Dangerous Development!

IronNoggin

IronNoggin

Well-Known Member
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/mof/nrra/

Under the guise of catering to our "better interests", the Provincial Government has launched a new legislation proposal "for better regulation of natural resource roads". In the preamble they note: "This simplified process will create certainty about rules and regulations, and provide consistency for all sectors and resource road users".

All their wonderful words (spin) aside, what this really translates to is the wholesale curtailing of access to this province's back country. If passed, this new bill will allow the government to gate all access roads under their control, and hand off "policing" (read LIMIT & GATE) all other roads "owned" by Industry.

Already here on The Rock, Island Timberlands has started slapping up dozens upon dozens of No Trespassing Notices. Not simply on the side roads which are seeing gates assembled at an unprecedented rate, but most of the Main Arteries which of course are the only way for anyone to access the back country. It is assumed they are doing so in preparation for the passage of this bill, and has come as a surprise to both back country users and enforcement (RCMP and CO's). Chiefly this has occurred in the Comox region, but is spreading as I've now seen a handful of new signs/gates in the Port Alberni area.

Left unchecked, it will spread as fast as wildfire to the rest of the Province. If successful in pushing this bill through, the Provincial Government will be in effect curtailing everyone's access to the back country Province Wide. It simply will not matter whether you are "fishermen, hunters, mountain bikers, hikers, climbers, motorized recreation" etc etc, the answer will simply be NO You May NOT Enter!

For any who enjoy our natural heritage, and the ability to access that, I'd strongly suggest you treat this matter with the Seriousness it deserves! Write or call your MLA, send comments to the link posted above, and do it NOW! This is NO time for apathy! We are at extreme risk of losing FAR too much if this overbearing legislation is allowed to go unchecked!

I already have sent letters in, am working on comments to provide to the address noted above, and will post a few suggestions towards that once I have my thoughts assembled. I VERY much hope we can all come together, and ensure our access to OUR Province remains secure!

Matt
 
If you ask me the reason they are doing this is to save $ for both govt. and the forest industry by limiting access to roads and thereby reducing costs in maintaining roads and limiting any possoble liabilities. The BS of it all is a lot of these roads where paid for by our tax dollars and allow for good recreational access. Once again concerned citizens need to stand up for access to common property resources.
 
Run of the rivers mean anything to you? I highlighted this happening awhile back. This is just the beginning.
 
Will be jumping on this one for sure!!!

Matt I assume that the boys at BCWF are all over this as well? ( I hope)
 
No public access means nobody seeing what they are actually doing in there. Keep the public ignorant and keep complaints to a minumum!
 
I went to the site and had a look at the FAQ's. Hoping someone can show me the areas of concern here. I think I see some of the "read between the lines" issues, but I am sur ethat there is someone here who is more familiar with the new legislature and will be able to help me when I go to the public input part to bring forward my concerns.

thanks


1. What is the Natural Resource Road Act Project?

  • The Natural Resource Road Act Project aims to establish new legislation that will create a single management and administrative framework for all of B.C.’s resource roads.
  • The primary objective of the Natural Resource Road Act Project is to eliminate inconsistencies in the management and administration of these resource roads.
2. What sort of inconsistencies and why do they exist?

  • B.C.’s resource roads are currently governed under multiple Acts and supporting regulations, many of which were created for a specific resource sector (primarily forestry, mining, oil and gas). The result is substantially different tenures, varied levels of enforcement, and inconsistent standards for the use, construction, maintenance and deactivation of resource roads.
  • The aim is to consolidate, harmonize and streamline the resource road-related provisions of several different Acts and regulations under a single piece of legislation.
3. What is considered to be a resource road?

  • Resource roads are typically one-lane or two-lane gravel roads built for industrial purposes to access natural resources in remote areas.
  • They include forest service roads, petroleum development roads, mineral exploration roads, Land Act roads and special-use-permit roads.
  • The Natural Resource Road Act will cover all roads used to extract natural resources on Crown land.
  • Public highways, municipal roads, mineral tenure roads, roads within provincial parks or federal land, and private roads are not part of the project.
4. What would be the main advantages and benefits of a Natural Resource Road Act (NRRA)?

  • A more predictable, fair, safe and cost-effective road management framework.
  • Consistent standards and expectations for the use, construction, maintenance, modification and deactivation of resource roads.
  • A consistent compliance and enforcement regime for all industries.
  • Improved safety and reduced environmental impact.
5. How will this specifically benefit industrial users?

