Provincial policy for biodiversity protection in BC’s forested landscapes is to establish Landscape Unit Plans that protect representative stands of old growth (OGMA-Old Growth Management Area) in each biogeoclimatic subzone in each Landscape Unit.

Landscape Unit Plans have been established in 12 of 24 landscapes in the SC Forest District. A number of other Landscape Units have draft plans awaiting designation.

Each Landscape Unit is assigned a Biodiversity Emphasis Option (BEO): High, Medium or Low. Half of the Landscape Units are assigned the Low BEO. The Low BEO assignment requires less OGMA designation than the Medium which requires less OGMA designation than the High BEO.

Selection of stands for OGMA designation must follow a set of priorities:

• Inoperable old growth stands are given 1st priority for selection.
• Old growth stands that are already constrained are the 2nd priority.
• Where there is insufficient old growth inventory to meet LU Plan targets, younger stands are “recruited” from inoperable or already constrained younger stands.
• Only after all these criteria are met can harvestable old growth be selected as OGMA.

Let's look at a map of the OGMAs of the SC Forest District.