Volume 1 - Resource Management
Chapter 4 - Recreation Management

Policy 4.3 - Wilderness 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 the research, inventory, planning (allocation), management, and use of wilderness resources on B.C.'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

The Ministry of Forest's wilderness policy is fully outlined in Managing Wilderness in Provincial Forests: A Policy Framework. The following represents policy highlights.

Definition

Wilderness is an area of land generally greater than 1,000 hectares that predominantly retains its natural character. It is an area where human impact is transitory, minor, and in the long run, substantially unnoticeable.

Overall Policy Framework

Purpose: The Ministry of Forest's wilderness program will maintain and protect a wilderness resource in relation to other uses of provincial forests, and provide maximum benefits to the citizens of British Columbia (Forest Act, s.2, 3, 4, 6).

Objectives: Ministry wilderness objectives are:

  • research - to assess the use, demand, and value of wilderness
  • inventory - to develop and maintain an inventory of wilderness
  • planning - to identify, assess, and recognize wilderness resources, make recommendations on areas that Cabinet may decide to designate as a wilderness area, and to ensure wilderness is adequately considered in integrated resource management
  • management - to prepare, implement, and monitor a wilderness management plan for each designated wilderness area

Planning: Wilderness planning will be carried out in the context of land use planning and according to the following steps:

  • identification - developing an overall game plan for identifying and prioritizing wilderness study areas
  • assessment and designation - carrying out detailed wilderness studies (including assessments of all resources) of individual areas and making recommendations to Cabinet
  • management - preparing a wilderness management plan for each designated wilderness area

Wilderness resources may be protected in provincial forests through designation as a wilderness area, or by zoning for wilderness values in integrated resource management (IRM) plans.

Specific Policy Issues

Public Involvement: Existing policy and procedures on public involvement will be applied to the wilderness program. Resource users and the public will be consulted in preparing wilderness policy and plans.

Coordination: The Ministry will work cooperatively with other agencies and groups on wilderness research, inventory, planning, and management in order to encourage coordination among the numerous wilderness programs.

Distribution: The Ministry will:

  • consider the geographic distribution of wilderness in terms of existing protected areas, the demand for additional areas representing natural environments and features, and other resource values
  • provide for the greater demand which may be placed on wilderness resources that are closer to population centres

Mining: The Ministry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, will regulate how mining activities occur in wilderness areas ( Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act, s.2).

Forest Industry: The Ministry will consider the impact of wilderness designation on the forest industry by ensuring that any decisions regarding wilderness are made only after a full assessment of all resource values, including timber values.

Access Management: The Ministry will manage access to wilderness by:

  • prohibiting public roads in wilderness areas
  • requiring that all roads for mining activities are closed to the public and reclaimed
  • restricting use of motorized vehicles unless specifically permitted in a wilderness management plan

Commercial and Public Use: Commercial and public recreational use of wilderness will be allowed provided that the levels and types of use are consistent with wilderness management objectives.

Fire and Forest Health: Fire and forest health management strategies will be established in each wilderness management plan. These strategies will address carrying out fire and forest health management activities (including tree cutting and salvage operations) if public safety or adjacent commercial forests are threatened, or if such actions are in the public interest.

Fish and Wildlife Management: The Ministry will cooperate with other agencies, particularly the Ministry of Environment, to:

  • recognize the role of wilderness in the protection of fish and wildlife resources
  • allow sports-fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and the continuation of existing trap lines in wilderness areas, provided such uses are compatible with wilderness

Range Management: A range management strategy will be established in each wilderness management plan and allow range management activities provided they are consistent with wilderness.

Cultural and Heritage Values: The Ministry will cooperate with other agencies, particularly the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Culture to identify and manage cultural and heritage values in wilderness areas.

Information and Education: The Ministry will work cooperatively with other agencies and groups to develop information and education programs on wilderness to help manage use and inform and educate users.

Liability: Due to the inherent risk of wilderness travel, the Ministry will:

  • ensure reasonable care is taken to inform the public about risks
  • ensure all Forest Service facilities in wilderness areas meet reasonable standards of health, safety, and environmental quality
  • encourage commercial operators in wilderness areas to meet reasonable standards

References