operations (resorts, campsites, certified hunting and fishing guides and related businesses) provide employment and income.
H Steelhead Fisherman ouston is located within the fertile Bulkley Valley. Some of the earliest settlers to the area were farmers and ranchers. Agriculture activity in the area consists of mainly forage and livestock production. Village of GranisleG T Granisle Marina on Babine Lake ourism and retirement income are currently the main drivers of the area’s economy. The Babine Lake area provides a variety of opportunities for recreational activity, including fishing and boating, hiking, hunting, camping, and wildlife viewing. Several new service-oriented businesses have been established as the community gears itself to support tourism activity. Unincorporated CommunitiesThere are several clusters of residential populations along Highway 16 and Central Babine Lake Highway Number 118 corridors. These areas include, but are not limited to, the unincorporated communities of Perow, Buck Flats, Wiley and Topley. Topley is located along Highway 16, 31 km east of Houston. There are approximately 500 people living in the community and the surrounding area (Synergy Management Group, 1999). Topley is a rural community composed of ranches, retail businesses and services. Map 1. Morice LRMP Plan Area 
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ranisle, located north of Houston on the western shores of Babine Lake, was built to support the Granisle and Bell Mines when they came into operation in the 1960s. During the 1970s and 80s, Granisle was a bustling mining town with a population of 2200. By the early 1990s both mines had closed and today the population of Granisle and area is approximately 450. Local residents make a livelihood mainly from tourism, logging and government services. A small number of people are also employed in mine reclamation and seasonally in mineral exploration.