FEBRUARY 2020 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
23 Ranchers, foresters learn to share the road
Stakeholders must work together to defuse tensions
by TOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – The ninth
annual Forests and Range Land-Use Symposium hosted by the BC Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development brought ranchers and foresters together in Kamloops on January 23 to discuss a topic central to the operation of both industries, “Managing Roads for the Future.” The meeting aimed “to continue improving integrated resource management, including managing the pressures and conflicts between forestry and ranching sectors in the Thompson Rivers Natural Resources District.” Rancher and former lieutenant-governor Judy Guichon set the tone for the day as she reviewed the objectives of building relationships, improving understanding and exploring challenges and opportunities. “It is so important to
remember that’s what brings us out to these gatherings,” she said. “This is not a new challenge
for our province,” Kevin Boon, general manager of the BC Cattlemen’s Association, reminded the crowd of 40 ranchers and 40 forestry personnel. “We are in the unique position of two industries operating on the same land base with different priorities and we are put into head-on competition on that land.”
There have been planning challenges in the past, Boon noted. “We have not been
building what I would call sustainable land-use plans that really consider the health and productivity of the soil,” he said. “We focus on one initiative in a certain area, rather than how we can all complement one another.”
Essential access Roads are essential access
routes for both logging and ranching. There are some 800,000 km of roads in the province, of which 600,000 km are resource roads. “Forestry is the dominant builder of roads in the province,” said Kevin Kriese, chair of the Forest Practices Board, and one of 25 government employees participating in the symposium. “They build an average of 10,000 km of roads a year.” However, BC requires all
roads to be maintained. When a logging company no longer requires a road for its operations, they have a choice to maintain it at their own expense or deactivate it. Deactivation typically
involves placing a barrier that prevents vehicle access and includes the removal of bridges and culverts. (ATVs and other recreational equipment can still travel the roads.)
This puts foresters at odds with ranchers, who depend on the roads remaining in place to access range. Range access is vital to BC’s cattle industry, which depends on the forage that’s available on Crown land. Rob Dinwoodie, range officer for the Okanagan Shuswap
See ROAD on next page o
Range access is critical. Werner Stump hauls salt blocks onto his summer range that he is able to access on logging roads in the mountains above Malakwa. Stump is conducting a re-seeding trial on cutblocks on his range. TOM WALKER PHOTO
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