Whereas the changing role of natural resource roads for communities due to population growth, diversified commercial and recreational uses and various emerging issues safety, search and rescue, evacuation planning are not being adequately addressed by the current management framework; And whereas opportunity for stakeholders including the local public and local government to participate in collaborative road use planning and decision making can be frustrated by lack of information exchange and confusing or inadequate protocols, classifications and definitions: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the BC government to implement certain immediate practical measures to facilitate integrated resource road use management and planning including, as recommended in the 2010 UBCMProvince of BC Joint Resource Roads and Communities Committee report: 1. To explore by policy the ways and means and criteria to distinguish resource road classes defined as high community or public use resource roads, along with flexible, result-oriented definitions for their maintenance including deactivation; and 2. To initiate, through collaboration, local platforms for information exchange and dialogue on road management matters between public, commercial and resource industry parties with an interest in resource roads.
Ministry of Forestry, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development We appreciate UBCMs Resolution EB20 as feedback on the ministrys resource road management framework. Resource road management is a dynamic process and we regularly review Forest Service Road FSR policies associated with maintenance and deactivation practices. This is to ensure were accounting for the changing roles and emerging issues identified, in addition to other variables such as First Nations reconciliation, climate change and available resources to manage this complex resource road network. In terms of scope, in 2015 the Forest Practices Board estimated there was approximately 620,000km of resource roads in British Columbia, of which approximately 58,000km are FSRs. By comparison, there are about 47,000km of provincial highways and rural side roads. About 12,000km of this network are financially capitalized to ensure safe, secure and ongoing access to communities, rural residences and high value recreation in priority order. Its important to note that FSRs are not built or maintained to the same standards as paved public roadways. Most FSRs have gravel surfaces and are narrow often one lane and many are not maintained for public vehicular access. There may be roadside brush limiting visibility, soft shoulders, more and tighter curves with road grades that are much steeper than encountered on public highways. Users are obligated to drive FSRs commensurate with existing road conditions under the Occupiers Liability Act. Overall, the ministry Engineering program and the forest industry undertake considerable effort to collectively and effectively manage the FSR network to mitigate risk and facilitate user safety and environmental protection commensurate with legislation, regulation, policy, road data systems and available resources. However, as pointed out, the nature of FSR use has changed considerably in the last several years and we have taken steps to adapt to aspects of this change. The ministry relies upon the Engineering program policies to help inform FSR maintenance priorities, which are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain relevant to the needs of rural communities. Through the local land managers, the ministry tracks which FSRs are critical for the publics access egress which guides the Resource Districts annual service planning exercise. The service plan quantifies and allocates the limited operational maintenance funding in the order identified above. Accordingly, Resource Districts with the highest use highest risk FSRs serving rural communities receive an increased share of the limited operational maintenance funding. In response to the recent Office of the Auditor General report, this ministry has committed to reviewing its road policies with a view to determining the appropriate resources to dedicate to our provincial FSR infrastructure. We always welcome feedback directly from the public, and local government, to help inform our efforts. Functionally, local District Managers and their staff are frontline and critical to this process as they prepare annual needs assessments on FSRs that eventually result in maintenance plans. The Ministry encourages local governments to help inform this process. Our policies are living documents and we are always looking for ways to improve.