This investigation examines a complaint that Atco Lumber Ltd. (the licensee) is routinely cutting immature timber around Nelson, BC without regard to the future value of the timber. The complainant believes that the province should allow young stands to grow older before they are harvested, to ensure a better financial return from public forest lands.
As an example of his concern, the complainant referred specifically to cutblocks harvested near Hall Creek, about 15 kilometres south of Nelson, BC. He said those stands are only 70 years old, and further, that the licensee paid harvesting royalties to the province of only 25 cents per cubic metre. The Board does not have jurisdiction to investigate whether the province received adequate royalties for timber harvesting on Crown land. However, the investigation considers whether harvesting of those stands, given their age, complied with the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act and its regulations (the Code), and whether the approval of harvesting was appropriate.
In July 2000, the Board received a complaint from the Valhalla Wilderness Society – Forest Watch (the complainant) about a road being constructed within the riparian management area of a wetland. Slocan Forest Products Ltd. (the licensee) was constructing road to harvest timber in the Hasty Creek watershed. Hasty Creek supplies domestic water to about 50 residences. Area residents fear that forest practices will damage their water supply, especially if the area’s wetlands are not protected.
This investigation is about the adequacy of the public review and comment opportunity for Pope and Talbot’s (the licensee) 2001-2005 forest development plan (FDP) for Tree Farm Licence 8 and Forest Licence A18969, in the Boundary Forest District. The complainant asked the licensee to provide him with a printed copy of the FDP and maps. The licensee offered to e-mail the text of the plan to the complainant, and to provide copies of maps or a printed copy of the FDP for a nominal charge. The complainant did not consider that to be reasonable. The complainant said the plan and maps were essential to understand the FDP, the ministry’s land and forest management agenda, and the subsequent incremental and cumulative impacts on the environment.
On April 5, 2001, the Board received a complaint about the construction of the BC Gas southern crossing pipeline across Barclay Creek, near Fruitvale, BC. The complainant was concerned that pipeline construction activities during the summer and fall of 2000 disturbed Barclay Creek and seriously impacted his water supply. The complainant also asserted that government enforcement was inappropriate because government permitted BC Gas to disturb Barclay Creek in contravention of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act. Finally, the complainant asserted that remediation activities had not been carried out.
This letter constitutes the Board’s report of conclusions and reasons after an investigation into a complaint submitted by Slocan Valley Watershed Alliance on August 21, 1996. The complainant said that the Arrow Forest District had accepted and approved cutting permits and road building permits in at least ten consumptive use watersheds in the Slocan Valley. The complainant considered that to be inappropriate because water users had not been involved in planning and decision making through advisory committees in watershed assessments.
