In May 1999, while considering a bid on a small-scale salvage licence near Three Valley Gap in the Salmon Arm Forest District, a salvage contractor (the complainant) observed signs of what he believed to be unauthorized timber harvest. He promptly reported a trespass to the forest district office. In June 1999, he complained to the Board that the response to his report was inappropriate. The Board did not investigate that complaint because the Comptroller General was carrying out an internal government audit of the district’s small business timber administration process. In November 1999, the complainant observed signs of what he beleived to be an unauthorized timber harvest near another block he was considering for a bid, this one near Anglemont. He made another trespass report to the district office. In September 2000, he filed a second complaint to the Board about both instances of trespass, and asserted that enforcement was inappropriate. The Board noted that the internal audit that might have resolved the complaint had still not been completed, so it decided to investigate.

This complaint is about the opportunity for public review and comment for the 1998 – 2003 forest development plan (FDP) for the Small Business Forest Enterprise Program of the Salmon Arm Forest District.

The complainant believes that public consultation was inadequate because he did not know that the Ministry of Forests planned to harvest 11 cutblocks in the Blind Bay area until May 2000, even though the cutblocks were approved as part of the 1998 FDP. In addition, the complainant believes that the newspaper advertisements for the public review of the FDP were inadequate because they misleadingly indicated that development was planned in the White Lake area, when in reality it was planned for the Blind Bay area.

In July 1997 there was heavy rain in the Salmon Arm area. The cumulative precipitation over a nine-month period was the highest recorded in 100 years. During a July 11 rainfall, a large debris flow impacted properties at Swansea Point, a residential area of approximately 150 homes. The debris flow blocked Highway 97A, about 10 kilometres south of Sicamous, and flowed into Mara Lake. It directly impacted homes and structures on several properties resulting in two buildings being destroyed. Debris and changes in groundwater also impacted residential septic fields and water wells at Swansea Point. Extensive scouring and erosion occurred along Swansea Point Road. The debris flow was the largest non-volcanic debris flow recorded in the province.

On September 25, 2000, the Board received a complaint from an Oliver resident. The complainant lives on White Lake road, a paved rural road that passes through Crown range land in the Penticton Forest District. The complainant stated that a local rancher repeatedly allowed his cattle to graze on Crown land without authorization, and that due to a lack of fence maintenance, the cattle frequently escaped from the range onto White Lake road, posing a safety hazard to motorists. The complaint is not about the rancher, but rather the Ministry of Forests (MOF). The complainant considers that ministry enforcement efforts have been inappropriate because, despite the ministry’s actions, the cattle continue to graze on Crown range without authorization.

On June 3, 1999, the Board received a complaint from a couple who own property near Armstrong, in the Vernon Forest District. The complainants’ land is on the slope of Mt. Rose Swanson and on the flat valley bottom below.

The complainants suspect that logging, which took place in 1996 on Crown land upslope of their 26 hectare hayfield, caused part of the field to become saturated with water, making it inaccessible to farm equipment. Consequently, the complainants lost hay crops in 1997 and 1998 and were forced to reduce their herd of cows, due to the crop loss.