In April 2008 the B.C. government introduced legislation, BILL 30, to regulate the use of logging roads.
Consolidating regulations from 5 separate Acts, this loosely worded legislation gives absolute power over the roads to an appointed Resource Road Authority.
Rights to road use in current laws will be replaced by regulations, and the regulations can be changed at any time by the government in power.
Resource roads will have a designated maintainer who will be responsible for the road. If this designated maintainer cannot be found, deactivation will probably follow.
- collect user fees to recover maintenance costs
- require that users put up bonds in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to be cashed in the event of damage to roads and bridges
- require that users buy liability and forest fire insurance
Although it has been stated that only industrial users will be subject to bonds, insurance and user fees, who is a commercial user, industrial user or general public user has not been specified.
Many older but well used back roads are now informally maintained. It is doubtful if any group will step forward to formally assume this role given the associated liabilities. In effect, Bill 30 will ensure that only active industerial roads will continue to exist.
If a “maintainer” cannot be found to take responsibility, thousands of kilometers of back roads will no longer be enjoyed by the public. Roads will be deactivated. Gates will go up as designated maintainers try to limit their liability.
Although most of these roads were built by the logging industry, many were originally mining roads, and other industries including oil and gas, guide outfitting, and tourism also use these roads. And increasingly, so does the general public.
Tourism is becoming more important as our primary industries struggle. The government has encouraged the development of wilderness tourism particularly in pine beetle damaged areas, and has attempted to slow down the closure of back country roads. Bill 30 is a contradition of this policy. Does the left hand of government not realize what the right hand is doing?
It cannot be emphasized enough that while many interior and coastal communities gear up for wilderness tourism, much of which is based on back country roads, Bill 30 has the effect of pulling the rug out from under these plans and communities.
So far most user groups have cooperated with each other and with industry so that all users can enjoy wilderness access. This cooperation will be compromised under Bill 30 by creating an adversarial relationship, user fees and closures.
Will YOU be affected?
- hikers
- fishers
- birders
- cross country skiers
- snowmobilers
- hunters
- atv riders
- cross country skiers
- first nations
- dog mushers
- nature lovers who want access for any purpose
Request the government to CONSULT with all stakeholders including the public, recreational users, industrial and commercial users. Ask that BILL 30 not pass into law in its current form!
WRITE your MLA. WRITE Premier Gordon Campbell. WRITE letters to the Editor of your local newspaper. TALK to your neighbours. TALK to your fellow nature lovers. DO NOT accept that deactivation of all inactive forest-related resource roads is a fait accompli!
Request withdrawal of Bill 30. Request that the government consult with all stakeholders. Request a Bill with more definition that does not rely on regulations.
