The Engineering Program in the South Island Forest District is responsible for:

• Monitoring and enforcing engineering standards on forest roads on Crown land.
• Establishing, regulating and monitoring Forest Service Roads for current conditions and use.

Forest Service Roads:

• The South Island Forest District has 45 forest service roads, with an overall length of 651 kilometres. The majority of these roads are accessible to the public and will take you to wilderness spots with special values.
• Forest roads throughout the South Island Forest District are being managed with greater concerns for the environment, thanks to public interest and due to an increase in pro-active action by government and industry. Perhaps no other forest management process has adversely affected the health of watersheds more than road construction. The following objectives are important to the design, construction and management on roads:

  a) Protection of the environment

  b) Protection of the values of the road

  c) Protection of the travelling public

  d) Minimizing road maintenance costs

• Fore more information of Forest Service Roads visit our FSR Information webpage.

Public input regarding the management of forest roads is welcomed and the public are encouraged to discuss any issues they may have regarding forest roads with the license(es) operating in that particular area. Existing forest development plans, approved prior to March 31, 2003 show the licensees planned roads activities.

Road Management Types:

• 1.  Industrial Use Forest Service Roads

These are roads that are owned and operated by the ministry but maintenance is delegated to an industrial user.

• 2.  Public Use Forest Service Roads

These are roads which access a year-round residential area with its own Post Office, or either a school located within it or school bus route to or from it. Populated reserves are included in this definition. They do not include roads that provide access to seasonal cabins, isolated residences, commercial operations, parks or recreation sites.

Public Use Forest Service Road Maintenance Standards include user safety maintenance activities such as road surface maintenance and sight line brushing as well as those activities required for the protection of the environment. User safety maintenance activities will be commensurate with the types of vehicles and pattern of use.

• 3.  Wilderness Forest Service Roads

These are roads that are not defined as public or industrial use and where the responsibility for maintenance is not transferred or funded on a user-maintained basis. Provision of access is not a ministry priority on wilderness roads.

Wilderness Forest Service Roads Maintenance Standards include those activities required for the protection of the environment, activities do not include surface maintenance or site line brushing. As such, only bridge repair and those maintenance projects required to mitigate environmental problems, like mass wasting or washouts which may impact residential or worker safety, improvements, or natural resources will be carried out. Wilderness maintenance activities will include culvert and bridge removal, water bars, partial or full pullback of side slopes and cross ditches. Washouts or road slumps may not be repaired.

Equipment Hire for Forest Service Road Projects:

• The Ministry of Forests invites equipment owners to register their equipment for forest service road and bridge construction and maintenance work by advertising in local newspapers each year. Please also see the Contractor Information section on the district home page for further information.
• From the response of the advertisements and update letters a provincial list of equipment is compiled. Every effort is made to ensure that available work is fairly and equitably distributed to local equipment owners. However, due to the restricted numbers and sizes of day labour projects, there is no guarantee that all equipment listed will be hired in any particular year.

The list is always open to the new registrants. If you want to be on the list, forward a completed equipment information sheet to:

Rental Rates:

The rental rates that are used for the various pieces of equipment for payment purposes are those shown in The Blue Book, B.C. Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association Equipment Rental Rate Guide.

Insurance and WCB:

Equipment must have comprehensive general liability insurance as specified in the equipment rental agreement and you must provide evidence of such insurance before beginning work. Operators may obtain a Province of B.C. Certificate of Insurance form from the district office and have their insurance agent complete the form. Registration with WCB is mandatory.

Ministry of Forests
South Island Forest District
4885 Cherry Creek Road,
Port Alberni, B.C., V9Y 8E9
Phone: (250) 731-3000
Fax: (250) 731-3010

Mailing Address:
Ministry of Forests
South Island Forest District
4885 Cherry Creek Road,
Port Alberni, B.C., V9Y 8E9

Ministry of Forests
South Island Forest District
3819 Trans Canada Hwy
Cobble Hill, B.C., V0R 1L0
Phone: (250) 743-8933
Fax: (250) 743-7299

Mailing Address:
Ministry of Forests
South Island Forest District
5785 Duncan Street,
Duncan, B.C., V9L 5G2