Whereas the Private Managed Forest Land Act identifies the protection of drinking water, both during and after harvesting, as a management objective; And whereas private managed forest land located within and adjacent to community drinking water systems limit the ability of local governments to protect and control drinking water supply areas; And whereas the Province of BC enacted the Drinking Water Protection Act to ensure the provision of safe drinking water, and local governments have improved treatment of community drinking water with significant financial support of senior government: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province of British Columbia establish programs for local governments to work with private managed forest landowners to assess risks to drinking water systems and priority land acquisition for lands where harvesting is identified as a significant risk to the provision of safe drinking water.
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development The intent of the Private Managed Forest Land PMFL Program is to encourage sound forest management practices on private forested land. Membership in the program is voluntary and requires commitments to manage for key public environmental values, including water quality, in exchange for a lower property assessment. The Private Managed Forest Land Council Regulation was created to ensure the protection of licenced waterworks intakes, water quality, fish habitat, soil and ensure reforestation where timber has been harvested. Additionally, sources for domestic drinking water systems are protected under the Drinking Water Protection Act regardless of landownership. With an abundance of drinking water systems and private water intakes on private lands, landowners routinely work with the community members to address access and safety concerns. While there is no formal process through the Private Managed Forest Land Act for landowners to engage with local government for protection of drinking water, many landowners in the PMFL program have voluntarily worked with local governments to address concerns, and some landowners have developed a Memorandum of Understanding to meet local concerns. Local governments are encouraged to engage with landowners to develop a durable process moving forward. Where communities believe the protections in place under the Acts and regulation, or achieved through working with landowners, are inadequate to protect drinking water, communities may opt to purchase land for the protection of their domestic water source.