VICTORIA - An audit of enforcement of forest practices legislation in the Cascades Forest District concludes that enforcement activities were appropriate, except for the length of Ministry of Forests' investigations, according to a report released today.
"Inspections and investigations were appropriate and well done, but most investigations came close to, and one exceeded, the three-year statutory limitation, after which a penalty cannot be issued," said board chair Al Gorley. "Timely investigations and decisions are important to all the participants involved in such cases."
The ministries audited were Forests and Range, Environment, and Tourism, Culture and the Arts. Each of these ministries was responsible for enforcing aspects of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act. The audit looked at activities carried out between January 2008 and March 2010.
Midway through the audit period, government began co-ordinating the enforcement efforts of resource ministries, pooling its compliance and enforcement resources to address government's highest enforcement priorities. Since the audit was completed, this co-ordination was formalized by the recent creation of a Ministry of Natural Resource Operations, which takes on responsibility for compliance and enforcement of forestry and other resource legislation.
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 carries out periodic independent audits to see if government is appropriately enforcing provincial forest practices legislation.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – A complaint investigation report released today brings attention to the special value of trees of exceptional size or form, age or historical significance.
Such trees can be from 500 to over 1,000 years old. Having withstood the ravages of time over many centuries, they can inspire awe and reverence, a sense of spirituality and connection to past events.
“This complaint highlights the strong public interest in seeing more ancient trees and forest stands preserved to live out their natural lives and functions, and managed as a social, economic and ecological asset to the public and surrounding communities,” said board chair Al Gorley.
The report is the result of an investigation into a public complaint about logging of very large old trees near Port Renfrew on the west coast of Vancouver Island. In the circumstances, the licensee complied with existing forestry legislation for the protection of old-growth and biodiversity values. As part of its cutblock plan, the licensee also retained some trees of similar size and age to those harvested.
“The licensee did nothing wrong, but the complaint led the board to consider that certain individual, or small groups, of exceptional trees that sometimes occur on the timber harvesting land base may provide a higher social and economic value if they are treated as a special resource feature and excluded from timber harvesting,” added Gorley.
The board encourages government, forest professionals, and forest licensees to seek additional creative means to conserve trees of exceptional size or form, age or historical significance when they encounter them in their forestry work. However, the board also recognizes that there are practical constraints, such as worker safety, that may require some of these trees to be removed.
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:
Darlene Oman
Forest Practices Board Communications
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of forest licence A19040 near Cranbrook, held by Tembec Industries Ltd., found good planning and forest practices, according to a report released today.
"Tembec’s harvesting was focused primarily on the pine beetle infestation, yet they continued to meet their ongoing obligations for road maintenance and silviculture obligations,” said board chair Al Gorley.
The board examined Tembec’s activities for compliance with legislation, looking at harvesting, road construction and maintenance, silviculture, fire preparedness, environmental protection activities and associated planning done between July 2009 and July 2010.
Tembec’s FL A19040 operates under the Kootenay Boundary Higher Level Plan Order, meaning that the company must meet objectives for forest values, including caribou habitat and the retention of mature and old-growth forests.
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 – A Forest Practices Board audit in the area surrounding the communities of Merritt, Princeton and Lillooet found BC Timber Sales and its timber sale licence holders complied with forestry legislation, according to a report released today.
“The area includes many highway corridors and back roads, and is popular for recreation,” said board chair, Al Gorley. “Harvesting was mostly from beetle-infested stands, and BCTS and timber sale licence holders did a good job of protecting features such as wildlife habitat and scenic areas.”
The board examined timber harvesting, forest roads, reforestation, fire prevention and planning activities for compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
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 – A Forest Practices Board audit found that forest companies and BC Timber Sales (BCTS) did a good job of protecting important scenic areas between Clearwater and Valemount from the visual impacts of forestry activities, according to a report released today.
“Licensees did a good job preserving visual quality,” said Al Gorley, board chair. “The only exception was in mountain pine beetle-infested areas, where it was sometimes challenging to reduce the visual impact of salvage logging. Even so, it was apparent that substantial effort was made to keep the landscape looking as natural as possible, and the board commends the auditees for this.”
The audit examined activities and planning on 73 cutblocks within designated scenic areas along the Highway 5 corridor, which took place between August 2007 and August 2009. Highway 5 passes through areas of exceptional natural scenery and provides access to national and provincial parks.
The five auditees were: International Forest Products Ltd. (Interfor), Wells Gray Community Forest Corporation (WGCF), Gilbert Smith Forest Products Ltd. (Gilbert Smith), Ainsworth Lumber Company Ltd. (Ainsworth) and Canadian Forest Products Ltd. (Canfor). BCTS, Kamloops Business Area, Clearwater Field Unit also volunteered to be included in the audit.
Objectives for scenic areas are created in legislation and through government land use orders, and must be met by forestry licensees during their operations. To minimize visual impacts, licensees took steps such as incorporating irregular boundaries, edge treatments and natural landscape features into cutblock design.
