British Columbians are invited to comment on proposed amendments to the boundaries of about 400 existing old growth management areas (OGMAs) in the Quesnel Natural Resource District.

Old growth management areas help protect the biological diversity of old-growth forests by ensuring that stands from different ecosystem types are protected. These areas are excluded from commercial timber harvesting, which helps preserve plant ecosystems, wildlife habitat and cultural values.

The proposed amendments to the old growth management areas in the Quesnel Natural Resource District are required under the Land Act, due in part to the salvage harvesting of trees killed by mountain pine beetle infestations within those areas. The portions that were salvage harvested must be replaced with an equivalent amount of old growth management areas. 

In addition, the amount and distribution of old growth management areas are determined by ecosystem mapping and the boundaries of the relevant ecosystem units have been updated since these old growth management areas were originally mapped in 2006. This has affected their distribution and percent target requirements, so the proposed boundary amendments would correct those discrepancies.

Members of the public are invited to submit comments about the proposed amendments to the boundaries of these old growth management areas during a 60-day review and comment period that ends Aug. 4, 2015.

Written comments can be mailed to:

“OGMA Comments”
Quesnel Natural Resource District
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
322 Johnston Ave.
Quesnel, B.C.  V2J 3M5

Comments can be emailed, using the subject line “OGMA Comments”, to: QuesnelOGMAcomments@gov.bc.ca

Maps showing the proposed OGMA amendments may be viewed at the Quesnel Natural Resource District office in Quesnel (322 Johnston Ave.). The maps can also be accessed online at: https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/DQU/OGMA/OGMA_Boundary_Amendments_2015.htm

An open house and information session will also be held at the Quesnel Natural Resource District office on June 23, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

Quick Facts:

• Currently, there are over 49,000 old growth management areas in B.C., covering almost 3.1 million hectares.
• A total of about 4.5 million hectares of old-growth forest are protected within old growth management areas, provincial parks, national parks, ecological reserves, land conservancies and recreational areas in British Columbia.
• The Quesnel Natural Resource District covers about 1.8 million hectares of land in the southern Interior. It extends from Macalister in the south to the Cottonwood River in the north and from the Itcha Ilgachuz Mountains in the west to the Fraser River Divide in the east.

Media Contacts:

Greig Bethel
Public Affairs Officer
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261