Policy 4.1 - Recreation Management

Effective Date: 01-June-96
Updated: 15-Oct-97
Responsible Branch: Forest Practices Branch

Resource Management Volume Table of Contents | Amendment Log

Scope

This policy covers recreation management on British Columbia's public forest lands, which include all provincial forest lands and all other provincial Crown lands outside parks and settled areas, such as non- municipal and rural settlements.

Policy

Recreation management will:

• recognize recreation resources as part of the resource base of B.C.'s public forest lands
• recognize recreation resources as encompassing the full spectrum of recreation values and opportunities, including scenic landscapes, wilderness, cultural and heritage landmarks, and developed recreation facilities
• maintain or enhance recreation resources in keeping with the concepts and principles of integrated resource management (IRM), which balances the management and use of all forest resources
• identify the recreation needs and interests of society through ongoing liaison with the public
• carry out recreation management according to concepts, principles, procedures, responsibilities, and guidelines set out in the Ministry's Recreation Manual

Protection and Management

Recreation management will protect and manage recreation resources by:

• assessing the use, demand, and value of recreation resources
• maintaining a recreation inventory of the biophysical and cultural features, and the full spectrum of recreation opportunities on B.C.'s public forest lands. This includes requiring tree farm licensees to carry out, at their cost and to Ministry standards, a recreation inventory of lands within their licence area
• recommending recreation objectives and using the IRM planning process to establish and incorporate recreation objectives into Ministry and licensee plans.
• ensuring that recreation values are considered in resource management decisions for B.C.'s public forest lands. This includes establishing recreation management guidelines as a basis for assessing the implications of recreation objectives on available timber volumes and timber harvesting and silviculture prescriptions.

Public Use

Recreation management will facilitate and manage public recreation use of B.C.'s public forest lands by:

• informing the public of the types and locations of recreation opportunities via brochures, signs, and posters
• providing in areas of concentrated use, a network of safe, sanitary, socially acceptable, and environmentally sound recreation sites and trails that encompass the full spectrum of outdoor recreation opportunities and are rustic by design
• planning and managing dispersed commercial and non-commercial recreation use of public forest lands throughout the province, coordinating with other agencies as required
• explaining and discussing IRM with the public
• enforcing recreation management regulations

• Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act, s.6, 7, 105, 170, 206
• Public Involvement Handbook
• Recreation Manual
• Resource Planning Manual