Project Title: Wycliffe Corridor Grasslands Ecosystem Restoration
FWCP Project No: UW-F16-103
Prepared For: Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program
Prepared By: Dan Murphy, Coordinator
Rocky Mountain Trench Natural Resources Society, April 30, 2016
This project was completed as part of the Rocky Mountain Trench Ecosystem
Restoration Program with financial support from the Columbia Basin Trust,
Habitat Conservation Foundation of BC, Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural
Resources Operations, and the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program on behalf
of its program partners BC Hydro, the Province of BC, and Fisheries and Oceans
Canada, First Nations and the public.
Photos by Rhonda Murphy
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Executive Summary
This project is located in the Wycliffe area between Kimberley and Cranbrook, BC. The Wycliffe
Wildlife Corridor is a significant wildlife refuge and movement corridor on high value grasslands
running from St Mary's River to Cherry Creek. These grasslands are habitat for several rare and
endangered plant and animal species which will benefit from reducing crown closure and
improving grassland qualities of the area.
Whitetail deer, mule deer and elk winter in the area. The treatment objective was to maintain
or increase the species richness and population density of endemic wildlife species in treated
areas; with special emphasis in species listed as being red or blue listed by the Conservation
Data Centre.
Plant species or plant community objectives included maintaining or increasing the species
richness and population density of endemic plant species and plant communities in treated
areas by increasing the native grass and forb plant cover.
All treatment activities followed a detailed “Ecosystem Restoration Prescription” developed
and approved by the Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations in 2011 and was
revised in 2015 to include more Wildlife Tree Patches.
Mechanical and hand tree slashing, piling of slash and open burning of slash on prepared
ground pads were required to establish open range stocking standards. Approximately, 1100
metric tonnes of pulpwood was removed from the site and sold to Canadian Forest Products
Ltd., which reduced the cost of the project and eliminated the need to burn the pulpwood
sized trees which would have had a negative effect on the air shed.
An Open Range target density of 20 stems per hectare with a maximum density of 75 stems per
hectare was retained. The larger diameter ponderosa pine trees, greater than 27 centimeter
diameter at breast height, were reserved. Douglas fir trees over 10 centimeters diameter at
breast height and all western larch and deciduous species were reserved to add to the residual
tree species biodiversity.
All restoration treatment activities were carried out on snow covered frozen ground conditions
which resulted in less than .005 percent soil disturbance over the treatment area. Disturbed
areas were grass seeded and fertilized upon completion of treatment activities to reduce
invasive plant species establishment.
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Table of Contents
Page Number
1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5
2.0 Goals and Objectives……………………………………………………………………………………………………………6
2.1 Overstory…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…6
2.2 Understory…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
3.0 Project Area…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6
4.0 Methods and Results……………………………………………………………………………………………………………8
4.1 Layout of Trails and Openings……………………………………………………………………………………….12
4.2 Felling of Slash and Pulpwood……………………………………………………………………………………….14
4.3 Forwarding, Processing, Loading and Trucking………………………………………………………………15
4.4 Burning…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………16
4.5 Grass Seeding & Fertilizing……………………………………………………………………………………………22
4.6 Invasive Plant Control……………………………………………………………………………………………………23
4.7 Vehicle Access Management…………………………………………………………………………………………23
5.0 Discussion and Recommendations.………………………….…………………………………………………………23
6.0 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………………………………24
7.0 References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………24
8.0 Confirmation of FWCP Recognition..………………………………………………………………………………….24
List of Figures
Figure 1: Wycliffe Conservation Property project location map………………………………………………….7
Figure 2: Pre-treatment stand conditions at north end of treatment unit………………………………….9
Figure 3: Post-treatment stand conditions at north end of treatment unit………………………………10
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Figure 4: Post treatment trail condition after snow melted on site………………………………………….11
Figure 5: Existing trails linked together and used only with frozen ground conditions……………..12
Figure 6: Location Of Trails and Openings………………………………………………………………………………..13
