The Overlander Ski Club of Kamloops filed a complaint with the Board to help resolve or clarify issues with respect to future forest management and ski trail use at the Sake Lake ski trails. The harvesting of mountain pine beetle infested trees disrupted the use of the cross-country ski trails, located near Lac Le Jeune, during the winter.
This investigation assesses the effect of recent range practices in maintaining the ability of upland grasslands to provide forage for livestock and habitat for threatened and endangered grassland species. The investigation is limited to open grasslands in the Interior Douglas Fir (IDF) Biogeoclimatic Zone in the south central portion of BC, because half the grasslands in BC occur in that zone.
The Trophy Mountain Buffalo Ranch (the complainant) operates a commercial horseback riding business. The complaint was about the Woodlot 1857 in the west of clear water valley road and adjacent to Wells Gray Provincial park was carrying out its logging practices in disregard of logging guidelines; licensed horseback riding trails were being unusable; unnecessarily interrupted commercial horseback operations which created unsafe condition for both clients and the public.
In January 2004, the Forest Practices Board initiated an investigation of bridge and major culvert inspection and maintenance practices on forest service roads (FSRs). This special investigation assessed Ministry of Forests’ compliance with the Forest Practices Code requirements to inspect, repair and maintain bridges and major culverts. The investigation, consisting of both office and site visits, was conducted in the winter and spring of 2004. The Board examined bridges and major culverts on FSRs in six forest districts: Sunshine Coast, North Coast, Peace, Headwaters (including both former Clearwater and Robson Valley districts), Central Cariboo, and Kootenay Lake.
On October 15, 2002, the Forest Practices Board received a complaint about harvesting and road construction in the Clearwater demonstration forest, about 125 kilometres north of Kamloops. The complainant owns property beside a cutblock in the demonstration forest, and she asked the Ministry of Forests to leave a 20-metre treed buffer between the cutblock and her property. The ministry maintained that no buffer was required. The complainant was also concerned about the road to the cutblock. She believed the right-of-way was much wider than necessary, and that excessive soil removal would prevent site reclamation. Further, the complainant questioned whether the road was even necessary.
