VICTORIA – Despite repeated Forest Practices Board recommendations to act, the Province has not developed a strategy for conserving marbled murrelet habitat, leaving forest professionals and industry with weak direction on what is necessary to ensure the survival of the threatened seabird, says a new board report.
The report, Conservation of Species at Risk under the Forest and Range Practices Act, is the third board report on marbled murrelet habitat since 2003. This investigation examined marbled murrelet habitat on the Sunshine Coast in an Interfor operating area. It found that Interfor is doing its best to set aside valuable habitat for the bird. The Province’s current guidance for conserving marbled murrelet habitat is based on a provincial policy of limiting the impacts of conservation measures on the provincial timber supply, and not on the actual habitat needs of the species. The Province has created very few legally protected areas for the birds’ nesting habitat.
“The provincial government needs to set clear targets as to what constitutes ‘recovery’ and ‘survival’ in terms of the marbled murrelet,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “Interfor has done its best to ensure the area it conserves is as useful as possible to murrelets, but the company’s effort is constrained by government, and it is not possible to determine if its efforts are sufficient. More troubling for the board, without government designation of specific habitat to protect, areas conserved by Interfor could be logged by another licensee operating on the same land base.”
Under the federal Species at Risk Act, a marbled murrelet recovery team is developing a strategy for the murrelet. That draft strategy is proceeding through the SARA process but has not been finalized. The Province has not responded to the proposed strategy or put forward its own plan. If the proposed federal strategy were implemented, it would conserve 20 per cent more murrelet habitat in Interfor’s plan area than current provincial legislation allows.
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:
VICTORIA – Planning and field activities undertaken by the British Columbia Timber Sales (BCTS) Program and timber sale licensees in the southern portion of the Headwaters Forest District near Clearwater complied with forest practices legislation, according to a Forest Practices Board audit report released today.
The audit of the BCTS program and timber sale licensees in the Kamloops Business Area’s Clearwater Field Unit examined activities conducted during the period of Sept. 1, 2006 to Sept. 28, 2007. The audit assessed compliance with the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act, the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), Wildfire Act and related regulations.
“We’re pleased to note that BCTS and timber sale licensees in the Kamloops Business Area’s Clearwater Field Unit complied with legislative requirements in all significant respects,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “However, the audit identified 18 cutblocks that were previously planted with seedlings not meant for these areas. Although these trees are currently performing well, the board encourages BCTS to continue to periodically monitor these sites.”
The audit assessed the planning, activities and obligations of the BCTS program and timber sale licensees, including:
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and the achievement of its intent. The board’s main roles under FRPA are:
-30-
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – A limited scope audit, in which harvesting, road activities and associated planning were examined, has found good forest practices by Yun Ka Whu’ten Holdings Ltd., according to a Forest Practices Board report released today.
Yun Ka Whu’ten’s licence allows it to harvest 150,000 cubic metres of pine-beetle-killed timber per year. The licence is located near Anahim Lake in the Chilcotin Forest District.
“The board is pleased to find that Yun Ka Whu’ten Holdings Ltd. is demonstrating sound forest practices on the ground during the course of harvesting mountain-pine-beetle-infested trees,” said board chair Bruce Fraser.
The audit of Yun Ka Whu’ten Holdings Ltd.’s non-replaceable forest licence A56805 was completed in October 2007. Harvesting and road activities that took place between Oct. 1, 2006 and Oct. 11, 2007 were included in the scope of the audit.
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:
VICTORIA – A limited scope audit, in which harvesting, road activities and associated planning were examined, has found good forest practices by Sigurdson Bros. Logging Company Ltd., according to a Forest Practices Board report released today.
Sigurdson’s licence allows it to harvest 150,000 cubic metres of pine-beetle-killed timber per year. The licence is located in the vicinity of Alexis Creek in the Chilcotin Forest District.
“Generally speaking, Sigurdson has demonstrated good practices on the ground,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “However, the audit identified three instances of excessive soil disturbance levels in Sigurdson’s harvested areas. These practices are not widespread, but they are avoidable.”
The audit of Sigurdson’s non-replaceable forest licence A73558 was completed in October 2007. Harvesting and road activities that took place between Oct. 1, 2006 and Oct. 9, 2007 were included in the scope of the audit.
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:
VICTORIA – Replanting obligations of financially strapped companies in the Robson Valley have been met by Carrier Lumber Ltd., according to a Forest Practices Board report.
In an audit of replaceable forest licences A15429 and A15430, the board found that road and bridge maintenance, silviculture activities and associated operational planning carried out by Carrier Lumber Ltd. complied in all significant respects with the requirements of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act (the code,) the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and related regulations. Both licences were obtained by Carrier after previous licence holders were unable to maintain operations.
“The board has a general concern about what happens to forestry obligations when companies run into financial difficulties, and so we were particularly interested in auditing these two forest licences,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “We are pleased that Carrier is addressing these outstanding obligations, and the board also commends Carrier for completing the silviculture plans of the previous licensee, including the planting of 560,000 seedlings – before it was officially given the forest licence by the Province.”
