VICTORIA – The board will audit the forest practices of J.H. Huscroft Ltd., on Forest Licence A20213, starting July 25, 2011.
The audit will examine operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire preparedness and hazard abatement for compliance with forest practices legislation.
This is the first time the board has audited J.H. Huscroft Ltd.’s operations. Most of the activities and obligations to be audited are within the south portion of the Selkirk Forest District, near the town of Creston.
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 audit forest practices of Ma-Mook Natural Resources Ltd., on Tree Farm Licence 54 (TFL 54), starting July 19, 2011.
The audit will examine operational planning, harvesting, roads and bridges, silviculture and fire protection activities for compliance with forest practices legislation.
TFL 54 is located in the South Island Forest District, near the communities of Tofino and Ucluelet. Most of the activities and obligations to be audited are within the Clayoquot Sound.
Once the audit work is completed, a report will be prepared. 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 – Three non-replaceable forest licences—A80706, held by Tk’emlupsemc Forestry Development Corporation, A81385, held by the Ashcroft Indian Band and A83410, held by the Neskonlith Indian Band—will be audited the week of June 20, 2011.
The licences are located within the Kamloops Timber Supply Area (TSA), in the Kamloops Forest District. Auditors will examine road and bridge construction and maintenance, silviculture, timber harvesting, fire protection activities, and associated planning for compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
The Kamloops TSA features a variety of natural resources including rangelands, recreation and tourism amenities and wildlife habitat—some of which require special consideration due to their rarity or restricted ranges. The North and South Thompson rivers flow through the heart of the Kamloops TSA, providing a highly productive riparian system that supports many fish species. The areas being audited are near the communities of Kamloops and Barriere, where recent fires and insect attacks have dictated harvest priorities.
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 has an interest in any forest practices on public land that may impact forest values, regardless of who carries out the practices. 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 investigation into a complaint about a run-of-river power project in Toba Inlet, north of Powell River, found that harvesting and road building followed requirements to protect the environment, according to a Forest Practices Board report released today.
"The requirements for this project were similar to those required of forestry operations and, in some cases, were more stringent," said board chair Al Gorley. "For example, they hired an independent monitor to oversee the construction work, and public involvement and consultation exceeded what is required for forestry operations."
"We also found that, in future, government and independent power proponents could improve some aspects of their work, for example, co-ordinating government monitoring and enforcement, and including previous development activity when assessing cumulative environmental effects," Gorley said.
The complaint was made by the Sierra Club of BC and the Friends of Bute Inlet, who were concerned about environmental impacts, government monitoring efforts, and effectiveness of consultation and project monitoring. While the board does not have authority to investigate all aspects of the complaint, it investigated logging, road building and related planning under the Forest and Range Practices Act.
The Toba Montrose Creek hydroelectric project, a private run-of river facility to provide electricity to the B.C. system, was approved by both the provincial and federal governments in 2007 and began operating in August 2010.
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 is required to investigate public complaints about forest planning and practices.
Media contact:
Helen Davies
Forest Practices Board Communications
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of forest licence A18969, held by International Forest Products Limited (Interfor), found adequate forest practices for harvest planning, site preparation, planting and forest regrowth, but noted one unsafe bridge and concerns over winter road construction and road and bridge inspections, according to a report released today.
“Under previous ownership, FL A18969 was certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. However, since Interfor took over in May 2008, the certification and associated road and bridge management systems haven’t been maintained,” said board chair Al Gorley. “Following the audit, the company removed the bridge and informed the board that plans are in place to have the licence re-certified. This should help address the issues identified in the audit.”
The board looked at harvesting, road construction and maintenance, silviculture, fire preparedness, environmental protection activities and associated planning done between June 2008 and June 2010. The audit examined operational planning for 30 harvest blocks; over 300 kilometres of roads and 14 bridges; more than 100 silviculture blocks; and over 30 blocks for fire protection activities.
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 two oil and gas companies working in the northern part of the Fort Nelson Forest District found that their operations met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act, according to a report released today.
Apache Canada Ltd. and Devon Canada Corporation were audited for forest planning and practices associated with oil and gas development in the Horn River Basin. Activities examined included clearing trees for construction of well sites, compressor/facilities, borrow pits, sumps, campsites, and pipelines, as well as access road construction and maintenance.