Figure 7: Timbco 425 Feller/Buncher……………………………………………………………………………………….14
Figure 8: Timberjack 460 Swing Grapple Skidder………………………………………………………………………15
Figure 9: Volvo 210C excavator with a brush rake and thumb attachment, Link-belt 210
excavator with a Warahtah 620 processing head and a Kenworth tractor six axle set up with a
haystack type trailer…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………16
Figure 10: Trench burning with forced air………………………………………………………………………………..17
Figure 11: Burning pad with top soil piled, saved and put back after burning ………………………….18
Figure 12: Volvo 210C excavator with a brush rake and thumb attachment…………………………….19
Figure 13: Excavator adding slash to the fire and using fans to create more heat for hotter
burning and less smoke……………………………………………………………………………………………………………20
Figure 14: Slash pile burning hot with good air venting……………………………………………………………21
Figure 15: Burning pad filled in after burning with saved top soil then grass seeded……………….22
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1.0 Introduction
The Rocky Mountain Trench Natural Resources Society (Trench Society) is a coalition of 11
environmental, hunting, ranching and wildlife organizations working together since 1996 to
restore and conserve the grasslands and open forests of the Rocky Mountain Trench in
Southeastern BC. The Trench Society is a founding partner in the Rocky Mountain Trench
Ecosystem Restoration Program a partnership of 30 government agencies, NGOs, citizen groups
and First Nations working together to restore grasslands and open forests from Radium Hot
Springs to the US border between the Rocky and Purcell Mountains below 1200 meters
elevation.
The Society encourages, supports, participates in, and initiates operations that will restore lost
grassland ecosystem function, with emphasis on the forage resource. This is accomplished by
bringing forward social issues, identifying problems, acquiring funding, implementing contracts,
sponsoring projects, lobbying government, and through public communications and outreach.
Active member organizations include: Cranbrook Archery Club, Cranbrook Community Forest
Society, East Kootenay Invasive Species Council, East Kootenay Wildlife Association, Kootenay
Livestock Association, Rocky Mountain Naturalists, Southern Guides & Outfitters Association,
The Land Conservancy of BC, Waldo Stock Breeders Association, Wildsight and Windermere
District Farmers Institute.
This project is located in the Wycliffe area between Kimberley and Cranbrook, BC. The Wycliffe
Wildlife Corridor is a significant wildlife refuge and movement corridor on high value grasslands
running from St Mary's River to Cherry Creek. These grasslands are habitat for several rare and
endangered plant and animal species which will benefit from reducing crown closure and
improving grassland qualities of the area.
This ecosystem restoration project followed the direction of Ungulate Winter Range Orders,
which meet the habitat requirements of ungulates on site. Whitetail deer, mule deer and elk
winter in the area. The treatment objective is to maintain or increase the species richness and
population density of endemic wildlife species in treated areas; with special emphasis on
species listed as being red or blue listed by the Conservation Data Centre.
A reconnaissance level range survey of the Wycliffe Conservations Properties conducted by
Ross Range and Reclamation Services in 2007 noted old badger diggings in multiple locations in
the treatment unit. A badger den was identified adjacent to the treatment unit boundary on
the south side of Highway 95A during field work activities in April 2009.
The Wycliffe Property Purpose Statement document states that the Lewis’s woodpecker has
been observed in the Wycliffe Conservation Properties. Occurrence of the Lewis’s woodpecker
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for the area was also reported by the BC Conservation Data Centre (May 2009 Occurrence
Report).
Plant species or plant community objectives include maintaining or increasing the species
richness and population density of endemic plant species and plant communities in treated
areas by increasing the native grass and forb plant cover.
The open forest / grassland ecosystem province-wide is considered rare/endangered (Wycliffe
Property Purpose Statement) and the ponderosa pine / blue bunch wheatgrass natural plant
community in the PPdh2 BEC Zone is ‘red’ listed (BC Conservation Data Centre).
The CDC also shows Racemed groundsmoke (Gayophytum racemosum) as red listed, Obscure
cyptantha (Critptantha ambigua) and Northern lithanthus (Leptosiphon septentrionlis) as blue
listed and found adjacent to the southern treatment unit boundary. The prescription area also
overlaps Spurless touch-me-not (Impatiens ecalcarata Blank) and Canada anemone (Anemone
canadensis L.) that are blue listed polygons. The Wycliffe Property Purpose statement also lists
wild licorice (Glycrhiza lepidota Pursh) a blue listed species as being on site.