  • Less red tape. Fewer authorizations to acquire, and there will be greater consistency between authorizations.
  • Rights and obligations of users and maintainers will be consistent and balanced.
  • Will include an efficient and effective dispute resolution mechanism.
  • Uniformity in road use rules make using resource roads anywhere in the province easier and safer.
6. How will this specifically benefit commercial users as well as the general public and remote/rural communities?

  • Road use rules will be similar to those on public roads, increasing certainty about how to drive safely and best practices for the safe and efficient movement of vehicles on resource roads.
  • The right to use a road will be guaranteed subject to protection of the road, the environment and user safety.
  • Road deactivation can be avoided by accepting maintenance obligations customized to the situation.
  • Road deactivation becomes a decision of government rather than industry.
7. What legislation will be consolidated?

  • The NRRA will harmonize resource road-related provisions primarily from the:
    • Land Act
    • Forest and Range Practices Act
    • Petroleum and Natural Gas Act
    • Mining Right of Way Act
    • Industrial Roads Act
    • Forest Act
    • Forest Practices Code Act of BC
    • Workers Compensation Act
    • Water Act
    • Occupiers Liability Act
    • Motor Vehicle Act
  • Consequential amendments to a number of other pieces of legislation will be required to ensure consistency with the NRRA.
8. Why are you now making these changes?

  • There are more resource roads in B.C. than ever before. There are also more people using the same roads at the same time for unrelated activities. Current legislation is inadequate to provide the required safety framework everyone needs.
  • Opportunities for greater efficiencies must also be leveraged to help accelerate economic growth.
9. Who should care about the Natural Resource Road Act?

  • Anybody who uses B.C.'s resource roads for work, for recreation, or because they live in or visit rural communities located away from the public highway system.
  • The Natural Resource Road Act will be designed to provide more certainty for the benefit of all natural resource sectors and road users. This includes forestry, oil and gas, mining, agriculture/range, utilities, recreation/tourism, communities and First Nations.
10. Will the Natural Resource Road Act affect public access to resource roads in any way?

  • Yes. The Natural Resource Road Act will:
    • Support non-industrial maintainers taking on responsibility for roads no longer required by industry, thereby retaining more roads for longer periods of time.
    • Protect the right of the public to use resource roads except where restrictions are required to provide for safety and protection of the road or environment.
    • Ensure road users are accountable for following the rules of the road and for damage they cause to a road, thereby respecting the rights of others to also use the road.
11. How will the Natural Resource Road Act affect off-road vehicles?

  • It will clarify rules regarding use of resource roads where off-road vehicles can expect to encounter other vehicle types.
  • It will also make it easier to manage roads specifically for off-road vehicles.
12. Will existing land use planning be affected in any way?

  • No. The Natural Resource Road Act will not affect land use planning policies, consultations, authorities or processes.
  • The Natural Resource Road Act will deal exclusively with the post-approval administration of resource roads. It will not affect any land use planning processes that determine where resource roads may be built.
13. Who will be responsible for building, maintaining and deactivating resource roads under the Natural Resource Road Act?

  • Construction of a new road will be the responsibility of those who need it enough that they are willing to pay to have it built (unchanged from today’s model).
  • Government will assign maintainer responsibilities to the party that is fairly considered to be the primary user.
  • Other industrial and some commercial users will be required to contribute to maintenance when their level of use crosses a threshold that will be defined in the Act.
  • Government will be responsible for determining if and when a road will be deactivated. That decision will be primarily based on risk to the environment and the existence of a party willing to mitigate that risk.
14. Will there be any cost savings?

  • Streamlining of administration and uniformity of rights and obligations is expected to result in overall cost savings at the resource sector level.
15. What are the timelines here? When will the NRRA come into force?

  • The new Bill is expected to be brought into force in 2013 once the regulations have been written and approved by Cabinet.
 
I think they have been working on this for awhile. I will check notes when I get home. BC has already sold off most of its crown land other then watershed to timberwest this side of Duncan years ago. Timberwest has slowy been shutting down access by installing gates. During fire season I can see why they dont want anyone in the back country. But really what if anything bad have you ever heard of happening back there. Because of major active logging on alot of the island most main roads are kept open. It is disgusting how much logging is going on. I dont think anyone really has any idea. Thankgood the price of pulp has gone up and companies are actually using what there cutting. For years the price has been down and the 'waste' left in these cut blocks is staggering. Huge massive piles (if they even did that) 2 stories high and as wide as a house every 1000 ft just to be burnt. Up in Campell River they even logged the loggers campgrounds. The set back from lakes is ridulaous 20 yards I think. Not even mentioning river systems that are smothered with silt and debris. Very sad to hear there is a name for this bill now. I will try and activate some people asap. Let us know if you come across any open debates. I will look into as well and post up.
 
