VICTORIA – Sept. 18-25, 2016, is National Forest Week in Canada – a time to celebrate Canada’s forests and the benefits they provide to Canadians. The theme this year is True North, Strong and Green.
There are many reasons why this year’s theme is particularly suited to British Columbia. B.C. is certainly green – it’s home to more forest than any other province in Canada, with 55 million hectares of forested land, most of which is owned by the citizens of B.C.
British Columbia is Canada’s most ecologically diverse province, with temperate rainforests, dry pine forests, alpine meadows and more. B.C. is also Canada’s most biologically diverse province with more than 40 different species of native trees. B.C. also is home to more than half of the country’s wildlife and fish species.
Forestry in B.C. is also strong, with 22 million hectares of the province’s forest land is available for harvesting by the forest industry. Of that amount, about 200,000 hectares is harvested each year. B.C. is the largest producer of softwood lumber in Canada (52%). One in 16 B.C. jobs is tied to the forest industry.
Forest practices in B.C. are regulated by the Forest and Range Practices Act, which sets out government’s objectives for how B.C. forests should be managed, and is one of the strongest regulatory regimes in the world.
Did you know that B.C. is the only jurisdiction in the world with an independent watchdog organization that provides oversight of forest companies and government agencies to ensure forest planning and practices are sound and that the public’s interests in B.C.’s forests are being served?
B.C.’s Forest Practices Board has carried out this role for over 20 years, acting on behalf of the public owners of B.C. forests. The board is a part of the forest industry’s competitiveness and helps to make B.C. both “Strong and Green.”
Through its audits and investigations, the board encourages continuous improvement in forest practices by identifying issues and recommending better practices. It encourages competitiveness by validating good performance when it sees it, and by pushing companies to meet or exceed environmental standards and demonstrate environmental responsibility. Companies are held to public account if they don’t meet regulatory requirements or public expectations for forest practices. And this makes B.C.’s industry stronger and more environmentally responsible than many other jurisdictions that do not have the same level of oversight.
But the board doesn’t just stop there – it also looks at the B.C. government’s management of forests – examining the work of the BC Timber Sales Program and the government’s Compliance and Enforcement program. The board recommends improvements to regulations, policies and standards and advocates for government to enforce the regulatory regime appropriately and practice stewardship of the public’s forests.
For all these reasons and more, B.C. is True North, Strong and Green. B.C. has an abundance of forests, a strong forest industry that provides employment and revenues, a strong regulatory environment for managing our forests, and independent oversight that encourages stewardship of forest resources by industry and government.
VICTORIA – Two community forest licences held by the Tumbler Ridge Community Forest Corp. and Little Prairie Community Forest Inc. will be audited, starting Sept. 26, 2016.
The auditors will examine all operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture and wildfire protection practices for compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
Tumbler Ridge operates next to the town of Tumbler Ridge and Little Prairie operates near the communities of Chetwynd and Moberly Lake, each with an allowable annual cut of 20,000 cubic metres of timber. However, due to the mountain pine beetle infestation, Tumbler Ridge harvested 160,000 cubic metres and Little Prairie harvested approximately 400,000 cubic metres of timber over the last two years.
Once the audit work is completed, a report will be prepared, and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations will then be released to the public and government.
Community forests are area-based tenures granted to the communities by the Province to foster local control over, and enjoyment of, the benefits offered by local forest resources.
The Forest Practices Board is British Columbia’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government.
The board audits forest and range practices on public land, as well as appropriateness of government enforcement.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Kairry Nguyen
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4707 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An investigation of logging impacts on a prominent viewscape in Port Alberni has found that the viewscape was not adequately protected, and that government enforcement was inadequate, according to a report released today.
“The board decided to look into the visual impacts of logging on a scenic viewscape in Port Alberni after board staff viewed the site and had concerns,” said Forest Practices Board chair Tim Ryan. “This is the third board report in 18 months to find failures to meet visual-quality objectives and failures to enforce the legal requirements.”
“Important scenic areas and viewscapes are given special designation by government and logging must meet the assigned objectives for maintaining visual quality,” Ryan added. “These areas are highly visible to residents and tourists. Poor practices and the lack of enforcement by government will only serve to hurt public confidence in B.C.’s forest management.”
The board is recommending that government review its approach to protecting visual resources and make enforcement of the rules a consistent priority across the province. It is also recommending that the forest professionals’ association review and update guidance information on visual quality management for its members.
The Forest Practices Board is British Columbia’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board can investigate and report on current forestry and range issues and make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will audit the planning and practices on five range tenures for grazing cattle in the Thompson Rivers Natural Resource District, during the week of Sept. 12, 2016.
Auditors will examine range activities for compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act. The grazing areas that will be audited range in size from 2,773 to 24,100 hectares and are located near the communities of Barriere, Cache Creek, Chase and Kamloops.