2. Goals and Objectives
2.1 Overstory
To maintain open range stands 0-75 stems/hectare (ha) on the site with a target of 20 stems/ha
while maintaining largest trees on site emphasizing trees greater than 27 centimeters diameter
at breast height (DBH). Open Range areas are not managed for timber production. All
machinery use is to be on snow covered frozen ground to minimize soil disturbance primarily to
prevent the establishment of invasive plant species. Machines were kept out of Wild Tree
Patches (WTP).
2.2 Understory
a) To increase the native grass and forb plant cover by 25% within ten years of the treatment.
The rough fescue/Idaho fescue/blue bunch wheatgrass is to be used as the default community
to be increased.
b) To increase forage biomass production by 5% within 5 years of initial treatment.
c) To increase the forage biomass of valuable decreaser shrubs (e.g. Saskatoon berry, rose spp.,
ceanothus and chokecherry) by 25% in treated areas within 5 years of treatment.
3. Project Area
The project area is located between Cranbrook and Kimberley BC, south of Stirton Road/Hwy
95A junction and north of the St Mary’s river. See Figure 1, Project Location Map on Page 7.
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Figure 1: Wycliffe Conservation Property project location map
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4. Methods and Results
All treatment activities followed the detailed “Ecosystem Restoration Prescription” developed
and approved by the Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations in 2011 and was
revised, signed and sealed in 2015 by Randy Harris, RPF, Forestry Consultant (retired Ecosystem
Restoration Team Leader, Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations, Rocky
Mountain Resource District) to include more Wildlife Tree Patches as recommended by Allana
Oestreich, RPBio, Ecosystem Biologist, Habitat Management, Ministry of Forests, Lands &
Natural Resource Operations, Kootenay-Boundary Resource Management Division.
Mechanical and hand tree slashing, piling of slash and open burning of slash on prepared
ground pads were required to establish open range stocking standards. Approximately, 1100
metric tonnes of pulpwood was removed from the site and sold to Canadian Forest Products
Ltd., which reduced the cost of the project and prevented the need to burn the pulpwood sized
trees which would have had a negative effect on the air shed and would have significantly
increased the cost of the project if the pulpwood had to be burned. Experienced, proven, local
logging contractor CHiL Logging Ltd (owned and operated by Rob & Brent Pukas) was used to
carry out all the field treatments and was awarded the contract through a competitive
“Request For Proposal” tendering process.
An Open Range target density of 20 stems/ha with a maximum density of 75 stems/ha was
retained. The larger diameter ponderosa pine trees, greater than 27 centimeter diameter at
breast height, were reserved. Douglas fir trees over 10 centimeters diameter at breast height
and all western larch and deciduous species were reserved to add to the residual tree species
biodiversity.
Figure 2 on Page 9 shows the pre-treatment stand density of the small trees that had to be
slashed that ranged from 0 to 10,200 stems/ha and averaged 3294 stems/ha under 12.5 cm
dbh. The pulpwood over 12.4 centimeter dbh and under 27 cm dbh ranged from 0 to 1746
stems/ha and averaged 845 stems/ha; for a total of 0 to 11,045 stems/ha and an average of
4139 stems/ha.
Figure 3 on Page 10 shows the post-treatment stand conditions at the north end of the
treatment unit.
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Figure 2: Pre-treatment stand conditions at north end of treatment unit.
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Figure 3: Post-treatment stand conditions at north end of treatment unit
All restoration treatment activities were carried out on snow covered frozen ground conditions
which resulted in less than .005 percent soil disturbance over the treatment area. Disturbed
areas were grass seeded and fertilized upon completion of treatment activities to reduce
invasive plant species establishment. Figure 4 on Page 11 shows post treatment trail condition
after the snow melted on the treatment site and before grass seeding germinated on any of the
exposed ground, which was minimal over the total treatment area.
