A citizen scientist studying threatened bird species in a Vancouver Island forest has encountered another hurdle in her efforts. The B.C. Forest Practices Board has found that both the Forest Ministry and Teal Cedar Products Ltd. acted lawfully in restricting her access to areas in Tree Farm Licence 46, near Port Renfrew. Royann Petrell, an associate professor emerita of chemical and biological engineering at the UBC, had previously filed a judicial review application challenging the access restrictions. Petrell argued that Teal Cedar Products Ltd.’s construction of 10 gates, with approval from the forest minister, significantly hampered her ability to conduct research on threatened bird populations. The court, however, dismissed her case, citing the Forest Practices Board as a suitable alternative for addressing her concerns. …“The decision to restrict access, agreed to by the district manager, was deemed necessary to protect property and public safety during active logging operations,” said Keith Atkinson, chair of the Forest Practices Board.