A Modern Look at Free Growing

This FPBC webinar looks at the provincial government’s free-grow vision for the future of the forest sector and BC forests.

The BC free growing policy is not expected to adequately support long-term planning for the full range of resource values at the stand or landscape level, according to Taisa Brown, RPF, silviculture performance assessment specialist with the Harvesting and Silviculture Practices (HSP) section of the Forest Science, Planning and Practices Branch (FSPPB) in the Office of the Chief Forester (OCF).

The government discussion paper Modernizing British Columbia’s Free Growing Policy outlines a two-phase approach for moving forward with changes to free growing policy.

Brown is a panelist for the webinar A Modern Look at Free Growing, presented by Andrew Snetsinger, RPF, manager of the HSP section. The webinar provides an opportunity to engage with the Free Growing Working Group, formed to review the current free growing framework in BC and provide options and recommendations.

In A Modern Look at Free Growing, learn more about:

• the background and framework of the current free growing policy;
• changes for blocks developed under Forest Stewardship Plans (FSP) to improve the provincial inventory and address forest health and climate change;
• options for blocks developed under Forest Landscape Plans (FLP) that allow for the incorporation of stand development pathways and silvicultural systems developed by the FLP working groups.

Date: September 12, 2024

Time: 2:30-4:00 PM (includes Q&A).

Presenter: Andrew Snetsinger, RPF.

Snetsinger is joined by other panelists Shannon Pearce, RPF, Craig Wickland, RPF, both with the HSP section.

Snetsinger is manager of the HSP section. He oversees work on silviculture policy, guidance, and strategy, as well as the provincial forest health and silviculture research programs.

Brown has been with the ministry since 2021, focusing on silviculture survey updates and training, developing stocking standards for broadleaf species and the landscape, and post-free grow monitoring. Prior to government, Brown worked as a silviculture forester for a major licensee on the coast.

Pearce is the forest policy specialist with the HSP section. She has been with the Ministry since May 2016 in various roles. Currently, her primary focus is policy pertaining to alternative silvicultural systems. Prior to coming to government, Shannon worked for more than 20 years as a silviculture consultant on the coast and in north-west BC.

Wickland is the stand management team Lead with the HSP section.  He has been with the ministry for more than 30 years, working primarily in silviculture. Prior to working for branch, he was the section head of forest stewardship for the coast area.

Click the link to register.