An independent watch-dog for sound forest practices has ruled in BC Timber Sales' (BCTS) favour after investigating complaints from Roberts Creek citizens.
The Forest Practices Board's report on the complaint investigation responded to 10 complaints from five residents who requested BCTS's five cutblocks above Roberts Creek be withdrawn, that there be a new planning process for Mount Elphinstone and that 1,500 hectares of the area be protected.
"Until government decides to protect the 1,500-hectare area through a land and resource management plan (LRMP) process, it is the board's view that harvesting is permitted in this area of provincial forest," reads the May, 2006 report. The complaints were received in July, 2005.
"BCTS's FDP [forest development plan] amendment provides for logging, while at the same time gives consideration to other important forest values in the area," states the report. "The board found that the BCTS site plans take the appropriate steps to deal with wildlife, terrain stability, flooding, water quality, veteran trees and recreation trails in the area."
Donna Shugar, Sunshine Coast Regional District director for Area D (Roberts Creek), filed one of the complaints as a resident. She had hoped to see legislative recommendations in the report.
"[The report] isn't saying to the provincial government that you need to make some changes," Shugar noted. "It's not challenging anything. It's a hundred per cent acceptance of the provincial government policy. I really had hoped something more beneficial would come out of it." She added the Sunshine Coast has no assurance it will get an LRMP.
BCTS is an independent agency within the B.C. Ministry of Forests formed to improve the market pricing system within the forest industry. Timber companies bid for harvesting rights in areas designated to BCTS. "Many of the values that we manage and that we have to consider in forest management are brought to light here in this audit by the board," said Bill Hughes, BCTS planning forester for the Sunshine Coast. "I think it illustrates that we're doing a competent job in managing the forest and we're fairly satisfied with that report."
He noted BCTS is going above and beyond policy requirements in response to public concerns in the Roberts Creek area. After concerns came forward from the public about a preliminary road layout, BCTS explored and decided on another route, "which would have less crossings and therefore mitigate the risk of any involvement on the water quality on some of the streams in there."
"In a sense having public input on what we're doing is beneficial to us," Hughes said. "Criticism and investigations by people like the Forest Practices Board who are independent from government can result in a beneficial outcome."
Shugar brought up concerns with there being no legal requirement to do a watershed assessment of the Roberts Creek streams.
"It is not a designated community watershed but for several hundred families it is the only source of water," Shugar noted. According to Hughes, BCTS is conducting its own watershed monitoring program in the area.
"In Roberts Creek there isn't a requirement to monitor the water quality because it isn't a community watershed per se but we've committed to going beyond that ourselves. We're putting together a program to monitor the water quality, quantity, the timing of flow on those streams within the area which we know people draw their water out of. Our maps have all the licensed water use locations on those streams. We're working towards developing a long-term strategy to do that on those streams," he explained.
