Protecting Key Environmental Values

Related Information

Forms

Environmental Incident Self Report

The Private Managed Forest Land Council was established in May 2004 to administer the forest practices component of the Managed Forest Program, which includes the protection of key public environmental values on private managed forest land.

Key public environmental values are:

	Soil conservation: to protect soil productivity.
	Water quality: to protect human drinking water, both during and after harvesting.
	Fish habitat: to retain sufficient streamside mature trees and understory vegetation both during and after harvesting to protect fish habitat.
	Critical wildlife habitat: to facilitate the long-term protection of that habitat.
	Reforestation: to promptly regenerate the areas with a healthy commercially valuable stand of trees that are not impeded by vegetative competition.

The Field Practices Guide provides examples of suggested forest practices that contribute to the protection of key environmental values.

Regulatory requirements include:

Private Managed Forest Land Council Regulation

Section 23: Roads located upstream of licensed waterworks intake

At least 48 hours before commencing road construction or deactivation within 1 km upstream of a licensed waterworks intake, an owner must notify the holder of a licence for the licensed waterworks intake of the pending construction or deactivation.

Section 25: Water quality problems identified by a holder of a licence for a licensed waterworks intake

If the source of the reduction in water quality is on the owner's land and is the result of the owner’s actions under the Act or Regulation, the owner must describe and implement measures that will be carried out to address the problem, and provide an implementation schedule.

Section 26: Notification of Landslides & Debris Flows

An owner must notify the council, within 24 hours of becoming aware that a landslide or debris flow has occurred on the owner's land, if the owner knows that the landslide or debris flow has deposited debris or sediment into a class A, B, C, D or E stream. Stream classes are described in the Schedule of the Private Managed Forest Land Council Regulation, as well as in Part 20 of the Field Practices Guide. The Environmental Incident Self Report form can be used for this notification.

Private Managed Forest Land Regulation

Sections 5 to 7: Critical Wildlife Habitat

An owner must comply with specified requirements if critical wildlife habitat is determined to be present on the owner’s land.