Water Stewardship Information Sources
| ID | 104 |
|---|---|
| Citation | BC Forest Practices Board. 2001. A Large Aggregate Cutblock in the Heller/Tranquille Creek Watershed Northwest of Kamloops: Complaint Investigation 990213. BC Forest Practices Board. FPB/SIR/25. |
| Organization | BC Forest Practices Board |
| URL | http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/bib96895.pdf |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | This complaint was about a proposed cutblock located in the Deadman River and Tranquille River watersheds. The watersheds are approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Kamloops, in the Kamloops Forest District and within the area covered by the Kamloops Local Resource Management Plan (LRMP). The Deadman watershed covers 151,000 hectares and includes several major tributaries. The Tranquille River watershed covers 48,000 hectares and is designated as a community watershed. Both rivers are tributaries to the Thompson River. In the 1980s, the Skeetchestn Indian Band (the complainant) voluntarily halted fishing in the Deadman River due to declining salmon stocks. The Band worked with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to inventory fish stocks, and established its own hatchery on the Deadman River. In 1990, heavy rainfall resulted in large flows within the river system that caused considerable damage to fish habitat along the Deadman River. Weyerhaeuser (the licensee) proposed cutting permit (CP) 615 in their 1997 forest development plan. The proposed development is an aggregate block of 1,245 hectares, including reserves and previously harvested areas. The block straddles the Heller Creek and Tranquille River watersheds. Heller Creek is a headwater tributary of the Deadman River. Approximately 717 hectares of new harvesting and roads were proposed, about 500 hectares of which is located in the Heller Creek watershed. The initial planning and locating of the block began in 1995 and involved the licensee and staff from the Ministries of Forests and Environment, Lands and Parks. The intent was to create a large block size as recommended in the Biodiversity Guidebook. The interagency group selected the location after a review of watersheds in the district. Initially, the concept was that the block would be used as an example of adaptive management, with a monitoring program to facilitate learning from practices on the block. The proposed goals of the project, first outlined in 1995, included research opportunities for comparing the large trial block with smaller, typical block sizes and to monitor wildlife populations, wildlife tree patches and hydrological impacts in nearby Heller Creek. However, funding was not provided, so the adaptive management aspect was abandoned prior to approval. Nevertheless, stations were established for monitoring channel changes and water flow in Heller Creek after harvesting. In 1997 an information package was sent to interested parties, including the complainant. The package described the proposal for the block and included a rationale for large aggregate blocks prepared by the Ministry of Forests' regional ecologist. The cutblock was approved in the 1998 forest development plan and the silviculture prescription was approved in 1999. The complainant expressed concerns in its response to the 1998 forest development plan about wildlife and water issues relating to harvesting proposed in the Band's traditional territory. Further comments about CP 615 were sent to the licensee and the MOF district manager shortly after the plan was approved. In 1999, the licensee, the forest district and the complainant formed a monitoring/steering committee. Subsequently, the Ministry of Forests provided funding to the complainant to conduct a cultural heritage overview and a wildlife assessment for CP 615. These were completed in the fall of 1999. The complaint was filed with the Board in August 1999 and asserted that the proposal for CP 615 inadequately protects forest resources traditionally used by First Nations and that there would be a cumulative impact from the block in conjunction with harvesting for beetle salvage in adjacent watersheds. In addition to impacts in the Heller Creek watershed, the complainant was also concerned with the downstream impacts to water and fish in the Deadman River. The Board decided to investigate: 1. Whether the large block proposal met the Code requirements. 2. How the potential impacts were addressed and whether Code requirements were met for the following issues: ﾷ the potential hydrological impact on the Deadman Creek watershed; ﾷ the cumulative impact of harvesting the proposed block and harvesting stands in adjacent watersheds attacked by mountain pine beetle; ﾷ the impacts on the forest resources traditionally used by the complainant. Since the investigation began, the licensee, MOF and the complainant have continued discussions about the block and hydrologists have completed further assessments and reviews. In the fall of 2000, the complainant agreed to the licensee harvesting several smaller areas within the approved block for CP 615. Further discussions resulted in the licensee agreeing to an increase in retention within the block. A silviculture prescription amendment is being prepared for those changes. Despite a level of satisfaction with some of the proposed amendments, the complainant would still like to see greater protection of riparian areas. |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Thompson |
| Sub-watershed if known | Heller Creek, Tranquille Creek |
| Aquifer # | |
| Comments | |
| Project status | complete |
| Contact Name | BC Forest Practices Board |
| Contact Email | [email protected] |