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Figure 4: Post treatment trail condition after snow melted on site, photo taken May 2, 2016
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4.1 Layout of Trails and Openings
Layout of skid trails and landings was conducted by Maple Leaf Forestry Consultants. Existing
old trails and openings were linked together to form a loop road and locate eleven potential
landings (see Figure 6 on Page 13) that could be used for processing pulpwood and slash
burning the small trees and pulpwood slash on snow covered frozen ground without having to
do any ground excavation, resulting in minimal soil disturbance, see Figure 5 below.
Figure 5: Existing trails linked together and only used when snow covered frozen ground
conditions occurred.
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Figure 6: Location of All Trails and Openings
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4.2 Felling of Slash and Pulpwood
Felling and bunching of small non-merchantable trees and pulpwood sized trees was done with
a Timbco 425 Feller/Buncher. It was able to fell and collect very small trees and pulpwood
sized trees up to 27 centimeter dbh, and pile in rows of bunches to be skidded to the landing
openings for processing and burning. See Figure 7 below.
Figure 7: Timbco 425 Feller/Buncher
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4.3 Forwarding, Processing, Loading and Trucking
All of the trees felled were forwarded to designated openings by a Timberjack 460 swing
grapple skidder, see Figure 8 below. At the designated openings, the small trees were
separated from the larger trees big enough to be processed for pulpwood with a Volvo 210C
excavator with a brush rake and thumb attachment, see Figure 5 below. The larger trees were
delimbed and cut to pulpwood lengths using a Link-belt 210 excavator with a Warahtah 620
processing head. The pulpwood was hauled away using a Kenworth tractor six axle set up with a
haystack type trailer, see Figure 9 on Page 16. No sawlog size trees were removed from the site.
All of the equipment used in the treatment activities was regular commercial logging
equipment; however, due to the snow covered frozen ground conditions, and the experience
and careful operation of the machinery by the equipment operators from CHiL Logging Ltd., a
minimal amount (less than .005%) of site disturbance was exposed over the treatment area.
Figure 8: Timberjack 460 Swing Grapple Skidder
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Figure 9: Volvo 210C excavator with a brush rake and thumb attachment, Link-belt 210 excavator with
a Warahtah 620 processing head and a Kenworth tractor six axle set up with a haystack type trailer.
4.4 Burning
Originally, the small trees and pulpwood slash was planned to be burned in containers above the ground
called sloops, to eliminate soil damage from heat. However, the Province of BC’s, Ministry of
Environment air venting regulations in January and most of February restricted any sloop burning when
the ground was frozen and covered in snow. When the legal air venting became available for burning in
late February 2016, the snow was melting and the ground was starting to thaw.
To reduce potential forest fire hazards in the summer and to allow the heavy equipment to move
around on frozen ground, it was decided to try excavating burning trenches at each opening where the
slash was piled, to try and complete the burning before the frozen ground thawed. A trench was built at
one of the openings, approximately 8 meters long, 2 meters wide and 2 meters deep. The top soil was
piled beside the trench to be spread back after burning and grass seeded. Fans and pipes were installed
to eject air in to the trench for hotter burning and less smoke, see Figure 10 on Page 17. The trench
burning was not able to produce enough heat; therefore, produced too much smoke due to the green
and wet conditions of the slash and was too slow to finish all the burning before the ground thawed. The
trench burning process was abandoned.
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Figure 10: Trench burning with forced air.
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Due to the lack of success with the trench burning, eight burning pads approximately 9 meters long by 9
meters wide and 20 to 30 centimeters deep were excavated at seven openings where slash was piled.
The top soil was piled next to the pad to be replaced after burning and grass seeded, see Figure 11
below. A small fire was started with dry wood until green slash could be added slowly and a large hot
fire was created that green, wet slash could be burned using a Volvo 210C excavator with a brush rake
and thumb attachment, see Figure 12 on Page 19, Figure 13 on Page 20 and Figure 14 on Page 21.
Figure 11: Burning pad with top soil piled & saved to be put back after burning.
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Figure 12: Volvo 210C excavator with a brush rake and thumb attachment
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Figure 13: Excavator adding slash to the fire and using fans to create more heat for hotter
burning and less smoke.
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Figure 14: Slash pile burning hot with good air venting.
