Meeting Outstanding Silviculture Obligations in the Kotcho Area
In 2009, Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs (the complainant) filed a complaint with the Board asserting that Canada Resurgence Development Ltd. (CRD), the holder of FL A16884, was not doing enough to ensure that it met its silvicultural obligations for achieving a free‐ growing crop of trees in cutblocks within Gitanyow territory, and thatMFR was not adequately enforcing the licensees’ silviculture obligations.
Forest Licence A16884 is in the Kalum Forest District. The Kotcho area is within the operating area for this licence, and is within the hereditary territory of Gitanyow. Gitanyow territory includes parts of the Nass River and the Cranberry River, northwest of Terrace. The licence has changed hands several times over two decades and there has been a pattern of licence holders going into receivership and failing to complete the silviculture obligations.
Meeting Outstanding Silviculture Obligations in the Kotcho Area
Coast Tsimshian Resources LP – TFL 1
Audit of Forest Planning and Practices: Coast Tsimshian Resources LP – TFL 1
As part of the Forest Practices Board’s 2009 compliance audit program, the Board selected Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 1 for audit. TFL 1 is held by Coast Tsimshian Resources (CTR) limited partnership. TFL 1 is located in the Kalum Forest District and it includes four geographically separate blocks surrounding Terrace (see map on page 2).
Since 1986, TFL 1 has been held by Skeena Cellulose, NWBC Timber and Pulp, and New Skeena Forest Products. CTR acquired TFL 1 in 2005 when New Skeena Forest Products Ltd. was under creditor protection.
The Board’s audit fieldwork took place August 17 to 21, 2009.
Follow-up Review of Government’s Performance in Addressing New Skeena Forest Products Obligations on Nisga’a Lands
Fish Passage at Stream Crossings
This Forest Practices Board report presents the results of an investigation of fish passage at stream crossings in 19 watersheds in the central and northern interior and on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. In total, 1,159 crossings of fish-bearing streams were examined. Each watershed had a mix of crossings built before the implementation of the 1995 Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act (the Code), after the implementation of the Code, and also after the replacement of the Code with the 2002 Forest and Range Practices Act.
The number of stream crossings within British Columbia is constantly increasing due to new road development. Government estimates that there are approximately 370,000 stream crossings in the province, of which about 76,000 are culverts on fish streams (BC MOE, 2008). For this reason, fish stream crossings may be the single most important habitat impact affecting fish.
There have been numerous studies of stream crossings in the province. Nearly all of these studies have focused on fish passage through closed bottom structures (CBS). However, watersheds also contain a variety of other crossing types, including open bottom structures (OBS) such as bridges, log culverts, arch culverts, and open box structures. This study is the first to examine fish passage in context: on a watershed scale, in a large number of watersheds, reporting on the overall fish passage through road crossings.
Fish Passage at Stream Crossings
Cutblocks and Roads near Furlong Creek
A resident of Lakelse Lake, near Terrace, wrote to the Board with concerns about forest practices in a cutblock near Furlong Creek. After discussions and a meeting with the participants, the complaint issues were resolved.