Once the audit work is completed, a report will be prepared, and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations then will be released to the public and government.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board audits forest and range practices on public land, as well as appropriateness of government enforcement.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Kairry Nguyen
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4707 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of Forestry Licence to Cut A82551, in the Sea to Sky Resource District, found compliance with B.C.’s forestry legislation, according to a report released today.
Planning and forestry activities on the licence were conducted by SN Forestry Operations Ltd., which is owned by the Squamish Nation.
“We are pleased to see that this licensee carried out good forest practices and fully met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act,” said Tim Ryan, board chair.
The audit area is located north and west of Squamish. Activities took place along the Squamish and Elaho Rivers and in the Elaho Valley. All forestry activities carried out between April 2014, and June 2016, were audited, including timber harvesting, roads, silviculture, wildfire protection and associated planning.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board audits forest and range practices on public lands and appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will examine the activities of Canadian Resurgence Developments Ltd. on forest licence A16884 in the Coast Mountain Resource District, during the week of Sept. 6, 2016.
Auditors will assess whether forest planning and practices carried out between September 2014 and September 2016 met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
Forestry activities subject to the audit are located northeast of Stewart, adjacent to the Stewart-Cassiar Highway and the Bell-Irving River.
Once the audit work is completed, a report will be prepared, and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations then will be released to the public and government.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government.
The board audits forest and range practices on public land, as well as appropriateness of government enforcement.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Kairry Nguyen
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4707 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA –The Forest Practices Board released its 2015-16 annual report today, which celebrates 20 years as the public’s watchdog for forest and range practices in BC, as well as reporting on the board’s work over the past year.
“British Columbia is unique in the world in having an independent body that provides oversight of forest and range operations,” said Tim Ryan, board chair. “For over 20 years, the Forest Practices Board has demonstrated BC’s commitment to stewardship of its public forests and range lands through its independent audits, investigations and recommendations.”
Since 1995, the Board has published more than 500 reports and made more than 400 recommendations to improve forest and range practices in the province, many of which have been implemented.
For example, the Board’s 2015 report, Forest Stewardship Plans: Are They Meeting Expectations? stimulated discussion among government, industry and the forest professionals’ association, and led to new guidance from government that will help to shape the next generation of forest stewardship plans currently in development.
During 2015-16, the board published nine audits of forestry and range operations, issued seven reports on current forestry issues, seven investigations of public complaints, and made over a dozen recommendations for improvement to forest policy and practices. The Board also assisted members of the public with 49 concerns about forest or range practices.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will examine the forestry activities of Husby Forest Products Ltd. on forest licence A16869 in the Haida Gwaii Resource District, during the week of August 22, 2016.
Auditors will assess whether forest planning and practices carried out between August 2014 and August 2016, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, as well as the Haida Gwaii Land Use Objectives Order.
The land use objectives order was a result of the 2007 Strategic Land Use Agreement between the BC and Federal governments and the Haida First Nation, to protect areas of critical significance and to establish forest management objectives for cultural, aquatic, biodiversity and wildlife values on Haida Gwaii.
Forestry operations on forest licence A16869 are located on the northern portion of Graham Island, north of Masset Inlet in the Collison Point and Eden Lake areas.
Once the audit work is completed, a report will be prepared, and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations then will be released to the public and government.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government.
The board audits forest and range practices on public land, as well as appropriateness of government enforcement.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of forestry activities on a woodlot in the Selkirk Natural Resource District found that the woodlot licensee failed to comply with B.C.’s forestry legislation for silviculture activities, according to a report released today. However, planning and road maintenance activities did meet the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act.
“The auditors found that the woodlot licensee did not meet obligations related to reforesting previously logged sites or reporting these activities to government,” said Tim Ryan, board chair. “Although this woodlot licensee did not harvest any cutblocks in the last two years, it did have obligations for growing a new crop of trees on seven cutblocks harvested in the past. The licensee did not meet its obligations on any of these cutblocks.”
The audit examined planning, road maintenance, and silviculture activities conducted between September 2013 and September 2015 in Woodlot 437, just east of Creston. No harvesting, road construction or fire protection activities were audited because none were carried out during that time period.
The board has asked the woodlot licensee to update the reporting and develop a plan to address the silviculture issues noted in the audit.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board audits forest and range practices on public lands and appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will examine the activities of Canadian Forest Products Ltd. (Canfor) on tree farm licence 14, in the Rocky Mountain Resource District, during the week of July 11, 2016.
The auditors will examine all operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture and wildfire protection practices for compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
Canfor’s forestry activities are located 32 kilometres southwest of Golden, in the East Kootenay. The audit area is surrounded by the Glacier National Park in the northwest and Bugaboo Provincial Park in the south, with the Spillimacheen River, Bobbie Burns Creek and Vowell Creek as the main watersheds.
Once the audit work is completed, a report will be prepared, and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations then will be released to the public and government.
The Forest Practices Board is British Columbia’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government.
The board audits forest and range practices on public land, as well as appropriateness of government enforcement.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
