# How clost to a stream can you log?



## iceaxe (Dec 14, 2011)

I'm looking at 25 acre mountain lot. Some nice 50 yr old trees line the stream. Also some nice trees on the edge of about 500 ft cliff that overlooks major river simon fraser river. Also, how close to stream can you build house because only lot seems to be very small and close to stream. Exploring 25 acres of mountain side looking for building site a bit daunting when you dont know what constitues a viable building site.


Another dumb easement question, the easement says i have to pay half the cost of maintaining/rebuilding a logging road that traverses this mountain property. I dont have access to the logging road and it is likely logging road has no use to me. Will the courts still insist i maintain this road . it needs a bridge. its steep so avalanches and erosion are possible.


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## spanky1205 (Dec 14, 2011)

Is the logging road maintained now? Who had been paying for the maintenance if it is maintained? Do you get to choose who uses it or is it public? What standards do you have to meet in order for the road to be considered mainatained? I do not expect you to post an answer to all of my questions but I would be asking them if I were looking at the property. If the easement you are buying says you have to maintain the road than you will have to maintain it. I can not say exactly how much you will have to maintain or if it will be enforced. I would not buy the property if I was not able or willing to pay for the maintenance in the contract.


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## iceaxe (Dec 14, 2011)

spanky1205 said:


> Is the logging road maintained now? Who had been paying for the maintenance if it is maintained? Do you get to choose who uses it or is it public? What standards do you have to meet in order for the road to be considered mainatained? I do not expect you to post an answer to all of my questions but I would be asking them if I were looking at the property. If the easement you are buying says you have to maintain the road than you will have to maintain it. I can not say exactly how much you will have to maintain or if it will be enforced. I would not buy the property if I was not able or willing to pay for the maintenance in the contract.




Logging road has 20 year trees growing on it. logging road was only used to log my property. it only goes about hundred feet past my property into neighbour property. Do logging trucks go up these small logging roads? No where to turn around. they would have had to back up.


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## Dalmatian90 (Dec 14, 2011)

Hmmm...both questions seem very specific to British Columbian law and regulations.

How close to a stream you can build in my area is primarily regulated by two things. One would be inland wetlands, and the second would be public health codes in regards to septic system location.

As for the easement, unless a local attorney tells you it's no longer enforceable for x, y, and z...I would assume it to be so.


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## iceaxe (Dec 14, 2011)

Dalmatian90 said:


> Hmmm...both questions seem very specific to British Columbian law and regulations.
> 
> How close to a stream you can build in my area is primarily regulated by two things. One would be inland wetlands, and the second would be public health codes in regards to septic system location.
> 
> As for the easement, unless a local attorney tells you it's no longer enforceable for x, y, and z...I would assume it to be so.



What does inland wetlands mean? Is that another way of saying environmental regulations to protect fish habitat etc? there is a lot of emphasis on protecting fish habitat in this area. but i dont think this stream would have fish. no lakes. too steep. too small.


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## slowp (Dec 14, 2011)

Sounds like you need to talk to a lawyer about the easement, and somebody else about forest practices--a forester???:msp_ohmy: 

The road may be closed by trees now, but scuff it up and see if there is rock underneath. It is often easier to reopen an old road than construct a new road.

And yes, empty log trucks have been known to back up a ways. Or they might want to make a turn around. Or it is there and grew in too.


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## madhatte (Dec 14, 2011)

WHOO BOY, way to open up a can o' worms! 

RMZ rules are as treacherous and incomprehensible as a good Ponzi Scheme.


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## forestryworks (Dec 14, 2011)

Your soils will tell you where you can and cannot build.


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## iceaxe (Dec 14, 2011)

Logging road gravel is in good shape despite being very steep. It is a mountain side with the bedrock exposed in places. The soil at the building site is gravel and rock around 5 inches with sharp edges. Ideal material to build road. I assume the rock is created when water in the bedrock freezes expand and breaks the rock pieces off.


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## lfnh (Dec 14, 2011)

Some RipMan regs from BC goverment.

Some light reading about biodivers-city and Species.


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## rwoods (Dec 14, 2011)

Dalmatian90 said:


> Hmmm...both questions seem very specific to British Columbian law and regulations.
> 
> How close to a stream you can build in my area is primarily regulated by two things. One would be inland wetlands, and the second would be public health codes in regards to septic system location.
> 
> *As for the easement, unless a local attorney tells you it's no longer enforceable for x, y, and z...I would assume it to be so*.





slowp said:


> *Sounds like you need to talk to a lawyer about the easement*, and somebody else about forest practices--a forester???:msp_ohmy:
> 
> The road may be closed by trees now, but scuff it up and see if there is rock underneath. It is often easier to reopen an old road than construct a new road.
> 
> And yes, empty log trucks have been known to back up a ways. Or they might want to make a turn around. Or it is there and grew in too.



You should have the title to the property checked as well while you are at it. Ron


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## bitzer (Dec 14, 2011)

Shoot first and ask questions later. 


What did people do before the internet?


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## lfnh (Dec 14, 2011)

i dunno

maybe went to Al Gore for a palm reading ?


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