Now that we have considered why we have roads, and their benefits and costs, we can consider how roads are managed, starting with government policy and certification guidelines, followed by Tembec management plans.

1. Manitoba Conservation policy and guidelines for road management

2. Forest Stewardship National Council Boreal Forest Guidelines

3. Tembec Road Management  Rainy Lake - Beaver Creek - Okimaw Lake - Happy Lake

4. Quiz

1. Manitoba Conservation policy and guidelines for road management

Manitoba Conservation provides guidance to forest companies when building, maintaining and decommissioning roads. To view a full listing of guidelines provided by Manitoba Conservation, visit the Manitoba Conservation Forest Management webpage. 

Companies are requested to provide road management information in their 10 year and annual plans. The information requested of companies is summarized in the following table.

Guidelines for Road Management Practices

Timber Harvesting Guidelines (1996) Time construction so that fish and wildlife concerns will not be compromised;  Avoid unstable areas, water source areas, springs, seepage, and sensitive wildlife areas;  Rehabilitate where possible;  Use well located skid trails instead of roads where possible; and,  When building a waterway crossing, ensure proper drainage and prevent sedimentation  into the watercourse in all phases of road construction.

Consolidated Buffer Management Guidelines (1996) All weather roads require buffers when needed to provide aesthetic and sound barriers, and site integrity. Buffers may be up to 150m; and, Seasonal roads and trails only need buffers if the lifespan of the road is more than 3 years.

Manitoba Stream Crossing Guidelines for the Protection of Fish and Fish Habitat (1996) Minimize number of stream crossings Avoid wetlands, marshes, steep slopes and unstable soils Keep roads 100m away from a water course except when crossing (or else use a buffer of 10m plus 1.5X slope gradient) Select a narrow section to minimize crossing length Ensure fish passage is possible in low flows

2. Forest Stewardship National Council Boreal Forest Guidelines

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a voluntary forest certification body that is focused on the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the world’s forests. Tembec is currently seeking FSC certification in FML01.

The Boreal National Standards, developed for FSC-certified companies, outlines considerations when constructing, using and maintaining roads, especially with regard to erosion, that are to be included in company standard operating procedures. FSC also stipulates how the guidelines are to be implemented, at all levels of road management. The table below summarizes the FSC guidelines, extracted from the Boreal Standard.

A comparative look at the Manitoba Conservation guidelines and the FSC guidelines shows many similar features, such as avoidance of stream crossings, and erosion prevention. What are some of the differences? One difference might be that FSC is more specific, such as the type of culvert to use. What other differences are there?

3. Tembec Road Management

 Road Development and Access Management Plans, developed in conjunction with Manitoba Conservation, are included in Tembec’s annual operational plans. Four road development plans have been developed for the FML01 to date:

          Rainy Lake

          Beaver Creek

          Okimaw Lake

          Happy Lake

Each plan includes topics such as resource and traditional use, road description, access management, road maintenance, long term access control and decommissioning, and proposed consultation with stakeholders. Following is a summary of each of Tembec’s road management plans.

Rainy Lake – Summary of Plan (1999)

 

The Rainy Lake Road was built to provide increased access to roundwood, as the area was previously only accessible for a 6 week period in the winter. The lifespan of the road is estimated to be 10-12 years and the area is expected to generate 30,000m3/year of wood. The total management network encompasses 18,178 ha, 11,785ha of which is productive forest. The road is 84.5 kilometers and there are 10 stream crossings.

The area is home to 5 Registered Trapline users, an outfitting operation, wild rice harvesting and gold exploration. Access is managed via a gate at the beginning of Rainy Lake Road as well as debris, slash and woody material at strategic points. A decommissioning strategy involves removal of stream crossings, tearing up 500m of grade and planting Jack Pines or other herbaceous species on Class 3 roads.

Beaver Creek – Summary of Plan (1999)

Road at Beaver Creek	Stream Crossing at Beaver Creek	Stream Crossing at Beaver Creek

The Beaver Creek Road was built in to access wood supply for Pine Falls Paper Company, Hollow Water First Nation and other resource users. The lifespan of the road is estimated to be 6-10 years for the first pass (the second pass occurring 20 years later) and the area is expected to generate 60,000 to 100,000m3 per year. The total management network encompasses 45, 854 ha, of which 27,862 ha is productive forest. The road is 172.6 kilometers and there are 17 stream crossings.

The area is home to 8 Registered Trapline users as well as an outfitter. Access is managed via a gate on Beaver Creek road and a “no hunting” game refuge developed with the Moose Management Committee of the Manitoba Model Forest. The refuge will last for the duration of harvesting in the area (6-10 years) and then will be removed once rehabilitation has occurred. A decommissioning strategy involves removal of stream crossings, tearing up 500m of grade and planting Jack Pines or other herbaceous species on Class 3.

 

Okimaw Lake – Summary of Plan (2000)

 

Road at Okimaw Lake	Road at Okimaw Lake

The management plan for Okimaw Lake road refers to an extension of the Pointer Lake Road. The lifespan of the road is estimated at 9 years and the area is expected to generate 19,000 m3/year. The total management network encompasses 7,271 ha, 3,830 ha of which is productive. The total road is 72.6 km long, with the new segment being 29.1 km long and there are two stream crossings.

The area is home to two Registered Trapline users and is used by remote cottagers. Mining exploration and recreational use also occur in the area. Concerns regarding access to off-shoot roads from the Pointer Road have led to access decommissioning of those roads, involving 200m trenches.  

Happy Lake - Summary of Plan (2003)

		Road at Happy Lake
Bridge removal, Happy Lake	Bridge removal, Happy Lake
Stream crossing rehabilitation, Happy Lake	Stream crossing rehabilitation, Happy Lake

The Happy Lake Road was built to further access major wood supply. The lifespan of the road is estimated at 5 years and the area is expected to generate 70,000m3/year. The proposed management plan is only for the north extension of the road, called the Papineau Road (29km) based on consultation with the Eastern Manitoba Woodland Caribou Advisory Committee. Future access plans to the areas depend on evolving management strategies for caribou (for an additional 67km). There are two stream crossings.

The area is home to ten Registered Trapline users, a semi-remote fishing lodge, canoeing, camping, remote cottaging, and a strong interest in moose hunting.

Two wildlife management strategies are incorporated into the plan- one for moose and one for caribou. The moose management plan involves the removal of a wildlife refuge (erected in the 1990s) to open the area to moose hunting, while still restricting motorized vehicle access.

The caribou management plan was developed in consultation with the Eastern Manitoba Woodland Caribou Advisory Committee. In order to maintain 2/3 of high suitability habitat for caribou, designs involving natural disturbance and historical harvest design (to mimic cutblocks done in the 1980s given current caribou populations in those areas) are used. Also, the following principles are considered prior to harvesting in the region:

Access in the Happy Lake Area is controlled on a short and long term basis. In the short term, a gate and three barricades are erected at strategic points. Long term access control includes bridge removal, V plowing strategic sections of the road, and removal of stream crossings.

Based on community consultations a number of actions are taken to address community concerns, such as not harvesting during fishing season and avoiding lake shores. Contracts with First Nations are also continued.