The Forest Practices Board Experience with Forestry and Water Users

The Forest Practices Board (the Board) has been involved in many cases where domestic water users are concerned about forestry activities in their watershed. While forest licensees generally carry out their practices in a manner that minimizes negative impacts to water, unintended consequences can, and sometimes do, happen.

This report was prepared following the release of a government discussion paper on modernization of the Water Act. Since that discussion paper was drafted, government has released its policy proposal for a new Water Sustainability Act for BC. The policy document addresses some key issues, and includes proposals to integrate planning and management of the water resource, develop provincial water objectives, consider those objectives in land use decisions and expand compliance and enforcement.