B.C. forest watchdog recommends improving forest management to protect water
British Columbia's forest watchdog has identified four key areas where the management of forestry practices can negatively affect water and outlines potential opportunities for the province to improve regulations.
A report by the Forest Practices Board says that at least a third of the public complaints it has received since 1995 have involved the potential for forestry and range practices to affect water, including drinking water, the integrity of ecosystems, as well as public infrastructure and private property.
It says that while the board usually found forest licensees were in compliance with provincial laws, gaps in legal requirements mean that forestry activities, including harvesting and the construction of forest service roads, can contribute to the risk of landslides, flooding and other water-related problems downstream.
The report released Wednesday says there are no legal requirements to consider the cumulative effects of forestry, or other industries and development in most B.C. watersheds.
It also says the public does not have adequate opportunities to provide input on forestry practices that affect water-related risks.
The report outlines how the province could improve forest management by making water a core value in forest planning, creating a legal requirement to manage cumulative effectsin watersheds and renewing watershed restoration efforts to reduce the impacts of historical logging.
Kevin Kriese, chair of the Forest Practices Board, says climate change can compound the effects of human activities, including forestry, on watersheds.
The creation of a new watershed security strategy along with B.C.'s climate adaptation strategy and the “modernization” of forestry legislation through changes proposed last fall provide a “rare opportunity” to improve the regulation of forest practices to better protect water, Kriese says in a statement.
The B.C. government announced Tuesday that it's developing a new strategy to protect watersheds and drinking water in response to threats posed by climate change combined with the effects of urban and industrial development.
A provincial discussion paper notes that the removal of vegetation from watersheds to allow for urban growth, or by industries such as forestry and mining, can contribute to flooding and harm drinking water sources and ecosystems.
Current forestry regulations largely focus on managing water on a site-by-site basis, and requirements to manage the cumulative effects of industry at the broader watershed level are in place for less than 10 per cent of the province, Kriese says.
Where there are no legal requirements at the watershed level, licensees have discretion to consider the cumulative effects of logging on water, and whether any risk-mitigation measures are necessary, the board's report notes.
In many parts of B.C., “multiple licensees with different risk tolerances operate on the same area of public forest land,” it says. “Without clearly established objectives, a decision made by one licensee to mitigate risk could be undone by another.”
The report says enacting new requirements for licensees to manage cumulative effects at the watershed level could function as a “bridge” to eventually completing forest landscape plans under a new system proposed by the province last fall.
The system developed in partnership with First Nations, local communities and others would prioritize forest health, replacing existing plans developed largely by the forest industry, Forests Minister Katrine Conroy said at the time.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.