Prince George District Road Permitting Information

Last updated on February 23, 2024
 

Road Use Permit

All industrial users on a Forest Service Road (FSR) are required to obtain a Road Use Permit unless an exemption is granted in accordance with section 22.1 (4) of FRPA.

If the FSR is currently maintained to a wilderness level by the district manager or timber sales manager then the applicant must submit a reactivation prescription (plan). The plan must be prepared by a qualified registered professional*. The plan must address all improvements required to reactivate the road to a safe industrial standard and an environmentally sound manner. This plan may become integral to the Road Use Permit.

*Qualified registered professionals are expected to know and meet the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) legislation for Road Maintenance Practices and Standards. The FRPA approach is focused on achieving defined and measurable results.

Please refer to the attached Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Road Maintenance Standards FS1287a

Forest Service Road Use is a shared responsibility by industrial users. One user is assigned the title and responsibility of primary user or designated maintainer. Generally the designate is the predominant user of the road system over time. In taking on that responsibility, the designate agrees to negotiate with secondary users the appropriate amount for contribution toward maintenance. The contributions would be commensurate with the use and may be monetary or work related.

Other requirements for application:

For amendments to existing RUPs use same procedure above. Identify all branches in permit. State in email that application is an amendment.

FSR Road Use Permit Closure:

An industrial user may apply to the district manager to be relieved of its Road Use Permit on an FSR when that road will not be required for industrial purposes. Before the Road Use Permit of the designated maintainer is cancelled, ensure that the road has been maintained to the level required for non-industrial use, to the extent necessary to ensure there is no material adverse effect on a forest resource, as evidenced by :

  • structural integrity of the road prism and clearing width are protected; and drainage systems of the road are functional.

Or

  • transferring the responsibility to another party.

Otherwise, the permit will remain in force even while the user is idle for periods of time, and any designated maintenance obligations remain during those same periods.

 

FSR Works Permit

Any non-transportation-related works (facilities) constructed within an FSR right-of-way MUST be authorized by a Works Permit.

Requirements for application:

 

FSR Junction Permit

A person must obtain the consent of the district manager before connecting a road to a forest service road.

District manager authorizes any connection to an FSR using a Road Junction Requirements Form Letter (FS 1209).

  1. Sight distance must be maintained from the junction along the Forest Service road in both directions (from table below) in accordance with the normal travel speed on the Forest Service road.
 
Forest Service Road Speed Sight Distance
Up to 65 km/h 100m
65 to 80 km/h 150m
  1. The access road must join the Forest Service road at right angles.
  2. The grade of the junction must not exceed 2% (plus or minus) for at least 30m from the edge of the Forest Service road.  The approach must drain from the Forest Service road surfacing to the ditch line.
  3. You must locate, erect, maintain and remove roadway signs as directed by a Forest Officer.
  4. The access must be constructed with a 500mm metal culvert laid to maintain drainage in the Forest Service road ditch.  The culvert must be of sufficient length to extend 1 meter beyond the roadbed on both sides.  (The minimum culvert diameter is 500mm which will normally be sufficient.)
  5. Ditching and drainage must be constructed so that all surface water will drain as close as possible into the former natural water courses.
  6. To prevent the tracking of mud and soil onto the Forest Service road surface, the connecting road must be gravelled at least 30 meters from the edge of the Forest Service road to the satisfaction of the Forest Officer.
     

Requests from landowners for variance from the established alignment conditions must be accompanied by a professional engineer‘s recommendation.

Requirements for application

 

FSR Road Maintenance Agreement

For situations where the wilderness level of maintenance is not sufficient for a commercial or public user, that user may elect to undertake some or all of the surface maintenance of the FSR as authorized by the Forest Service Road Maintenance Agreement.

Requirements for application:

 

Location Map Standards

  • Date of application
  • Use Mapview or IMAP (use BCGW base information - pdf format).
  • Identify scale used.
  • Use Scale most appropriate: 1:10,000, 1:20,000, 1:30,000, 1:50,000, 1:100,000,
  • Show POC (point of commencement) and POT (point of termination) for each section of application (KM).
  • Identify FSR name, number and branch.
  • Place North arrow.

Location Map Example:

Location Map Standards Example

 

Contact information

Prince George Natural Resource District:

  • Tim Pritchard, Engineering Officer
  • Kim Reurink, Engineering Technologist