As part of its 2019 compliance audit program, the Board selected Community Forest Agreement K4F in the 100 Mile House Natural Resource District as a location for a full scope compliance audit. Clinton & District Community Forest of BC Limited holds the licence.
The activities audited are located in the area surrounding Clinton. The community forest falls within the area covered by the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan and must meet government objectives for OGMAs, scenic areas, wildlife tree retention, critical fish habitat, lakes management, grasslands, trails and high value wetlands for moose. All activities complied with the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
As part of its 2019 compliance audit program, the Board selected Community Forest Agreement K2W in the 100 Mile House Natural Resource District as a location for a full scope compliance audit. 100 Mile Development Corporation holds the licence.
The activities audited are located to the east of 100 Mile House in the area surrounding Horse Lake, where the terrain is gentle to rolling and includes a number of small lakes. All activities complied with the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
In April 2018, the Forest Practices Board received a complaint from the Lhtako Dene Nation alleging that Tolko (the forest licensee) did not follow through on commitments it made as part of the resolution of a previous complaint to the Board. The new complaint also said that the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development approved an extension to Tolko’s forest stewardship plan without consulting the Lhtako Dene Nation. Tolko requested another extension, but it was not approved.
In September 2018, the Forest Practices Board audited the Small Scale Salvage program in the Cariboo Chilcotin Natural Resource District. Small scale salvage is the harvest of individual trees or small patches of dead or damaged timber.
During the one-year audit period, almost all small scale salvage activity in the district was aimed at addressing a Douglas-fir bark beetle infestation. A small amount of salvage harvesting involved fire-damaged timber.
Two trappers in the Nazko Area, near Quesnel complained to the Board that logging practices to salvage mountain pine beetle killed pine trees have removed fisher habitat on their trapline. They claim habitat loss will affect their livelihood and were concerned that salvage operations were not being managed to maintain fisher and other wildlife habitats.
The Board investigated planning and management by both government and licensees operating in the Nazko Area . The Board conducted site visits and analyzed logging activities. During the investigation the area also experienced widespread forest mortality from forest fires.
The Board found the complainants’ concerns were justified, government did not use the legal tools available to protect fisher habitat and did not monitor or follow up to check if guidance had been followed. Some licensees made attempts to retain habitat for fisher habitat, but the efforts were uncoordinated and ultimately insufficient given the extent of salvage harvesting.
In October 2017, the Board audited forestry operations on Tree Farm Licence 52 held by West Fraser Mills Ltd.(West Fraser) within the Quesnel Natural Resource District. This audit included harvesting, roads, silviculture, wildfire protection and associated planning that took place over a 16 month period starting in July 2016.
West Fraser’s activities complied in all significant respects with the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act, the Wildfire Act and related regulations.
