VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will examine the activities of the Terrace office of the BC Timber Sales Program during the week of June 10.
The audit will examine timber harvesting, road construction and maintenance, silviculture, fire prevention and associated planning activities carried out by BC Timber Sales and timber sale licence holders.
The BCTS operating areas to be audited are scattered throughout the Kalum, North Coast and Nass timber supply areas. These areas cover over 80,000 square kilometres and include the major centres of Terrace, Kitimat, Prince Rupert, New Aiyansh and Stewart. The area contains mountainous terrain and many fish streams.
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.
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:
Helen Davies, Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will examine forest practices on ten woodlots located on the southern part of Vancouver Island, from May 21 to June 15.
The audit will examine planning, timber harvesting, road construction and maintenance, silviculture and fire prevention practices carried out by the woodlot licence holders under the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
The woodlots are located near the communities of Sooke, Ladysmith, Chemainus, Nanaimo, Port Alberni and Ucluelet. Several are located in community or domestic watersheds or contain threatened coastal Douglas-fir plant communities.
The South Island district was randomly selected for audit. The board then selected the 10 woodlots with the largest amounts of harvesting, each harvesting more than 5,000 cubic metres in the past 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.
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:
Helen Davies, Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of BC Timber Sales and 19 timber sale licensees’ in the Fort St. James District found that forest planning, silviculture, fire protection, harvesting and road activities were mostly in compliance with legislation, according to a report released today.
“The audit found that a timber sale licence holder installed a log culvert that was not structurally sound or safe for use by industrial users,” said board chair Al Gorley. “BCTS had prepared a proper design for the water crossing, but the licensee did not follow it.”
The board points out the requirement for TSL holders to ensure roads and culverts are structurally sound and safe for use by industrial users. The report also emphasizes the importance of routine inspections by licensees during and upon completion of road, bridge and culvert construction.
The audit fieldwork took place from Oct. 1 to 5, 2012. Harvest during the one-year audit period was primarily to address mountain pine beetle infestations.
The communities in this district depend heavily on the forest industry but also rely on resources such as water, fish and wildlife to provide economic diversity and to meet cultural and tourism needs. At a time when mountain pine beetle infestations and subsequent timber salvage are high, BCTS and TSL holders face many challenges when balancing resource interests with salvage operations.
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.
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – A Forest Practices Board audit of Canadian Forest Products Ltd. on Tree Farm Licence 48 in the Peace District found that forest practices complied with provincial forestry legislation, according to a report released today.
“We are pleased to see that Canfor is following the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act” said board chair Al Gorley. “Their activities were also consistent with the Dawson Creek Land and Resource Management Plan.”
TFL 48 is located near the communities of Chetwynd, Hudson’s Hope and Tumbler Ridge. The audit examined all harvesting, roads, silviculture, protection activities and associated planning done between August 2011 and August 2012.
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:
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of Interfor’s operations on the north central coast found compliance with B.C.’s forestry legislation as well as the Central North Coast and South Central Coast Orders which support ecosystem-based management (EBM), according to a report released today.
“This is a challenging operating area, and the board would like to acknowledge Interfor’s diligence in applying the planning and operational requirements of EBM,” said Al Gorley, board chair.
Interfor’s operating area is in the North Island-Central Coast District, which contains one of the largest temperate rainforests in the world. Known as the “Great Bear Rain Forest,” it is home to rare plant species and wildlife, such as the Kermode bear. It surrounds the communities of Bella Coola and Bella Bella.
Field work was carried out from June 25 to 29, 2012, on forest licences A16850 and A82001.
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.
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – While most Forest Practices Board audits find good practices, more than 55 per cent of issues found since 2005 are with roads and bridges, with five times more issues detected in 2010 and 2011 than in the previous five years combined, according to a board report released today.
“Roads and bridges are a common problem area in our audits,” said, board chair Al Gorley, “and poorly constructed or maintained roads and bridges create risks to workers, the public and the environment. The board is concerned that non-compliance has increased significantly over the past few years. An audit report the board also released today is a further example of these findings.”
The board has been seeing an increase in licensees who appear to be cutting back on maintenance work and are using few or no culverts in road construction.
“Not all operators are taking these risks,” said Gorley. “Most forest licensees are doing a good job and we hope they will influence some of the less compliant operators.”
From 2005 to 2011, the board carried out 58 compliance audits involving 117 licensees and 17 BC Timber Sales districts, publishing its findings in 65 separate reports. Of those audits, there were 37 instances of significant non-compliance, of which 22 were related to roads and bridges.
Road and bridge practices on B.C.’s Crown land are governed by the Forest and Range Practices Act and licensees operating under this act are subject to board oversight. However, the board is not currently mandated to audit similar activities carried out under other legislation, such as roads and bridges that might be constructed for oil and gas or hydroelectric projects.
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 can investigate and report on current forestry and range issues and make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
Helen Davies
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of Stella-Jones Canada Incorporated's operations near Upper Arrow Lake found that forest practices complied with provincial forestry legislation, according to a report released today.
“We are pleased to see Stella-Jones is following the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act” said board chair Al Gorley. “The activities were consistent with the Kootenay Boundary Higher Level Plan and addressed resource features such as streams and wetlands, scenic areas and a community watershed.”
Stella-Jones’s forest licence consists of four operating areas along the eastern side of Upper Arrow Lake. Nearby communities include Nakusp and Burton.
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:
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – Forest practices in the Valemount community forest complied with provincial forestry legislation, according to a Forest Practices Board audit report released today.
“We are pleased to see that the community forest is following the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act,” said board chair Al Gorley.
The community forest is managed by the Valemount Community Forest Company Ltd. and it surrounds the Village of Valemount, in the Robson Valley, about 300 kilometres southeast of Prince George.
Valemount Community Forest Company Ltd. harvested approximately 250,000 cubic metres of timber during the two-year audit period. Harvesting was focused on salvaging lodgepole pine trees affected by the mountain pine beetle.
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:
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of BC Timber Sales’ (BCTS) operations in the Rocky Mountain District found that forest planning, silviculture, fire protection, harvesting and road activities complied with provincial forestry legislation, according to a report released today.
“In particular, the BCTS and its Timber Sale Licence holders’ activities in the Mark Creek Community Watershed were well done,” said board chair, Al Gorley. “Roads and bridges were well constructed and special care was taken to manage potential sediment sources to streams. The board acknowledges their efforts.”
The audit area includes portions of the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers, as well as many lakes and smaller rivers, and the audit area also provides many recreational and tourism opportunities. BCTS’s activities are subject to the Kootenay Boundary Higher Level Plan Order (KBHLPO).
The audit examined forestry activities carried out between August 2010 and August 2012. About 425,000 cubic metres of timber were harvested during that period. One cubic metre of timber is equivalent to approximately one telephone pole.
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 also makes recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Helen Davies, Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of West Fraser Mills Limited’s forest licence A18694 in the Kamloops Timber Supply Area that is administered from its 100 Mile House office found the company met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, according to a report released today.
“West Fraser had good control over its harvesting practices and has a comprehensive system for tracking and maintaining its roads and bridges” said board chair Al Gorley. “Its forest licence was well managed.”
West Fraser Mills Limited operates under this licence in two areas. One is located east of Bonaparte Lake and west of Highway 5, between Logan Lake and Clearwater. The other is north of Vavenby.
The area is subject to the Kamloops Land and Resource Management Plan (KLRMP) which provides direction from government on how to manage public lands and resources within the plan area.
The audit field work took place from July 23 to 27, 2012.
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:
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