The two forest licences are located in the Robson Valley in east-central British Columbia, within the Rocky Mountain Trench, southeast of Prince George. The operating areas cover a long section of the Robson Valley from approximately 60 kilometres north of McBride to approximately 75 kilometres south of Valemount, including Kinbasket Lake.
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:
VICTORIA – Planning and field activities undertaken in five woodlots in the Arrow Boundary Forest District in southern British Columbia were found to be compliant during an audit of their operations.
The audits of woodlot licences W0408, W0475, W0479, W1470 and W1832 were conducted in June 2007. The audits assessed for compliance with the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act, the Forest and Range Practices Act, Wildfire Act, Woodlot Licence Forest Management Regulation, and Woodlot Licence Planning and Practices Regulation.
“We’re pleased to note that the woodlot licensees in this randomly selected group have been demonstrating compliance with legislative requirements,” said board chair Bruce Fraser.
The audit examined each woodlot licence’s planning, field activities and obligations in the areas of:
The only concern identified was three small sites in one woodlot where restocking practices needed improvement.
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:
VICTORIA – Western Forest Products Inc. received a clean audit for operations in Tree Farm Licence 6 on northern Vancouver Island, the Forest Practices Board reported today.
The board audited Western’s timber harvesting and associated planning activities for 159 cutblocks on the northern portion of Vancouver Island, and found Western was in compliance with legislative requirements. The audit covered the period from June 1, 2005 to June 1, 2007.
Windthrow is prevalent on this area of the coast and did occur on many of the cutblocks audited.
“Windthrow is a big risk factor in this area and the board noted Western’s efforts at assessing and monitoring windthrow, continually improving its practices to minimize the occurrence of windthrow, and mitigating the impacts where it does occur,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “Western has demonstrated a creative and adaptive approach to managing windthrow.”
The audit area is near the communities of Port Hardy, Port McNeill and Port Alice.
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:
VICTORIA – An audit of forest planning and practices in the Kootenay Lake Forest District has found compliance, according to a Forest Practices Board report.
The audit of the British Columbia Timber Sales (BCTS) program, and 16 timber sale licence holders, took place from June 25 to 28, 2007. It checked for compliance with the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act (the Code), the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), and the Wildfire Act (WA) and related regulations.
“The board commends the performance of BCTS and the licensees in this audit, and recognizes the diligence required to achieve these audit results,” said board chair Bruce Fraser.
Planning, activities and obligations examined during the course of the audit included: operational planning; more than 31 kilometres of BCTS road construction, as well as maintenance of more than 400 kilometres of roads; 23 bridges; 15 free-growing blocks; and 29 harvesting cutblocks.
In addition, harvest activities, which are administered by the BCTS Kootenay Business Area office in Nelson, were assessed for compliance with the requirements of the Kootenay Boundary Higher Level Plan Order, which has been in place since 2001. Key requirements of this order include old and mature timber conservation and protection of important caribou and grizzly bear habitat.
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:
-30-
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250-356-1586 or 1-800-994-5899
VICTORIA – All additional harvesting allowed by the Ministry of Forests and Range to deal with the current mountain pine beetle infestation has been directed at pine, according to a Forest Practices Board report released today.
“The increase in the allowable annual cut to deal with the mountain pine beetle epidemic has raised concerns about whether non-pine species of trees were also being harvested,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “We found that all of the new allowable harvest consists of pine, and that industry has not increased its harvest of other species.”
A board investigation into species composition of MPB harvest in B.C.’s Interior was prompted by a 36 per cent increase in the allowable annual cut. The increased harvest is helping to try to control the outbreak and salvage beetle-killed wood before it loses its value. Other species continue to be logged to make wood products for which pine is not suitable, or when clear-cutting mixed species stands.
The board found that industry is balancing the need to salvage value from dead pine with the need to maintain the commercial viability of existing mills. The board remains concerned, however, that the trend toward harvesting in mixed stands while avoiding pure (80 to 100 percent) pine stands could reduce the mid-term timber supply and limit reforestation, which could affect the long-term timber supply.
If uses for the dead pine – such as for bio-energy or for non-lumber wood products – turn out to be viable, more pure pine may well be harvested and those sites replanted for the future, reducing the long-term concern.
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:
-30-
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250-356-1586 or 1-800-994-5899
VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board’s 2006/2007 annual report was released today. The annual report details the board’s key findings during the past fiscal year, and provides a picture of the diversity of forest and range issues examined by the board on a yearly basis.
The board’s primary role is to assess how well forest and range licensees, and government agencies, are complying with legislation. The board provides the public with objective information about the state of the province’s forest and range practices, validate sound practices and recommends improvement based on direct field observation, consultation and research.
Highlights of work carried out during this fiscal year include our studies of:
The effect of mountain pine beetle attack and consequent salvage harvesting on stream flows, and how this impacts seasonal flooding;
Forest fuel (dry shrub and forest undergrowth) management and its impact on wildfires; and
The control of invasive plants (plants not native to British Columbia) on Crown land.
Core business areas arise from the board’s legislated mandate. The Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act state that the board:
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:
-30-
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250-356-1586 or 1-800-994-5899