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4.5 Grass Seeding and Fertilizing
All burn pads and any other areas that were ground disturbed during operations, even if it was
minor, were harrowed lightly using dangling chains from the Volvo 210 excavator boom, then
grass seeded and fertilized with a hand grind spreader, and harrowed again lightly to mix the
grass seed and fertilizer in to the top soil for better germination results. Grass seeding and
fertilizing was completed by Allana Oestreich, Ecosystem Biologist, Habitat Management,
Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations, Kootenay-Boundary Resource
Management Division and Rob Pukas, CHiL Logging Ltd. See Figure 15 below.
Figure 15: Burning pad filled in after burning with saved top soil then grass seeded & fertilized
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4.6 Invasive Plant Control
The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations had the treatment site checked
for invasive plants and treated where necessary by the East Kootenay Invasive Species Council
in 2015, prior to any ER treatment activity commencement. The area will be checked post ER
treatment in 2016 and any invasive plants requiring treatment will be addressed.
4.7 Vehicle Access Management
The Wycliffe Conservation Property is a Motor Vehicle Closed Area under the Wildlife Act. An
old road exists at the south end of the property that can be accessed from CPR’s private land on
the east and west boundary of the Conservation property. Two posts were driven in the middle
of the road at each end of the access road where the CPR property meets the Wycliffe
Conservation Property and Motor Vehicle Closed Area signs were nailed to each post to allow
Conservation Officers the legal right to enforce charges against offenders. The old road to and
within the Conservation property was harrowed, grass seeded and fertilized to reduce the
establishment of invasive plants and to discourage motorized vehicle use.
5.0 Discussion and Recommendations
The biggest challenge of the project was trying to burn the slash on frozen snow covered
ground conditions during “Good” air quality venting days. Most of the tree slashing, pulpwood
processing and hauling occurred in January and February when ground conditions were
favorable for machine traffic to minimize site disturbance. However, good air venting days
didn’t occur until mid to late February when the ground conditions were beginning to thaw.
The BC government provincial Ministry of Environment air quality burning regulations consider
burning in containers like sloop burners to be open burning, even if the container puts out little
or no smoke. These regulations have been under review since 2010 and changes to the
regulations need to be made to put container burning in to another category with different
regulations rather than being lumped in with open burning like slash burning on landings.
All of the equipment used in the ER treatment activities were regular commercial logging
equipment; however, due to the snow covered frozen ground conditions, and the experience
level and careful operation of the machinery by the equipment operators from CHiL Logging
Ltd., a minimal amount of site disturbance was experienced over the treatment area, less than
.005% over the whole treatment area.
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6. Acknowledgements
This Project was funded by the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program on behalf of its
program partners BC Hydro, the Province of BC, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, First Nations
and the public, who work together to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife impacted by the
construction of BC Hydro dams. Funding was also received from the Columbia Basin Trust
Environment Grant Program, Habitat Conservation Trust Program, Ministry of Forests, Lands &
Natural Resource Operations, Land Base Investment Fund, the Rocky Mountain Ecosystem
Restoration Program and the Rocky Mountain Trench Natural Resources Society.
The project was completed under the direct professional and technical expertise and
supervision of Allana Oestreich, RPBio, Ecosystem Biologist, Habitat Management, Ministry of
Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations, Kootenay-Boundary Resource Management
Division. Also, Larry Ingham, RPBio, FLNRO, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Section, and Mike
Gall, Ecological Restoration Project Consultant (retired BC Parks Ecosystem Restoration
Specialist) provided professional and technical expertise and guidance to the project.
7. References
All treatment activities followed the Ecosystem Restoration Prescription developed by Randy
Harris, RPF, a consulting forester dba the Wandering Ecotone (retired Ecosystem Restoration
Team Leader, Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations, Rocky Mountain
Resource District).
8. Confirmation of FWCP Recognition
A media release will be prepared and distributed to all media outlets in the East Kootenay
Region by the Rocky Mountain Trench ER Program’s Communications & Outreach contractor in
June, 2016, in conjunction with a field trip that will be held for resource professionals and
managers to view the results and recommendations of the project, with recognition of FWCP’s
and other funder contributions.
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