Morice Land and Resource Management Plan

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Technical Analysis

Once ranked the top two to four opportunities in each sector underwent a technical analysis to assess their viability for development in the Morice area. In some cases identified opportunities were deemed unsuitable for the Morice area. These opportunities were added to this report to let LRMP members know that the opportunity was considered and the reasons why it does not need to be dealt with during the decision-making process.

Building Blocks

Building Blocks have been conceived and developed by the Economic Development Branch of the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, under the guidance of Nancy South, Manager Economic Analysis, as an analytical tool that supports British Columbia coastal and land and resource use planning and decision-making and economic development initiatives. The Blocks contain concise business and sector information for a broad range of resource-based business types in BC. At this point, there are more than 30 Blocks either complete or in draft form. Several more Blocks have been identified as high priority by planning tables and other client groups. Additional Building Blocks will be developed over time, and some Blocks may be updated. For the most current Building Blocks, please see the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management website, at: http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/rmd/ecdev/

Individuals interested in more information on the economic development opportunities covered in this report or others should refer to these Building Blocks. It is to be noted that Building Blocks do not contain site specific information nor do they consider requirements for social, economic or environmental sustainability (B.C. Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, Building Block Preamble, 2003

Socio-Economic Analysis

The purpose of a socio-economic and environmental assessment (SEEA) is to provide plan architects, stakeholders and decision makers with three types of socio-economic information:

1. Background information on the socio-economic structure of the plan area and its communities, including an inventory of land and marine based resources which are, or could be, important to the area and/or province;

2. A description of the key socio-economic parameters that may be impacted by resolution of the resource use management issues to be addressed by the plan; and

3. An assessment of the expected socio-economic impacts of the plan and /or alternate management scenarios relative to a base case (usually the “status quo”) scenario.
The need for, or emphasis on, each of these three categories of information will depend upon the size of the plan area, the scope of the planning initiative and the process to be followed in establishing a land and resource management plan. Consensus based planning may have greater need for extensive background information, than a consultative approach.
The background information establishes the socio-economic and environmental context for the assessment of the land and resource management options. Effort is made to limit the background information to indicators that are useful in assessing alternate resource use options.
The SEEA is designed to inform, but not drive the planning process, to be value neutral and assist consensus builders or decision makers in understanding the tradeoffs involved in different management scenarios.
Land and Resource Management Plans (LRMPs) cover relatively large areas of the province, typically the size of the Timber Supply Areas. Landscape Unit Planning and other plans for smaller areas such as the Sustainable Resource Management (SRM) Plans cover smaller areas. These Guiding Principles are relevant for all levels of land and coastal use plans, however, the size and scope of the plans will dictate the required depth and comprehensiveness of the analysis. (B.C. Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, SEA Guidelines, 2003)

Individuals who are interested in getting further background information on the current state of the social and economic conditions in the Morice should refer to the “The Morice Land and Resource Management Plan, Socio-Economic Analysis Report”. An effort has been made not to reproduce information from the SEA or Building Blocks. Instead the EDAP attempts to analyze potential economic development opportunities as they relate specifically to the Morice LRMP area. The SEA and Building Blocks should be considered companion documents to the Economic Development Action Plan.

Forestry

Introduction

Forestry is the largest basic industry in the Morice LRMP with 40 percent of the local population being dependant on this sector of the economy^¹. Forestry provides employment in a variety of areas, including timber harvesting, road building, transportation, timber processing (milling, pulp manufacturing and value-added), silviculture, export log preparation and loading, and equipment supply and maintenance. The current Allowable Annual Cut of 1,961,117m³/yr for the Morice Timber Supply Area came into effect on October 1, 2002.

The Morice forest industry is currently dealing with a massive epidemic of Mountain Pine Beetle.

Canfor and Houston Forest Products have recently upgraded their milling operations. These upgrades were necessary to increase efficiency in response to global market for lumber and to remove bottlenecks within the mills.
There is an opportunity for smaller value-added operations to prosper if they could be provided with certainty of fibre supply on a long-term basis. However, the impact of the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic on the timber supply puts into question the viability of a suitable long-term fibre supply^².
First Nation communities in the Morice area are interested in getting involved in forestry. The Cheslatta First Nation has already established a mill in the southern part of the neighbouring Lakes TSA to capture some of immediate economic gains associated with the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation.
For a detailed assessment of the Forest Industry in the Morice refer to the Morice Land and Resource Management Plan: Socio-Economic Base Case.

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