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.

The complainant has operated a woodlot on his land near Midway, 60 kilometres east of Osoyoos, for 30 years. For the last 15 years, the woodlot has included 600 hectares of Crown land. The complainant is a professional forester and professional agrologist and is proud of managing the private and Crown land of the woodlot in what he considers to be an environmentally sensitive way. On and around the Crown land portion of his woodlot, neighbouring ranchers hold grazing licences, with livestock use regulated under range use plans.

In 1998 and 1999, the Ministry of Forests staff took short-term enforcement actions against the complainant for administrative matters related to his woodlot. In response, the complainant filed a complaint with the Board asserting poor government management of range resources. In this report, the Board considers the adequacy of range use plans near the woodlot to manage and conserve forest and range resources.