1 - Introduction / Forest Road Deactivation Practices in the Pacific Northwest

Forest Road Deactivation Practices
in the Pacific Northwest

1 - Introduction	Objectives of Deactivation, Additional References

Objectives of Deactivation

Forest road deactivation is an activity required to protect the financial investment in forest roads and the environmental values near roads. Typical deactivation objectives are to:

maintain or re-establish natural hill slope drainage patterns;
minimize the potential for road-related landslides and erosion;
construct or alter slope angles to be stable;
enhance productive growing sites, where practical;
minimize maintenance for inactive roads;
maintain access management objectives where applicable;
improve visual aesthetics.

Objective of This Infoflip

There are numerous manuals and courses available to assist machine operators and supervisors in the task of completing deactivation of forest roads. The objective of this infoflip guide is to assemble much of this information in a practical and user-friendly format that will be helpful to a wide range of individuals. Although much of the information is from coastal British Columbia, most techniques are applicable to other areas of the Pacific Northwest. References to the Forest Practices Code of BC Act (FPC) have been omitted to allow a broader range of users to focus on ways to achieve desired end results. Therefore, this infoflip is provided only for technical guidance. It does not replace the FPC and other applicable laws related to forest road deactivation, or the need for professional advice or design in certain situations. Users of the information must be familiar with relevant regulations and requirements in their jurisdiction. The writer does not assume any liabilities resulting from the use of this infoflip.

Additional Reference Material and Suggested Reading

Road Deactivation:

Road Deactivation Course Manual (1995 BC MoF / FCSN);
Advanced Road Deactivation Course Manual (1997 BC MoF / FCSN);
Road Construction Practices & Procedures (1996 BC MoF / FCSN);
Forest Road Engineering Guidebook, Forest Practices Code of BC (FPC);
Watershed Restoration Technical Circular No. 3 (July 1994);
Watershed Restoration Technical Circular No. 4 (July 1994);
BC MoF: A Guide to Management of Landslide Prone Terrain in the Pacific Northwest: Land Management Handbook #18, 2nd Edition, 1994.

Environment:

WRP Guidelines for Work in and about a Stream: All weather guidelines - BC Environment memo dated February 20, 1996;
BC Provincial Water Act - Section 7 Users Guide - BC Environment;
Government of Canada Fisheries Act (specifically Sections 35 and 36);
BC Environment: Summary of Environmental Standards & Guidelines for Fuel Handling, Transportation, and Storage: 2nd Edition;
Forest Practices Code of BC: Fish-Stream Identification Guidebook;
Forest Practices Code of BC: Soil Conservation Guidebook;
Forest Practices Code of BC: Riparian Management Area Guidebook.