In a new report on the state of access management, the
Forest Practices Board estimates that B.C. now has over 600,000
kilometres of resource roads and concludes that the provincial
government’s information about and management of these roads remains
inadequate.

“It is extremely difficult for the public and other users of resource
roads to have any reliable idea of where roads are and whether they
are accessible or safe for travel,” said board chair Tim Ryan.
“Resource roads are a multi-billion dollar public asset and a
liability. Government is not managing them to ensure we maximize the
positive benefits of public investment in road development and
minimize the negative impacts roads can have.”

The report identifies three key areas of concern; inventory,
strategic management and operational issues. Three quarters of the
existing roads in the province were built by the forest industry,
with the oil and gas and mining industries responsible for most of
the rest. Much of this resource road network is not useable for
industrial purposes and is in some state of deactivation. However,
many of these roads still present risks to the environment, fish and
wildlife, and provide unintended public access in some areas.

The report makes a number of recommendations to government,
including:

* a website (or wiki) that allows collaborative editing of road
location and status,
* implementing the BC Forest Safety Ombudsman’s recommendation for a
new public highway designation for resource roads that provide access
to communities,
* enabling the setting of objectives for access and public notice
requirements,
* policies and minor legislative amendments to address operational
issues.

The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound
forest and range practices, reporting its findings and
recommendations directly to the public and government. The board can
investigate and report on current forestry and range issues and make
recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.