“Because oil and gas companies carry out similar types of harvesting and road activities as forestry companies, the board occasionally audits them to make sure they are following provincial forestry legislation,” said board chair, Al Gorley. “Some of the things Apache and Devon did that lessened disturbance in the area included building roads in the winter when the ground was frozen, and using existing access corridors whenever they could.”
The Horn River Basin encompasses approximately 1.1 million hectares of land in north‐eastern British Columbia, north of Fort Nelson and south of the Northwest Territories border.
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 investigation into how well eight forest companies maintain roads and bridges in the Campbell River, South Island and Squamish forest districts showed generally good performance in meeting legal obligations, according to a Forest Practices Board report released today.
However, the report also highlights potential public safety issues when people use these roads for backcountry access. Given the proximity to large population centres, use of forest roads in these districts is of particular concern.
“During periods of active industrial use, road permit holders, or the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, are required to maintain the roads to ensure they are safe for industrial traffic,” said board chair Al Gorley. “Active roads can pose a danger to the public in the form of large equipment and logging trucks. When roads are not being actively used for industrial purposes, they are only maintained to address environmental concerns, and older roads and bridges may not be safe for vehicles to drive on.”
“The board would like to emphasize that anyone driving on forestry roads needs to be cautious at all times and expect the unexpected,” Gorley said.
The investigators looked at 185 kilometres of active industrial roads, including 31 bridges; 481 kilometres of non-active roads, including 57 bridges; and 20 kilometres of deactivated road. In total, 686 kilometres of road and 88 bridges across the three forest districts were examined.
Forest roads and bridges provide essential access to resources found on public forest lands. Forest management, timber harvesting, recreation, and fire protection, as well as other activities, are all dependent on road access to the forests. It has been estimated that there are more than 400,000 kilometres of forest road within B.C., and the majority of these exist on Crown land.
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 Klatassine Resources Ltd. found the company met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act, according to a report released today.
“Klatassine’s forest practices were well done, but they didn’t submit their annual report on where they harvested to government,” said board chair Al Gorley. “The board is pleased that Klatassine has since submitted its report.”
The audit examined forest planning and practices near Palmer Lake, about 30 kilometres north of Alexis Creek, within the Williams Lake Timber Supply Area, in the Tl’etinqox-T’in’s traditional territory.
The audit examined activities carried out between Sept. 1, 2008 and Sept. 21, 2010.
The licence is part of a Forest and Range Opportunity Agreement between the Tl’etinqox-tin national government and the B.C. 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 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 Conifex Mackenzie Forest Products found the company met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act, according to a report released today.
“There was no active harvesting or road construction undertaken during the audit period, but Conifex adequately maintained its roads and bridges,” said board chair Al Gorley. “The audit did note some log bridges that are in disrepair, but Conifex has a plan in place to address these inherited issues.”
The audit examined forest planning and practices in Forest Licence (FL) A15385 in the Mackenzie Forest District. Approximately half of the FL is pine forest, much of which has been impacted recently by mountain pine beetle. The report notes that it will be a challenge for Conifex to manage the large amount of dead and dying timber in the years to come.
Conifex took over the FL from Abitibi-Bowater in August 2010. The audit examined activities carried out between October 2009 and October 2010.
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 investigation of fire preparedness of forestry licensees has found that major companies are complying with the Wildfire Act, but some smaller operators are taking significant risks.
The Wildfire Act requires those carrying out forest operations to be adequately prepared to put out a fire, should they accidentally start one. This includes things like having an adequate supply of water and fire tools on site, or even shutting down operations early during high fire danger periods.
“We found that most major licensees had some form of standard operating procedures for fire preparedness and monitored operations on a regular basis to ensure compliance,” said board chair Al Gorley. “However, the fire preparedness of timber sale licensees was variable.”
The investigation involved surveying and interviewing licensees in the Arrow-Boundary and 100 Mile House forest districts and visiting 34 active work sites across the province during the 2010 fire season. Eight operations were not compliant with the legislation – one major licensee, six timber sale licensees and one BCTS contractor.
In addition to looking at compliance with legislated requirements, the report also identifies best practices to provide guidance to forest licensees to enhance their fire preparedness.
A fire can accidentally start when machinery strikes a rock and causes sparks, when logging debris gets jammed in equipment and causes friction, or when operating equipment overheats or malfunctions, for example.
A person responsible for starting a fire can be subject to compliance and enforcement actions. Administrative penalties can range up to $100,000. Fire suppression costs and damages to Crown timber may also be recovered, which can add up to millions of dollars.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Helen Davies, Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
