Special Report – SR/49
April 2015
RECOMMENDATIONS
Inventory
1. Government improve the current information on resource roads by providing a website that allows collaborative editing of content (a wiki); both to enable government staff and to engage the public in providing current information about road location and status.
Strategic Management
2. A regulation bringing into force sections 93.1 and 93.3 of the Land Act, as a way to enable setting and varying of access objectives for a prescribed area that could apply to everyone; all industries and the public.
3. Government require timely notification be provided to non-industrial users of resource roads about pending changes in road status (new construction, changes in maintenance and deactivation).
4. The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations maintains some access on forest service roads that serve communities, rural residences and high value recreation areas, but there is no formal mechanism for public input into that program. The Board recommends government address part of this issue by implementing the recommendation of the BC Forest Safety Ombudsman that “the Province should establish a new public highway designation for resource roads that serve as the primary or secondary access roads for communities."
Operational Management
5. Until comprehensive legislation is passed, government address many of the operational issues with minor regulatory changes, by developing clear policies and by promoting and supporting the work of local road management committees.
6. Government complete an inventory of these roads, including rating the risk of negative effects. With respect to road rehabilitation in the forestry context, there is a need for a clear distinction between temporary and permanent access and clear direction that temporary access roads should be rehabilitated.
