Third Party: Forest Practices Board
APPEAL NO. 2010-FOR-001(a)
This case involved road maintenance practices, and runoff from a forest road into a stream. Atco appealed a determination that it contravened two provisions of the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation (FPPR). One was section 57, which requires licensees to carry out their activities “at a time and in a manner that is unlikely to harm fish or destroy, damage or harmfully alter fish habitat.” The second contravention appealed involved the requirement in section 79 to ensure that road drainage systems are functional. The Board joined the appeal to make submissions on the interpretation of section 57, but did not take a position concerning whether Atco complied and did not introduce evidence. On the section 57 issue, the Commission found that gravel ridges caused by road grading were unlikely to “harm fish or destroy, damage or harmfully alter fish habitat.” On the section 79 issue, the Commission found that although Atco did not ensure that the road drainage systems were working, it exercised due diligence to avoid the contravention.
Appeal allowed.
Complaint Investigation – IRC/171
November 2010
RECOMMENDATION
Canada Resurgence Development Ltd. (the licensee) advise the Board of the status of the three Kotcho cutblocks, 91‑3, 55‐1, and 53‐1.
DEADLINE
Audit – ARC/118
June 2010
REQUEST
The Board acknowledges BCTS’s effort to reduce environmental risk and requests that BCTS provide the
Board with a written update of further progress made to implement its road maintenance strategy, by
October 31, 2010.
Complaint Investigation – IRC/166
April 2010
RECOMMENDATION
The Board recommends that government consider this case as support for the Board recommendation made in the recent report, Logging and Lakeshore Management near Vanderhoof, FPB/IRC 163, March 2010.
Audit – ARC/115
March 2010
REQUEST
The licensee to report back to the Board by December 31, 2010, on the progress made in abating the fire hazard, as well as the status of the outstanding reforestation obligations on the identified cutblock.
Complaint Investigation – IRC/163
March 2010
RECOMMENDATION
Integrated Land Management Bureau’s Board of Directors, within the context of its Resource Management Coordination Project, develop a means to deal with direct overlapping interests of tenured land and forest resource users by a process of mediation in which the interests of the parties are effectively identified and a reasonable balance between all interests is struck, consistent with the law, but also responsive to locally specific circumstances.
Special Investigation – SIR/28
February 2010
RECOMMENDATIONS
Local Governments
1. Local governments should consider fuel hazard and wildfire risk and should require mitigation measures before approving new development in interface areas.
2. Local governments should take advantage of the fuel management program, build on the experience of others described in this report and manage the hazardous fuels in and around their community.
Provincial Government
3. The provincial government should make fuel management easier for communities. Possible actions include:
4. The provincial government should lead the development of best management practices for the management of debris from fuel treatments.
