Resource Roads and Communities

Transcription

1 Resource Roads and Communities Honourable Bill Bennett Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources UBCM Convention September 28, Resource Roads & Communities Initiative UBCM Convention 2008 Provincial News Release: The Province will work with the UBCM executive to develop a plan that ensures resource roads across the province meet the needs of communities $20 million new funding for resource roads serving communities 2008/ /10 UBCM executive appointed 5 reps to work with Province: Heath Slee Grace McGregor Karen Goodings Rhona Martin Al Richmond Feedback from Electoral Area Director s Forum June 15, 2010 Committee meetings until August

2 Industrial Roads, Industrial Policy Framework Oil & Gas Roads Forestry Roads Mining Roads Rapid growth in road network after circa 1950 s Industrial purpose of roads reflected in policies Resource roads opened up rural BC for communities 3 BC Has Grown Dramatically Growing Population Greatly Increased Public Use of Resource Roads Increasing Pressure To Adapt Our Management To This Trend BC Forecast To Grow Between 29% and 57% in 25 Years 4 2

3 Resource Roads Today? Community & Diversified Economic Use 3000 Nature-Based Businesses in BC Freshwater Fishery $815 mill/yr All Terrain Vehicle Sport $172 mill/yr 20k Snowmobiles McBride/Valemount Ranching Industry $250 million sales Guide Outfitting $48 million GDP Emerging Alternative Energy Use Thousands of Residents on Roads Only Access to Many First Nations Roads Integral to Rural Life 5 Resource Road Use Is Diverse Inactive Industrial Use Active Industrial Use High Public Use Some Wilderness Road Some non-status road May get deactivated Valued for rural lifestyle Range of public use Range of economic uses Mostly privately financed Generally working well Ongoing industrial use Access to communities Access to high use recreation Mostly privately financed 6 3

4 Road Costs Are A Major Challenge Roughly $18 million per year 55,000 km 150,000 km Roughly $540 million per year 170,000 km Minimal Funding 7 Key Issues For Resource Roads And Communities Orienting future policy to support road s evolved role in: Resource industry competitiveness Rural economic growth Rural economic diversification Realizing rural lifestyle and values Relationship between industrial use and high public use Road deactivation with public interest in continued use Industrial and other road user communication, relationships 8 4

5 Recommendation #1: Recognise In Future Policy The Evolved Role of Resource Roads in Society/Economy Current Policy View Shift To Desired Policy View Roads are for industry purposes Roads are costs to be minimized Private capital finances nearly all Some roads are for diverse use/growth Some are long term rural public assets Some warrant broader-based funding Industrial road, contingent public use On some, public use is a primary use 9 Recommendation #2: Explore The Ways, Means and Criteria To Establish A High Public Use Road Class 1. Clearly, carefully define the criteria that define the class 2. Explore a new funding model with potential attributes: Conceive of these roads as part of larger transportation system Capital and operating funding in balance to minimize costs Consider multi-year contracting, like public roads Flexibility to respond when industry changes operations Retain industry ability to be efficient Retain industry pays its way Grading Snow Plowing Bridge Repair 5

6 Recommendation #3: Road Deactivation Policy Tools To Balance Environmental Protection, Liabilities and Public Access 1. Retain more roads under active management: Expand public assumed risk on roads 2. More flexibility in legal definition of deactivation Match results to site specific environmental risk Environmental Liability 3. Provide some guided discretion to managers 4. Reduce overly aggressive practice thru policy Legal Liability 11 Recommendation #4: Road Stakeholder Communication and Influence Sharing 1. Continue to use planning tools to resolve conflict Gov t human resource limitations 2. Province establish an electronic forum for stakeholder interaction on resource roads mgt.: Forum to share info about road plans Forum to practice professional reliance Build business-to-business relationships Exploit modern social media options Make it easy and low-cost 3. Explore Road User Committees scoping some public/community issues in their work Bulkley LRMP Boundary Grizzly Bear Landscape Planning Legal Liability 12 6

7 Thanks To Those Who Gave Time To Inform The Project New Relationship Senior Officials Group Mining Association of BC BC Forest Safety Council Assoc. of Mineral Explorers of BC BC Wildlife Federation BC Outdoor Recreation Council BC Trappers Association Coast Forest Products Association Access BC Society BC Guide Outfitter s Association Council of Forest Industries Council of Tourism Associations BC Cattlemen s Association Canadian Assoc. of Petroleum Producers 13 END 14 7