In February 2012, a member of the public who regularly hikes on the Sunshine Coast Trail near Powell River complained to the Board that Western Forest Products Inc. (WFP, or “the licensee” unless otherwise indicated) is not maintaining the integrity of the trail when harvesting close to it. The complainant asserted that buffers were not protecting visual quality or preventing trees from blowing down onto the trail.

The complainant has shared his concerns with the licensee on numerous occasions and the licensee has responded. The licensee assured the complainant that it is committed to sustainable forest management and local community values including the Sunshine Coast Trail. The complainant continues to feel that the licensee does not seriously consider his concerns.

Coast Mountain Expeditions (CME) submitted a complaint to the Forest Practices Board in September 2011 asserting that a recently approved log dump in Toba Inlet will impact its business.

Although the log dump will be operated as a forestry operation, the application was approved under the Lands Act. The Board does not have jurisdiction to consider Land Act issues and, as a result, cannot consider this complaint. However, the Board believes it worth highlighting the circumstances of this issue as an example of the problems that can arise when two tenure holders rely on the same resource for different purposes.

Two organizations, Friends of Bute Inlet and the Sierra Club of BC, complained to the Forest Practices Board about the impact of a hydroelectric project on forest resources. The “run-of-river” Toba River and Montrose Creek Hydroelectric Project, located about 100 kilometres north of Powell River, is owned by Toba Montrose General Partnership (the proponent). It underwent an environmental assessment, was approved by both the provincial and federal governments in 2007, and began operating in August 2010.

The complainants asked the Board to assess:

• what the immediate, cumulative and long-term environmental impacts associated with the transmission lines and roads might be;
• whether the relevant regulations and policies are fair, are effectively protecting BC’s natural heritage, and are serving the immediate and long-term interests of the public; and
• whether planning and practices, government oversight and public consultation are adequate.

This is the board’s first investigation into a complaint about the impact a run-of-river hydroelectric project might have on forest resources. Understanding how forest resources were managed required consideration of the overall regulatory framework, including regulations and policies that fell outside of the Board’s authority. This “big picture” approach was made possible through the cooperation and support of various government agencies and the project proponent. The resulting report provides a learning opportunity to promote sound forest management for future run-of-river projects.