North Island forestry workers and others using local resource roads will be under a new radio channel and protocol effective Aug. 23, the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations announced last week.
The changes will impact users across Vancouver Island and parts of the South Coast.
Campbell River, South Island and Sunshine Coast resource districts will be converting to new resource road radio channels, while the North Island and Sea to Sky resource districts will for the first time be adopting standard resource road channels and call protocols.
The changes will impact Forest Service Roads and some Road Permit roads in these areas. All affected road users will need to program the new channels into their mobile radios. Drivers are advised to retain current radio channels and frequencies until they are no longer required.
New signs posted on local resource roads will advise which radio channels to use and provide the communication protocols, including the road name and required calling intervals. Vehicle operators using mobile radios to communicate their location and direction of travel must use the posted radio channels and call protocols.
All resource road users in the affected areas should exercise additional caution. Drivers are reminded that forest service roads are radio-assisted, not radio-controlled, and therefore it’s essential to drive safely according to road and weather conditions.
Local resource road safety committees have worked with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Industry Canada to implement these changes.
Learn more about resource road radio communications protocols online at: www.for.gov.bc.ca/hth/engineering/Road_Radio_Project.htm or by contacting the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations district office in Port McNeill at 250-956-5000, or Industry Canada at 1-800-667-3780.