VICTORIA – An audit of a forest licence currently held by Terminal Forest Products Limited found that planning and practices met all legislative requirements, according to a Forest Practices Board report released today.
The board examined activities in forest licence A19215 for compliance with legislation, and looked at harvesting, roads, silviculture, protection activities and associated planning done between June 1, 2008 and June 9, 2010. Fieldwork took place from June 7 to June 9.
"This forest licence is currently in the process of changing hands, as Terminal is selling the licence to Black Mount Logging," said board chair Al Gorley. "Most of the harvesting we examined was done by Black Mount, however, Terminal has continued to meet its obligations as they wait for finalization of the sale."
The board audited six cutblocks totaling 107 hectares during the audit period as well as 191 kilometres of road maintenance, 35 bridges, and all of the new road construction and road deactivation.
The forest licence is in the Sea to Sky Corridor, and Terminal has operations near Furry Creek, Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and the Lillooet River.
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 Forest Practices Board will audit how well forest and range practices in the Vernon and Oyama Creek community watersheds are protecting water quality, beginning October 18.
The forest practices of Tolko Industries Ltd, BC Timber Sales and the Ministry of Forests and Range’s small scale salvage program, as well as range practices of three range tenure holders, will be examined.
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 two main objectives of this audit are to assess the compliance of forest and range practices with FRPA’s practice requirements for water, and to assess how well practices are achieving government’s objectives for protecting drinking water.
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:
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 the forest practices of oil and gas companies Apache Canada Ltd. and Devon Canada Corporation near Fort Nelson, from Oct. 4 to Oct. 8, 2010.
The audit will assess compliance of forestry operations carried out during oil and gas-related activities, such as construction of well sites, access roads, borrow pits, pipeline right-of-ways and other facilities.
Located in the Horn River Basin in the Fort Nelson Forest District, the audit area is about 40 kilometres north of Fort Nelson and stretches to the border of the Northwest Territories.
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 – The Forest Practices Board will audit forest licence A15385, held by Conifex Mackenzie Forest Products Inc., in the Mackenzie Forest District, from Oct. 4 to Oct. 8, 2010.
Conifex purchased the licence from AbitibiBowater earlier this year. There has not been any active logging on this licence for the past few years, and there are currently no active operations. As a result, the audit will focus on operational planning, road and bridge maintenance and silviculture obligations.
The operating area for the licence is located about 270 kilometres north of Prince George, west of the Williston Reservoir, extending from Omineca Provincial Park to Finlay-Russel Provincial Park.
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:
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 Canadian Forest Products Limited, Tree Farm Licence 30 (TFL 30) from September 27 to October 1.
The audit will examine planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture and fire protection activities for compliance with forest practices legislation.
TFL 30 is located in the Prince George Forest District and has an annual cut of 330,000 cubic metres per year. Important resources and management issues in the area include addressing mountain pine beetle, fisheries, mountain caribou habitat and recreation.
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:
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 investigation into a complaint about how wood waste is measured and reported after timber harvesting shows that a government wood waste accounting system is being implemented appropriately, with the primary purpose of ensuring government receives payment for wood harvested.
"Poor markets and the rising value of the Canadian dollar in recent years have contributed to an increase in wood waste from three percent of the annual harvest in 2004 to five percent in 2008," said Al Gorley, board chair. "Current government policy allows companies to remove the logs of value in a cutting area and leave behind the poorer quality and uneconomic wood, but they must pay for the useable wood regardless of whether they take it."
"While we found that there were some different approaches between forest districts, the measurement and reporting system allows flexibility to address the diversity of economic, timber profile and operational challenges that exist in B.C.," Gorley added.
Following the complaint from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in 2009, board investigators looked at how waste surveys are carried out and whether procedures for measuring wood waste are being applied consistently. They also looked at the qualifications and experience of those conducting waste surveys. The investigation included three coastal forest districts, three in the southern interior and one in the north.
The term wood waste describes anything left on site after harvesting that could potentially be used for lumber or other wood products, but does not include trees reserved for wildlife purposes or logging slash, which are mainly tree tops and limbs.
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 - A Forest Practices Board investigation into a complaint about how wood waste is measured and reported after timber harvesting shows that a government wood waste accounting system is being implemented appropriately, with the primary purpose of ensuring government receives payment for wood harvested.
"Poor markets and the rising value of the Canadian dollar in recent years have contributed to an increase in wood waste from three percent of the annual harvest in 2004 to five percent in 2008," said Al Gorley, board chair. "Current government policy allows companies to remove the logs of value in a cutting area and leave behind the poorer quality and uneconomic wood, but they must pay for the useable wood regardless of whether they take it."
"While we found that there were some different approaches between forest districts, the measurement and reporting system allows flexibility to address the diversity of economic, timber profile and operational challenges that exist in B.C.," Gorley added.
Following the complaint from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in 2009, board investigators looked at how waste surveys are carried out and whether procedures for measuring wood waste are being applied consistently. They also looked at the qualifications and experience of those conducting waste surveys. The investigation included three coastal forest districts, three in the southern interior and one in the north.
The term wood waste describes anything left on site after harvesting that could potentially be used for lumber or other wood products, but does not include trees reserved for wildlife purposes or logging slash, which are mainly tree tops and limbs.
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 – The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest practices of Klatassine Resources Ltd., forest licence (FL) A81390, held by the Tl’etinqox-T’in Government (Anaham Band), from September 20 to September 24.
The audit will examine planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture and fire protection activities for compliance with forest practices legislation.
Forest licence A81390 is located in the both the Chilcotin and Central Cariboo Forest Districts, west of the Fraser River and north of the Chilcotin River, in the Tl’etinqox-T’in’s traditional territory. Special resource management issues in Klatassine’s operating area include maintaining the wilderness character of fishing lakes and protection of white pelican habitat.
The licence was issued to harvest lodgepole pine that has been heavily attacked by mountain pine beetle. Although there was heavy fire damage in the Bull Canyon Fire Complex this year, it does not appear to have impacted Klatassine’s harvested cutblocks.
The licence has an allowable annual cut of 73,459 cubic metres.
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:
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 BC Timber Sales’ operations in the Cascades Forest District, which includes both the Merritt and Lillooet timber supply areas (TSAs).
The audit will take place from August 16 to 20 and will examine timber harvesting, road construction and maintenance, silviculture, fire protection and associated planning activities carried out by BC Timber Sales and timber sale licence-holders.
The Lillooet TSA includes the communities of Lillooet and Lytton, as well as several provincial parks and protected areas, and 19 community watersheds.
The Merritt TSA includes the communities of Merritt and Princeton. It is bounded to the south by E.C. Manning and Cathedral Parks and the Canada-U.S.A. border and is popular with recreation enthusiasts.
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 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.
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 BC Timber Sales operations in the Strait of Georgia Business Area, encompassing Gold River on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Sayward on the east, and including Mainland areas across from Campbell River.
The audit will take place between July 19 and 31 and will examine harvesting, road construction and maintenance, silviculture, fire protection and associated planning activities carried out by BC Timber Sales and timber sale licence-holders.
Some of the audit area is subject to land use planning under the South Central Coast and the Central and North Coast land use plans, which provide a framework for ecosystem-based management, as well as the Vancouver Island land use plan.
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 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.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
