GUIDE TO THE APPLICATION OF THE REGULATION RESPECTING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF FORESTS IN THE DOMAIN OF THE STATE

 

Complete guide

Chapter V – Roads, sandpits and forest infrastructures
Division II – Roads
§1. General

Section 64

Every person who is authorized to carry out forest development activities and who, in the course of those activities, damages a road or renders it unusable must make the repairs required without delay to make the road usable. The road must be usable for all kinds of vehicles likely to take the class of road to which the road belongs.

1

Objectives

  • To ensure the lifespan of a road, bridge or culvert
  • To ensure the safety of forest road users
  • To ensure that the site is restored to its former condition
  • To provide access to the territory

Additional information

A road that has been damaged or made unusable during a forest management activity must be repaired immediately, so that it can be driven on by any type of vehicle likely to use it. A road is suitable for motor vehicles when it ensures its safe use, under normal traffic conditions, for a 4 x 4 pickup truck at normal speed for the road class. These criteria apply to the spring, summer and fall seasons for non-standard class roads 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and winter season for winter roads. It is normal for roads to be affected by loading and other operations during the period when wood is being transported. For this reason, the concept of a usable road applies after the period during which the wood is transported (or during each period, when the transportation takes place over more than one year).

For example, an access road to an outfitter that has been damaged or rendered unusable must be repaired so that it is usable by automobiles.

In addition, a road whose condition has deteriorated significantly may be used as a winter road. In this case, it must be restored to a condition equivalent to or better than its condition before it was used for this purpose, in particular with regard to natural drainage of the soil.