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HomeNewsForest Practices Board's latest report includes look at Chapman Watershed

Forest Practices Board's latest report includes look at Chapman Watershed

The Forest Practices Board says the province needs to rework its regulations for logging in community watersheds.

Acting in part on complaints from around BC, the Board studied nearly 50 watersheds and in 12 cases, including Chapman Creek on the Sunshine Coast, they did a more in-depth study (see the report here).

Chapman Creek is the biggest source of water in the region, and it’s been the focus of several fights over logging since the ’90s with concerns being raised about impacts to water quality.

Board Chair Tim Ryan says a focus on protecting quality as well as supply is one of their recommendations.

 

 

Ryan says while overall logging in BC watersheds is done well, the road building that goes with it can cause problems and the province needs to sharpen its focus on some issues.

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The Sunshine Coast Community Forest’s tenure includes area in the Chapman watershed and it recently competed a base-line assessment that points to similar issues caused by past road building.

The reports main findings were:

* The requirements to protect drinking water are not clear or well understood.

* Commitments made in forestry plans to protect drinking water are not always enforceable.

* Greater emphasis needs to be placed on erosion and sediment control on forestry roads.

* In many community watersheds, forestry activities from decades ago, and other land uses like mining, recreation and power projects, are affecting water quality. However, the legacy issues and other activities are not subject to the same requirements as current forestry activities.

* Government does not monitor current forest practices to see if drinking water objectives are achieved in community watersheds.

 

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