INTEGRAL FORESTRY
INTEGRAL FORESTRY
Integral Forestry means and includes:
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Forest practices that first determine the ecological limits to human uses of a specified land area, and then, given these limits, apply management strategies that will maintain a fully functioning ecosystem over time; and,
Management strategies that consider humans as part of the ecosystem and that aim to improve social conditions such as local employment levels, community stability, local economic opportunities, community safety, fire preparedness and respect and understanding among residents; and​​​
A board of directors and a membership that share the following understanding:
(a) residents hold diverse perspectives and value systems in relation to the forest that surrounds them.
(b) these perspectives and value systems are guided and influenced by a mix of social, economic, scientific, spiritual, psychological, cultural, political, historical and institutional lenses.
(c) each of these perspectives is valuable and pertinent and must, therefore, be considered as part of solutions that will work for all.
(d) by including and building upon these perspectives, solutions found will be more complete and viable in considering how the community and the forest can interface.
Our Integral Forestry purposes are:
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To serve as a model of integral forestry by owning and managing forest lands in a manner that is ecologically and socially responsible, economically sustainable, and that provides the community with all the amenities of a fully functioning ecosystem.
Specific purposes are as follows:
To manage the community forest license area according to site-sensitive, ecologically based forestry practices modeled on an ecosystem-based approach that is peer review defendable.
To stimulate local employment and economic opportunities from these forest lands that are ecologically sustainable and socially responsible.
To establish a financially viable forest product business that:
(i) provides forest management services and forest products marketing services;
(ii) supports forest-related educational, recreational, business and employment opportunities for the Slocan Valley;
(iii) supports the preservation of ecologically sensitive lands and the restoration of degraded forest lands;
(iv) enhances community safety and fire preparedness by reducing fuel loading in the WUI zone within the Slocan Community Forest;
(v) provides a meaningful public participation process for the planning and development of domestic use watersheds;
(vi) preserves water quality, quantity and timing of flow in the community forest license area.
OUR COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN
In 2017 SIFCo was retained by the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) - with support from the Villages of New Denver, Silverton, and Slocan - to create a Community Wildfire Protection Plan for Electoral Area H.
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Due to the large geographic area, diverse ecosystems, and abundance of communities throughout the Slocan Valley, two CWPPs were developed: Area H North and Area H South.
The Area of Interest for this CWPP encompasses the Villages of New Denver and Silverton, and the communities of the Regional District Central Kootenay Electoral Area H North.
Following the Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative 2017 Community Wildfire Protection Plan Template, January 23, 2018 version, and the 2013 Wildland Urban Interface Wildfire Threat Assessment Guide, wildfire threat was determined through a combination of field reconnaissance and spatial data analysis. Results from the wildfire threat analysis indicate that there is a high threat of wildfire throughout the North Slocan Valley.
Through a combination of strategically located fuel treatments, FireSmart activities, and emergency planning and preparedness, the wildfire risk facing the communities of New Denver, Silverton, and Area H North can be mitigated. Our aim is to reduce the likelihood of a wildfire entering the community, reduce impacts and losses to property, critical infrastructure, and values, and reduce negative economic and social impacts to the community as a result of a wildfire.
The Community Forest Agreement (CFA) is an area based tenure, which includes the Pedro Creek, Winlaw Creek, Trozzo Creek, Elliott Creek, and Ringrose Creek drainages, parts of the Lemon Creek and Springer Creek drainages, and the Hasty Creek, Vevey Creek and Brahms Creek drainages.
The FSP is a landscape level plan which establishes objectives, strategies and results for conserving and protecting timber and non-timber resource values on crown land within the CFA.
The FSP has been prepared per the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Forest Planning and Practices regulation.
The FSP does not contain specific operational plans for individual harvesting, fuel management, or ecosystem restoration projects.
These will be addressed in future planning and ongoing
community involvement processes.
We are offering the public and interested parties with an opportunity to review and comment on the FSP.
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While information sharing has closing dates specified to ensure clarity in communications, the public and stakeholders are welcome to contact us at any time with questions, concerns or comments related to our activities.
SIFCo can be reached by phone: 250-226-7012 or email: office@sifco.ca for additional
information or discussion.
SIFCo’s wildfire‑mitigation strategy is built around creating healthier, more fire‑resilient forests across the Slocan Valley. Our work focuses on reducing the intensity and spread of future wildfires by restoring forests to more natural, open conditions that historically experienced frequent, low‑severity fire.
Instead of treating wildfire as an external threat, SIFCo approaches it as an ecological process that needs to be re‑balanced. We prioritize strategic landscape‑level planning, identifying high‑risk corridors and interface zones where treatments will have the greatest impact on community safety.
Our mitigation work blends ecological restoration with practical fuel reduction, ensuring that forests remain productive, biodiverse, and better able to withstand drought, insects, and climate‑driven stress.
To achieve this, SIFCo uses five primary treatment types that work together to reduce fuel loads and improve forest structure.​​​
