This week the provincial Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development issued an order to ensure that nests, dens, salt licks and other important wildlife habitat features are protected while work such as forestry and range activities are occurring.
The order is being enforced in the Kootenay Boundary areas first with the intent that it will roll out province wide in the future.
The wildlife habitat features to be protected include: nests for the bald eagle, osprey, flammulated owl, western screech-owl, great blue heron, Lewis’s woodpecker and Williamson’s sapsucker; American badger burrows; grizzly bear dens; significant mineral licks; significant wallows; bat hibernation sites; bat nursery roosts; hot springs or thermal springs.
“We know many of these species are at risk and will have a much better chance for survival if these important habitat features are protected,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “While we prepare comprehensive species-at-risk legislation, we want to ensure these special habitat features are identified, and kept intact during the course of day-to-day forestry and range operations.”
“Wildlife species are dependent on undisturbed nests, burrows and other natural features for shelter, breeding and to raise their young,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “These extra measures will help keep these unique habitat features safe.”
Forestry operators and range tenure holders will be offered training to help them identify and take the necessary steps to protect the habitat features. The protection order takes effect on July 1, 2018.
Under the order, forest and range activities must not damage or render ineffective a wildlife habitat feature. To do this, those holding an agreement to work on Crown land in the area must make themselves aware of known wildlife habitat features and identify new ones. They are required to take measures to protect these features while carrying out routine activities. The Ministries will provide a field guide to help in identifying new features.
Forest Act agreement holders must report locations of undocumented Wildlife Habitat Features. This Order applies to both Forest Act and Range Act agreement holders.
The following Forest Act agreements will be affected:
Tree farm licences (private and Crown land); community forest agreements (private and Crown land); First Nations woodland licences (private and Crown land); woodlot licences (private and Crown land); forest licences; timber licences; community salvage licences; licences to cut; free use permits; Christmas tree permits; road permits; timber sale licences; forestry licences to cut
The following Range Act agreements will be affected:
grazing licences; grazing permits; hay cutting licences; hay cutting permits. The Order will also apply to forest and range practices carried out by the government on provincial Crown land.
The Order also applies to those cutting firewood or Christmas trees under a free use permit.
More information on the new order can be found at the BC government website.
