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Horsefly area road deactivation on hold, ministry confirms

Ministry to explore possible options with Horsefly-area roads.

Although there are plans to deactivate roads in the Horsefly area, as reported last week in the Tribune Weekend Advisor, the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations said it has a commitment from the forest industry to not undertake any activities until the community and the ministry explore possible options.

“The roads that you are asking about are not public roads, they are road permit roads under licence to the forest industry,” ministry spokesperson Dave Townsend said when contacted by the Tribune.

Licensees who hold tenure over roads such as the ones slated for deactivation are obligated to maintain these sections until such time that they are deactivated, or alternatively taken over by another tenure, Townsend added, noting where there are no further timber opportunities and silviculture obligations are complete, it is common practice to deactivate roads; however, there are options for these road sections to be tenured to non-timber tenure holders or other stakeholders.

Townsend said the ministry has met with the Horsefly Board of Trade to understand their interests and will continue to meet with them.



Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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