Landslides and Forest Operations on Vancouver Island:

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Landslides and Forest Operations on Vancouver
Island Understanding the Hazard and Lowering
your Risk November 14-17, 2006 Rick Guthrie BC
Ministry of Environment
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• Roundtable Introductions

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• Some background information on Rick
• 1992 BSc Hons from Calgary, Geomorphology
  (Geog).
• 1997 MSc from UVic, School of Earth and Ocean
  Science. Thesis work related to landslides on
  Vancouver Island.
• 2000 PGeo with APEGBC (Geotechnics)
• Currently working on PhD at Waterloo,
  Department of Earth Science, Landslide Research
  Program.
• Regional Geomorphologist with MOE since 1996
• Non government experience includes consultant
  work in Alberta, BC (primarily terrain mapping)
  and since 2002, major landslide problems
  worldwide including the Republic of Georgia and
  the Philippines.
• Email richard.guthrie_at_gov.bc.ca
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]

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Why Now?

• Results based Code
• A perceived need (shifting liabilities)
• The amount of material available is becoming
  overwhelming

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46 (1) A person must not carry out a forest
practice, a range practice or another activity
that results in damage to the environment

• Damage to the environment 3 (1) For the purpose
  of section 46 (1) protection of the environment
  of the Act, "damage" means any of the following
  that fundamentally and adversely alters an
  ecosystem
• a landslide
• a gully process on the Coast
• (c) a fan destabilization on the Coast
• (d) soil disturbance
• (e) the deposit into a stream, wetland or lake of
  (i) a petroleum product, (ii) a fluid used to
  service industrial equipment, or (iii) any other
  similar harmful substance
• (f) a debris torrent that enters a fish stream.

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Objectives set by government 149 The Lieutenant
Governor in Council may make regulations
prescribing objectives in relation to one or more
of the following subjects (a) soils (b)
visual quality (c) timber (d) forage and
associated plant communities (e) water (f)
fish (g) wildlife (h) biodiversity (i)
recreation resources (j) resource features
(k) cultural heritage resources.
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Landslides 37 An authorized person who carries
out a primary forest activity must ensure that
the primary forest activity does not cause a
landslide that has a material adverse effect in
relation to one or more of the subjects listed in
section 149 (1) of the Act. Gully processes 38
An authorized person who carries out a primary
forest activity on the Coast must ensure that the
primary forest activity does not cause a gully
process that has a material adverse effect in
relation to one or more of the subjects listed in
section 149 (1) of the Act.
Fan destabilization 54 An authorized person who
carries out a primary forest activity on the
Coast must ensure that the primary forest
activity does not cause fan destabilization that
has a material adverse effect in relation to one
or more of the subjects listed in section 149 (1)
of the Act.
Fish passage 56 (1) An authorized person who
carries out a primary forest activity must ensure
that the primary forest activity does not have a
material adverse effect on fish passage in a fish
stream.
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Consider a conceptual model for environmental
protection
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1995 FPC, M-H protection, M-H cost, time and
resources, M-L Freedom
FPC
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Results based code Higher freedom and lower
cost.
We want to avoid being here
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FPC
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Results based code With increased freedom comes
increased professional liability.
X
FPC
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Results based code Ideally we can improve
protection while reducing our event liability
X
FPC
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• Risk
• Under the simplest of definitions,
• Risk Hazard x Consequence.
• Hazard the probability that a danger (threat)
  occurs over a given period of time.
• Consequence the outcome of a hazard being
  realized.
• Losses (part of consequence) may include
• Loss of life
• Economic losses
• Loss of reputation
• Environmental

Our motivation to manage landslide risks comes
our aversion to potential losses. Landslide risk
can be reduced by reducing either side of the
equation.
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Results of the questionnaires
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Why MOE?

• Ultimately MOE is a key ministry responsible for
  conservation of resources and ecosystems that may
  be impacted by landslides
• Direct impacts to fish and fish habitat
• Ecosystem and site loss
• Erosion and sediment generation

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• What this course is not
• Neither the course, nor the information within is
  intended to criticize, embarrass or otherwise
  negatively impact any particular person or
  company.
• I have tried to draw examples from across the
  island, and would argue that similar examples
  could be found in many places in Coastal BC.
• Where possible, the examples will be anonymous
  and I would encourage us to retain that anonymity
  during discussions.

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• Objectives
• Im committed to reducing the number of
  non-natural landslides and their impact.
• I want you to know that you have tools and
  ability to reduce landslides (from the current
  rate) in your management area irrespective of
  your role.
• I want you to understand the work that MOE is
  doing, and have some comfort around the
  reliability of this work.
• Feedback. What would help you do your job?

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Questions?