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September 18, 2024 - 7:00 PM
A recent investigation into logging practices in the Kettle River Watershed highlighted the fact that timber companies weren’t assessing their impact on watersheds.
B.C.’s independent forestry watchdog, the Forest Practices Board, looked into a complaint about logging in the Kettle River Watershed. The watershed's headwaters are Keefer Lake in the Monashee mountains and via the Kettle River drains into the Okanagan before crossing the border into northern Washington State.
The initial complaint was about the amount of timber harvested, but the investigation reported most logging companies weren’t performing watershed assessments in areas that were deemed at-risk, according to a press release from the board.
“Watershed assessments play a vital role in how we understand and manage the interactions between land use, hydrology and water quality of our freshwater resources,” chair for the board Keith Atkinson said in the release.
The Kettle River Watershed Advisory Council with the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary is currently investigating the report.
It turned out that five out of seven licensees didn’t conduct a watershed assessment when logging in at-risk watersheds.
“But licensees are not legally required to consider watershed conditions when planning harvests in the Kettle River Watershed, except for when they operate in community watersheds,” Atkinson said.
Watershed assessments identify vulnerabilities in the ecosystem, monitor effects and help timber companies comply with existing laws and regulations.
The board said the cost of these assessments can vary based on the size of the watershed, how in-depth the assessment is, and which companies perform the assessment. Some assessments can range from $20,000 to $60,000.
There aren’t even processes for the provincial government to monitor and study how logging is affecting watersheds.
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“While the ministry did conduct assessments of harvesting activities in the watershed during the investigation period, the board found no systems in place for the government to monitor the activities of licensees,” Atkinson said. “There was also very little guidance from the government on how to manage the cumulative effects of harvesting in the watershed.”
The board said it wants the province to implement ways for checking on the effect of logging in watersheds.
“Looking forward, the board encourages ministry staff and licensees to use the current information and tools available to improve watershed management,” Atkinson said.
The other factor affecting watersheds is companies harvesting green timber which are trees that have been recently cut so they still have a high moisture content.
“If left standing, green timber can help protect watersheds from the impacts of timber harvesting. This is especially important if a watershed’s health is already at risk,” he said.
This isn’t a new concern. The board released a report in 2022 which outlined how the government could introduce requirements that would help manage the cumulative effects of forestry on watersheds.
The Ministry of Forests released a report on the Kettle River Watershed back in 2021 which outlined the importance of logging the region carefully.
Click here for more information about the Forest Practices Board.
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