|
Between 1995 and 2006, industry and government staff highlighted the need for action associated with the many historic closed bottom structures on fish streams that had become
full or partial barriers to fish passage. Federal and Provincial government staff along with forest industry staff worked on the development of a guidance document (Stream
Crossing Guidebook, 2002) and improvement of methods to assess and set priorities to fix fish passage problems. Government executive and industry supported continued work on
dealing with these problem structures through more complete assessment and remediation of priority problem structures. (See
the attached Reference Letter).
The Fish Passage Technical Working Group was formed to coordinate and advance the work done to date by government (Federal and Provincial) and industry staff.
The
2009 Forest Practices Board report highlighted the need to remove barriers to fish passage at fish stream crossings. The Fish Passage Technical Working Group (FPTWG) has responded to
this report, and continues to use this and other data sources to identify and implement solutions to improve fish passage.
The FPTWG oversees the Fish Passage Program under the Land Based Investment Strategy (LBIS). The FPTWG oversees the Fish Passage Program under the Land Based Investment Strategy (LBIS). The FPTWGA published a
summary of the last four years of fish-passage activity in February 2012. Further details on this program can be found on the
LBIS Fish Passage website.
With funds provided through the Forest Investment Account and the LBIS, fish passage has been restored at 93 stream crossings that were constructed prior to the introduction of the
Forest Practices Code in 1995, resulting in hundreds of kilometres of previously inaccessible stream habitat being made available to fish populations. In addition, over 10,000
stream crossings have been assessed to better understand the scope and distribution of the fish passage problem across British Columbia.
| 
