Increased use or changes in the type of use or behavior of users, can damage recreation facilities (e.g., sites and trails) through trampling, removal or scarring of vegetation and soil compaction. Similarly, overuse can degrade a recreation setting or experience, such as through crowding.
Recreationists may damage recreation resources through actions such as removing cultural heritage features or natural features such as fossils or vegetation or by harassing wildlife. Illegal or inappropriate behavior — such as vandalism, rowdyism, poaching and littering — can damage recreation features (including wildlife) and facilities and destroy the outdoor recreation experience for others.
Resource use activities can change the character of viewscapes. Studies have confirmed that the public prefers to view unaltered natural landscapes.[77] Resource development activities can significantly alter natural landscapes in visually sensitive areas if appropriate visual quality objectives are not established and corresponding visual landscape design techniques are not followed.
The most pronounced effects of resource use activities on recreation opportunity settings are from construction of access roads. New roads expand roaded recreation opportunities and make many previously remote backcountry areas and wild rivers more accessible to more people. At the same time, increased road access reduces roadless areas and opportunities for remote or primitive backcountry recreation opportunities. In other words, increased access can increase the amount of recreation use, but it can also change and sometimes diminish the quality of the recreation experience.
Resource use activities can also directly affect recreation features. Some recreation features, such as caves associated with karst landforms, may be particularly sensitive to disturbance.
Protection measures are ways to safeguard important recreation resources from unacceptable change or damage. Protection measures include:
In 1984, approximately 5 million hectares (about 5% of B.C.) were in various protected areas and related designations in B.C. In the last 10 years, there has been a 50% increase in area protected, with a total of about 8.2 million hectares (or 8.6% of B.C.) as of December 31, 1994. Figure 5.8 summarizes the protected areas situation for each forest region.
There have been two distinct periods of growth in protected areas in the last 10 years. Between 1986 and 1989, 15 new large areas (greater than 10 000 ha) totalling 880 000 hectares were established. These designations primarily stemmed from government response to the recommendations of the Wilderness Advisory Committee.[79] They included 11 recreation areas, three wilderness areas and one national park reserve. Nine new large protected areas and many smaller protected areas (totalling 1.8 million ha) were established between 1990 and 1994. One area alone, the Tatshenshini-Alsek, is about 1 million ha. These new protected areas were announced under the Protected Areas Strategy.
In 1987, the Forest Act was amended to recognize wilderness as a resource in provincial forests and to enable government to designate wilderness areas. Wilderness areas are established to maintain natural ecosystems and to provide wilderness backcountry recreation opportunities. There are now four wilderness areas totalling 130 000 ha: Height-of-the-Rockies, Upper Stein, Lower Stein and Swan Lake. By law, logging is prohibited in designated wilderness areas, but mining activities are not.
Map notations have also been established for Cabinet-approved study areas under the Protected Areas Strategy. Study areas are established for the interim protection of natural, cultural heritage and recreation resources while the areas are being reviewed to determine if they should become protected areas. There are over 100 large study areas (greater than 1000 hectares) and about 70 small study areas under interim protection.[80]
Figure 5.9 summarizes map notations, reserves, recreation interest areas and study areas by forest region. Recreation interest areas are areas where map notations are being actively considered. Estimates for reserves, notations and interest areas are based on preliminary data in the Forest Tenure Administration System (FTAS) and likely underestimate the actual area. Nevertheless, based on this preliminary assessment, about 11 million hectares (about 11% of B.C.) occur in these various categories. Most of these areas are in map notations established for study areas. Virtually all of these areas, except UREP reserves, have been established during the last 10 years.
Under the Heritage Conservation Act, seven heritage trails totalling about 500 kilometres in length have been designated in provincial forests as of 1994. The length of heritage trails also varies from a few kilometres to the 350-kilometre Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail. There are an additional 11 heritage trails under study for possible designation. Heritage trails are cooperatively managed by the Ministry of Forests and the Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture.
In 1992, the Forest Act was amended to formally recognize interpretive forest sites — their purpose is to foster dialogue with the public and increase understanding about B.C.’s forests and how they are managed. The ministry had 59 interpretive forest sites in 1988 and 97 sites in 1993. Most of these sites have been established during the last 10 years.
Establishing objectives through the FPC is critical to the provision of outdoor recreation opportunities and the protection of recreation resources. For example, visual quality objectives (VQOs) need to be established to protect scenic landscapes and recreation opportunity spectrum (ROS) objectives need to be established to protect wilderness and backcountry recreation opportunities.
Land use planning processes frequently address recreation and tourism resource values collectively in socioeconomic and resource analyses. For these reasons, Section 5.4 on recreation use and Section 7.3 on the economic value of recreation also address the recreation/tourism overlap.
In the Prince Rupert Forest Region, 25 areas totalling over 3 million hectares (about 11% of the region) have been identified through various land use planning processes as warranting special management for recreation (including visual resources and wilderness). For example, recreation values are given special consideration in a Cabinet-approved management plan for the Lower Stikine.[81] Examples in other regions include local resource use plans that recognize important scenic values in the Robson Valley in the Prince George Forest Region and along the Barkerville corridor in the Cariboo Forest Region.
In 1991, there were 108 site and trail development plans, which frequently precede development work.
Although the Ministry of Forests does not tenure recreation use in provincial forests, it has signed management agreements with organizations to provide opportunities for cooperative management and protection of the recreation resource. For example, several winter trails for cross-country skiing are under management agreements.