I know how many logs are being shipped off the island out of Port Alberni.

I work Mon to Fri, right beside the Gov. Assembly Wharf.

This year, freighters are arriving daily and loading up on logs, one ship after the other.

The amount of rawlogs shipped out of here now is:- ABSOLUTELY PHENOMINAL!!!!!!!

A forest goes out with every ship......literally.

And it's all GOOD wood...not crap logs.
 
I just can't understand why there are people protesting against our government when they are so transparent and treat us so well.

???

Let's discuss!
 
Its not even a question of 'creating employment' most of the mills are shut down, we export raw logs... Even in the forest at the cutting site. That machine thing that cuts, stripes and stacks the wood has takin the place of 5 or 6 guys.

Good on people who do vote but please open your mind. I hate the people who are ignorant to other agendas political parties have, 'as long as they will scrape the gun registry they get my vote!' are you freakin kidding me, thats the one that kills me. Like thats the only fricken important thing in the world. What about the pillage of every asset we have to offer... our other rights as the people of bc to drive for example in whats left of our back country. Anyone ever fish the back lake behind weeks lake? I did for years. There was actually two, now you cant even drive there and if you do there are no lakes there any more. Was a big silt hole pile last time I went in.
 
Hi Matt

I sent you a pm..
I forwarded your first post via email to friends.
I have 2 groups that use the back country here in the comox valley that want to contact you directly to see how to proceed in this matter.

The more on the band wagon the better...IMHO
 
I am working in Nanaimo down by the mills and the port. The amount of raw log ships I have seen lately may not compare to what is happening in Port Alberni, but it is concerning. Our land we have and always use is getting smaller and smaller. There were plenty of gates put up about ten years ago when this government got in. Now even more, just proves the fox is running the chicken coop. I will definitely help where ever I can to
fight this let me know and when and where!!!
 
Apparently the BC legislation is part of an International Public Access Management Plan.

It is directly connected to US and Alberta PUBLIC access plans.

Read this report, lots of information pertinent to BC: http://issuu.com/foothillsresearchinstitute/docs/flmf_2009_03_report_accessmgmtstudy_final

From that Plan we get:

"At the end of the work, perhaps the overriding lesson is that access management is one of the most difficult land use planning problems. This is particularly true when the objective involves denying public users access to existing routes."

And there, in a nutshell, is what we're facing...

Nog
 
Who was it that said "Let the play golf"
Fit this topic also.
A long time ago the people rose up and stopped the greedy few in there quest for all the gold.
They created government and made laws to insure the people owned the resources.
Slowly but surely the few, that wanted all the gold, became the government.
They changed the laws so that they could get back their gold.
Their quest continues to this day.
GLG
 
C.S. said:
I guess I will need to carry a torch in the truck!

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200463297_200463297?cm_mmc=Aggregates-_-Nextag-_-Welding>Cutting, Heating + Welding Torches-_-19410
Click to expand...

This looks like a nice product. Say’s it can cut thru 1/2 in steel. It can also weld up to 7/16. Read the customer reviews and was impressed with the guy that used it to cut thru the gate in no time flat. He said it welded the gate hinges open to help his right to the land. He also recommended the portable grinder to clean the metal before welding as you don’t want paint contamination in the weld.:D
 
Our parents and we strove to provide a better education for our children. We sent many to universities where they learned all the tricks in the book and how to design new tricks and laws. Now in many ways this might be working against us and our freedoms we fought for. Sad fact of life.

GLG said:
Who was it that said "Let the play golf"
Fit this topic also.
A long time ago the people rose up and stopped the greedy few in there quest for all the gold.
They created government and made laws to insure the people owned the resources.
Slowly but surely the few, that wanted all the gold, became the government.
They changed the laws so that they could get back their gold.
Their quest continues to this day.
GLG
Click to expand...
 
Go Gordo, ooops, go Christy go! Why are those 99%ers protesting? Sell it off, run of the river it, ISA and sea lice it, maybe throw in a few smart meters to boot, the lost decade continues : (
 
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