Letter re Private Managed Forest Land

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200 - 1627 Fort St., Victoria, BC  V8R 1H8 
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Toll Free via Enquiry BC in Vancouver 660-2421.  Elsewhere in BC 1.800.663.7867 
Email  information@islandstrust.bc.ca 
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Bowen  Denman  Hornby  Gabriola Galiano  Gambier  Lasqueti  Mayne  North Pender  Salt Spring  Saturna  South Pender  Thetis 
 
July 19, 2019 File Number: 0400-30; 4960-30  
 
Via Email: FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca 
 
The Honourable Doug Donaldson 
Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations  
and Rural Development 
P.O. Box 9049, Stn Prov Govt 
Victoria BC V8W9E2 
 
Dear Minister Donaldson: 
 
Re: Private Managed Forest Land Act (PMFLA) Consultation Feedback from Islands Trust Council 
 
On behalf of Trust Council, I am writing to you in response to the call for comments on the Private Managed 
Forest Lands Act, to request that amendments be made to require forest practice standards equivalent to 
Crown forest lands, and allow local governments to regulate some forestry related activities.  
 
On June 19, 2019 the Islands Trust Council passed the following resolution: 
 
That the Islands Trust Council request that the Chair respond to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and 
Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development’s consultation on the Private Managed Forest 
Land Act and request that the Act require standards that are equivalent to Crown forest land 
regulations and that Section 21 be amended to allow local governments to regulate, but not prohibit 
forest management activities. 
 
Trust Council is concerned that the Private Managed Forest Land Act is at odds with the Object of the Islands 
Trust Act, which states: 
 
The object of the trust is to preserve and protect the trust area and its unique amenities and 
environment for the benefit of the residents of the trust area and of British Columbia generally, in 
cooperation with municipalities, regional districts, improvement districts, other persons and 
organizations and the government of British Columbia. 
 
The primary means to further the Object of the Islands Trust is by local trust committees through their land use 
planning policies and regulations authority. However, Section 21 of the Private Managed Forest Land Act 
restricts a local government’s authority’s, including local trust committees’ ability to adopt a bylaw or issue a 
permit that would restrict forest management activities on land that is private managed forest land. Since the 
wording in the Private Managed Forest Lands Act is vague, these restrictions could apply to ancillary uses that 
support forest activities, such as worker accommodation, and log sorting and transportation. 
 
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The Honourable Doug Donaldson 
July 19, 2019 
Page 2 
 
 
At present, local governments in British Columbia and local trust committees are unable to adopt development 
permit area bylaws on private managed forest lands to protect the environment, stream riparian areas, 
wetlands 

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