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 tree farm licence (TFL) 30 near Prince George, held by the Canadian Forest Products (Canfor), found good planning and forest practices, according to a report released today.
The board examined activities on TFL 30 for compliance with legislation, and looked at harvesting, roads, silviculture, protection activities and associated planning done between Sept. 1, 2008, and Sept. 30, 2010.
“Most of Canfor’s harvesting was focused on salvaging beetle-killed trees outside of TFL 30, but they still continued to meet obligations on the TFL, especially with regard to road maintenance,” said board chair Al Gorley.
During the audit period, Canfor was responsible for maintenance of 729.4 kilometres of temporarily deactivated road and 548.7 kilometres of semi-permanently or permanently deactivated road. Canfor constructed 4.7 kilometres of road and deactivated 1.1 kilometres of road, and harvested four cutblocks.
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 – A Forest Practices Board complaint investigation report released today found that logging plans for a parcel of coastal Douglas-fir forest, known as District Lot 33, met, and in some cases exceeded, legislative requirements.
The complaint was filed by a resident of Nanoose Bay, who said that planned logging on the 64-hectare lot should not proceed, but if it did, wetlands, rare species, plant communities, fish streams and underground water resources on the site should be protected. The report considers how the licensee dealt with these resources in its cutblock planning under the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA).
The licensee obtained a cutting permit from government in late December 2010, but no logging has yet occurred. The harvest licence for DL 33 is part of an agreement related to treaty negotiations between the Province and the Nanoose First Nation.
This is the board’s second investigation of public complaints about logging of District Lot 33.
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 cattle grazing, forest harvesting and road construction and maintenance practices on Crown land in the Kiskatinaw River watershed found that legal requirements to conserve soils and protect water quality were met, according to a report released today.
The audit examined forestry, oil and gas, and range operations in the Kiskatinaw River watershed. Companies examined were Louisiana-Pacific Canada Ltd. for forestry practices; Apache Canada, Shell Canada and Encana Corporation for oil and gas practices; as well as range practices of the Bear Mountain Grazing Association and three individuals with range tenures.
The Kiskatinaw River originates in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and supplies drinking water for the City of Dawson Creek.
“While the board traditionally audits forestry and range activities, we also recognize that oil and gas companies carry out the same types of harvesting and road activities and can impact forest values,” said board chair Al Gorley. “We chose to include forest clearing and road construction for wells and pipelines to see how well legislative requirements were met. However, our audit was limited to the requirements of provincial forestry legislation, such as preventing sediment from entering streams. We did not have authority to look at other issues like water usage, which would fall under the provincial Water Act.”
While the audit found all the operators met legal requirements, it did note some grazing sites where cattle were congregating in streams and causing localized disturbance. This is a practice that could be improved.
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 Pacific Inland Resources’ operations in the Bulkley Valley in July found that planning and practices met all legislative requirements, according to a report released today.
This is the third Forest Practices Board audit of Forest Licence A16830, held by Pacific Inland Resources, a division of West Fraser Mills Ltd. A 1999 audit commended the company for two notable practices and a 2003 audit of beetle salvage operations near Vanderhoof found all planning and practices to be sound.
“Pacific Inland Resources has shown good practices each time the board has examined its operations,” said board chair, Al Gorley. “In 1999, the board was specifically impressed with how the company managed for riparian areas and stand structure retention. This audit found that they have continued to work to this high level.”
Gorley added that the board recognizes and commends the company for a continued commitment to sound forest practices. “In particular, the board is pleased to find that, despite the difficult economic times facing both the forest industry and the company, Pacific Inland Resources works with the community to ensure its activities are in keeping with objectives of the two land use plans in effect in the area,” he said.
The Board audited 27 cutblocks totalling 784 hectares during the audit period, as well as 57.1 kilometres of new roads, 1,250 kilometres of road maintenance, 58.1 kilometres of deactivated road, one new bridge and maintenance of 155 bridges.
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.
Media Contact: Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – Al Gorley, chair of the Forest Practices Board, issued the following statement upon the cabinet appointment of a new board member announced by Forests, Lands and Mines Minister Pat Bell today:
“On behalf of board members and staff at the Forest Practices Board, we are pleased to welcome Bill Dumont to our organization. Bill brings a wealth of forest industry experience and in-depth knowledge of coastal forestry issues to the table, and will make a significant contribution to our work. His many years of experience with Western Forest Products, coupled with his international and First Nations work, will be a welcome addition to the diversity of experience and knowledge around the board table.”
Presently a consultant, previous positions held by Dumont include chief executive officer, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (Malaysia) and chief forester, Western Forest Products (BC). Dumont has been awarded the Distinguished Forester award from Association of BC Forest Professionals and a B.C. Environment Minister’s Award.
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.
For further information:
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
