Hurtado Point Trail Improvement Under the Forest Practices Code in the Sunshine Coast Forest District

On July 2, 1999, the Board received a complaint from a Powell River resident about a trail leading to Hurtado Point, near Lund, in the Sunshine Coast Forest District.

Section 102 of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act (the Act) requires a person to obtain the consent of the district manager before constructing, rehabilitating or maintaining a trail on Crown land. The complainant was aware that a group of people had recently improved the trail to Hurtado Point without approval from the district manager, and that the district was investigating this possible contravention of the Code. Based on a newspaper article and discussions with those who cleared the trail, the complainant felt that the work done on the trail was minor, and did not require the consent of the district manager. Ministry of Forests district staff disagreed. The complaint stated that the Ministry of Forests appeared to be misinterpreting section 102