The Forest Practices Board (FPB) is undertaking a study of recreation in the forests and conducting interviews with stakeholders in July, 2018.
ORC’s member organizations are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to share experiences and concerns. Contact project leader Glen Pilling, Manager, Audits and Investigations, by email at [email protected] or by phone at 250-213-4731.
FPB will conduct interviews with recreation experts, government staff, forest and range tenure holders, universities, NGOs, and commercial tenure operators.
The FPB is an independent body which advocates for sound forest and range practices, and reports its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government.
Recreation is an “orphaned value” under FRPA
Forest recreation is part of the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) framework and the recreation resource is one of the eleven FRPA values for which government may set objectives to manage and protect under FRPA. A key concern is that recreation is something of an “orphaned” value under FRPA. It is a forest resource and yet it is not part of forestry or range activities and does not have its own legislation and government program to fully mange its diverse activities and requirements.
The purpose of the study
This special report has been prompted by multiple concerns and complaints received by the Forest Practices Board about outdoor recreation activities and how recreation values are managed under FRPA; problems can occur when there is no planning for recreation resource values or where objectives and desired outcomes are not clear.
A primary objective of the study is to identify opportunities to improve management of forest recreation values. This special report will focus on planning to maintain the quality of forest recreation values under FRPA. It will be provincial in scope but will use local case studies to illustrate strengths and weaknesses in recreation planning and management.
