The Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel

On July 6, 1995 the Government of British Columbia accepted the report of the Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel (CSSP) and committed to working with companies, workers, and First Nations to ensure that the CSSP recommendations were implemented in their entirety.

The recommendations of the Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel (CSSP) recognized three broad classes of values:

1. Ecological services, such as improving air quality and regulating hydrology
2. Specific objects, such as large trees and species
3. Spiritual and cultural values

The CSSP recommends a new comprehensive approach to planning that includes all scales; the landscape or watershed level, the forest level, and the site or stand level.

Ecosystem Management Objectives:

• Maintain watershed integrity.
• Ensure managed forests support and maintain biological diversity, structural diversity, and ecological function.
• Protect areas and sites significant to First Nations.
• Maintain scenic, recreational, and tourism values.
• Provide for a sustainable flow of products from the ecosystems of Clayoquot Sound.

Site Level Planning Objectives:

The objective for site level planning is the identification of smaller features requiring protection that were not identified during watershed level planning. These areas may include small ephemeral streams and wetlands, wildlife trees, culturally important sites including culturally modified trees, recreation sites, and scenic features.

Specific objectives for sites proposed for harvesting include:

• Protect all resource values, including diversity of aquatic and terrestrial species, cultural concerns, and scenic and recreational values. (CSSP, 1995).
• Develop comprehensive silviculture prescriptions that include retention levels.
• Identify road locations and harvest area boundaries.
• Specify harvesting methods and seasonal constraints.
• Identify specific constraints to road construction and harvesting activities.

Will Iisaak implement the recommendations of the Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel?

Iisaak is committed to making Clayoquot Sound a leading global example of ecologically sensitive forest management. The implementation of the Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel recommendations form the technical basis for Iisaak's approach to forest management in Clayoquot Sound.

Iisaak recognizes that the application of the Scientific Panel is a continuous learning process and that based on what is learned, the process of adaptive management will be applied.

"Both management and policy must be adaptive"