The province has closed down a logging road near Kamloops after deficiencies were found.

Forest Practices Board chair Kevin Krause says part of Oliver Creek forest service road had slumped into Oliver Creek. The road is just north of McLure off of Highway 5.

“So we basically have submitted our report to the (Ministry of Forests) and we’re hoping they’ll take action. We should say the Ministry has done a couple things; they’ve closed the road so the safety issues are addressed. They’ve also recently identified this watershed as a fish-sensitive watershed, to try and basically increase the management to address the fish habitat concerns. So that’s good.”

The Crown corporation called BC Timber Sales looks after that road.

Krause says the road was fixed after it slumped into the creek, but says there is still a risk of that happening again.

Meanwhile, Krause says there is a gap in legislation for protecting waterways along logging roads.

He says the board came out with a report last year which explained that there are not proactive measures in place in B.C. to prevent sediment from building up in creeks that run next to logging roads.

“And so we’ve recommended changes to the legislation to improve the requirement that forest roads be preventative of sedimentation. So that’s been a recommendation to the (Ministry of Forests), and they’ve actually responded that they’re going to take a look at the legislation and potentially identify some fixes to the legislation itself.”

Krause says the board expects it will take one-to-two years for the province to decide on any legislative changes.