Implementation of Biodiversity Measures under the Forest Practices Code – Implications for the Transition to the Forest and Range Practices Act

This special report provides the public with a picture of the British Columbia government’s progress in planning and implementation for biodiversity in provincial forests since the Forest Practices Code (the Code) came into effect in 1995.

Biological diversity or ‘biodiversity’ is a concept that has become a key issue in the management of British Columbia’s forests in the last two decades. Internationally, Canada has made commitments to conserve biodiversity under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Conservation of biodiversity on British Columbia’s forested landbase occurs at several levels. At the highest level, the Crown forest landbase is divided into protected areas, inoperable forest, areas where timber harvesting is constrained, such as riparian reserves, and the timber harvesting landbase. Protected areas alone are not enough to conserve biodiversity across the landscape, so the Forest Practices Code applied measures to conserve biodiversity to the remaining forest landbase.