I am recently retired from the BC Forest Service. I conducted inspections on logging, road building and road maintenence for 20 years. My zone was central Vancouver Island and many of the areas I worked in connected to what was at one time very productive salmon streams including the Nitinat River, Klanawa River and the Sarita River watersheds. The legislation regulating this work is almost useless. I documented siltation going into streams from roads and landslides all the time. In many cases we have roads running parallel to major salmon streams and there is no appetite to rehabilitate and move these roads.
Since retiring I have talked to co-workers. They have told me there are almost no inspections anymore and the industry operates on "Professional Accountability" and "self reporting". The day before I retired an Assistant Deputy Minister called me and asked for feedback on what the organization could do better. When I brought up the legislation and the issues he said "thats not our department ". I was told when working at one point to stand down on a landslide investigation and to quit picking on the companies.
In short we fully understand the impacts from Industrial Logging and the damage that is happening but it is simply not being addressed. Instead the Ministry produces web pages talking about what a great job they are doing a great job protecting watersheds, fish and fish habitat. In my mind it was a complete snow job.
I am recently retired from the BC Forest Service. I conducted inspections on logging, road building and road maintenence for 20 years. My zone was central Vancouver Island and many of the areas I worked in connected to what was at one time very productive salmon streams including the Nitinat River, Klanawa River and the Sarita River watersheds. The legislation regulating this work is almost useless. I documented siltation going into streams from roads and landslides all the time. In many cases we have roads running parallel to major salmon streams and there is no appetite to rehabilitate and move these roads.
Since retiring I have talked to co-workers. They have told me there are almost no inspections anymore and the industry operates on "Professional Accountability" and "self reporting". The day before I retired an Assistant Deputy Minister called me and asked for feedback on what the organization could do better. When I brought up the legislation and the issues he said "thats not our department ". I was told when working at one point to stand down on a landslide investigation and to quit picking on the companies.
In short we fully understand the impacts from Industrial Logging and the damage that is happening but it is simply not being addressed. Instead the Ministry produces web pages talking about what a great job they are doing a great job protecting watersheds, fish and fish habitat. In my mind it was a complete snow job.
Thanks for your hard work Max in letting people know.