VICTORIA –The Forest Practices Board’s annual report, reviewing the board’s accomplishments and key findings from April 2011 to March 2012, was released today, and it illustrates the Board’s efforts to look at a range of different resource developments affecting public forest land.
“Last year we audited some non-typical forestry operations to see if the generally good compliance we have found in the forest sector extended to other industries as well,” said Al Gorley, board chair. “We audited forest clearing operations of two oil and gas companies and one ski-hill development, and we investigated a complaint about a hydroelectric project. Compliance was good in each case.”
The board completed and published the results of eight audits; started four more; responded to dozens of questions, concerns and complaints from the public; and released six reports about issues affecting B.C.’s public lands.
In keeping with the board’s strategic priorities, key report topics included the effectiveness of the province at re-stocking its forests; how well the forest industry reports its activities to government; and implementation of fire management planning throughout the province.
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.
Audits appropriateness of government enforcement.
Investigates public complaints.
Undertakes special investigations of current forestry issues.
Participates in administrative appeals.
Makes recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
The annual report can be viewed and printed from the Forest Practices Board website: http://www.fpb.gov.bc.ca/Annual_Reports.htm
More information:
Helen Davies, Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of MaMook Natural Resources Limited’s practices on Tree Farm Licence 54 on Vancouver Island found it met most requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, according to a report released today. However, the audit found some non-compliance with road maintenance and reporting requirements.
“While the harvesting and road construction practices on TFL 54 met legal requirements, we found there was no system in place to ensure road and structure maintenance was done, and that reforestation obligations were not reported to government” said board chair Al Gorley. “MaMook is now in the process of addressing the reporting issue.”
“While the audit did not find any damage resulting from lack of road maintenance, given the high resource values, steep coastal terrain and high precipitation levels in this area, this non-compliance was considered significant. A licensee must have knowledge of the roads and structures for which it is responsible, and a process to ensure that the roads and structures are safe for industrial users and are not damaging the environment.”
TFL 54 is an area-based licence located on the west side of Vancouver Island near Tofino and Ucluelet as well as the First Nations communities of Ahousaht, Esowista, Opitsaht, Hot Springs Cove and Itatsoo. MaMook’s practices on the TFL are subject to Land Use Objectives for Clayoquot Sound and met those requirements.
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 Amabilis Contracting Limited’s forest operations around Williams Lake found they met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, according to a report released today.
“The majority of harvesting by Amabilis was of lodgepole pine stands containing beetle-infested wood, and was well-managed,” said board chair Al Gorley. “Amabilis was not in compliance with the requirement for a road-tracking system, but has since put one in place. However, this was not a significant concern because of the low-risk terrain in which they operate.”
Amabilis’ non-replaceable forest licence A79575 lies within the Williams Lake timber supply area in the Cariboo-Chilcotin District, and nearby communities include Williams Lake, Horsefly and Likely. The area is subject to the 1994 Cariboo Chilcotin Land Use Plan.
The audit field work took place from June 18 to 22, 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 – The board will audit the forest practices of the McBride Community Forest Corporation and the Valemount Community Forest Company Ltd., starting Monday, Sept. 24, in McBride and Valemount.
The audit will examine operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire preparedness and fire hazard abatement for compliance with forest practices legislation.
Community forests are area-based tenures granted by the Province to foster local control over, and enjoyment of, the benefits offered by local forest resources in these communities.
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 board will audit the forest practices of Cassiar Forest Corporation and Coast Mountain Hydro starting Monday, Sept. 24.
The audit area is approximately 400 kilometres north of Terrace along the Stewart Cassiar Highway, in the Iskut River watershed. This is the first time the board has audited forestry activities in this part of the province.
The audit will examine operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire preparedness and fire hazard abatement for compliance with forest practices legislation.
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 board will audit the forest practices of the McBride Community Forest Corporation and the Valemount Community Forest Company Ltd., starting Monday, Sept. 24, in McBride and Valemount.
The audit will examine operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire preparedness and fire hazard abatement for compliance with forest practices legislation.
Community forests are area-based tenures granted by the Province to foster local control over, and enjoyment of, the benefits offered by local forest resources in these communities.
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 – Planning and forestry activities on three of six audited woodlots fully complied with legal requirements, according to the audit reports released today. However, three licensees did not meet required reporting commitments and one also did not comply with some reforestation obligations.
“While we found most practices on these six woodlots met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, two of the woodlots did not submit required information to government following harvesting activities,” said board chair Al Gorley.
“This information is to include the amount of area harvested, silviculture activities carried out and the achievement of a new free-growing stand of trees within the allowed timeframes. Without this information, it is not possible for the forest ministry to track whether harvested sites are properly reforested.”
“In addition, one licensee had done no replanting or silviculture survey work during the audit period, and neither the auditee nor the forest ministry were aware of the status of reforestation obligations on the woodlot. This licensee had also not submitted required information following harvesting activities,” Gorley added.
The audit examined the woodlot licensees’ planning, timber harvesting, road construction and maintenance, and silviculture activities and obligations, such as planting harvested sites and achieving free-growing stands of new trees.
All of these woodlots have been impacted by the mountain pine beetle infestation, and all had their annual allowable cuts increased to allow the salvage of damaged timber.
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:
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – The board will audit the forest practices of BC Timber Sales in the Cranbrook and Invermere timber supply areas (TSAs), starting Monday, Aug. 20.
The audit will examine operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire preparedness and fire hazard abatement for compliance with forest practices legislation.
The Cranbrook TSA encompasses the cities of Cranbrook, Kimberley and Fernie. The Invermere TSA encompasses Invermere and smaller communities, including Radium and Fairmont Hot Springs.
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 board will audit the forest practices of Canadian Forest Products Ltd. on Tree Farm Licence 48, starting August 20, 2012.
The audit will examine operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire preparedness and fire hazard abatement for compliance with forest practices legislation.
The audit area is about 30 kilometres north of Hudson Hope and 30 kilometres east of Chetwynd.
TFL 48 was previously audited by the board in 1999. It is home to a variety of wildlife, including mountain goat, caribou and the Stone sheep.
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 how well forest and range practices are protecting water in two community watersheds in the Okanagan has found mixed results. While forestry operations are complying with requirements to protect water quality, range operations are not.
“Our auditors found low risk to water quality, quantity or timing of flow from current forest practices,” said board chair Al Gorley. “Sediment was well managed on forestry roads and harvesting practices protected nearby watercourses quite well. However the audit found range practices caused some impacts to streamside areas, fish habitat and water quality.”
The report makes two recommendations to government to improve range practices in community watersheds to better protect water resources.
The forest practices of Tolko Industries Ltd, BC Timber Sales and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operation’s small-scale salvage program, as well as range practices of four range tenure holders, were examined in the audit.
The watersheds are located next to each other on the east side of Okanagan Lake, south of Vernon, and supply drinking water to the communities of Oyama and Winfield.
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
