VICTORIA –A new forest stewardship plan in the Stillwater lands on the Sunshine Coast no longer addresses the full range of values that were determined through public input and involvement, according to a newly released Forest Practices Board report.
“Given the effort that members of the public put into the Stillwater Pilot Project, they reasonably expected that government would ensure that commitments made under the pilot planning agreement would be effectively and faithfully transferred and officially sanctioned under B.C.’s new forestry legislation,” said board chair Bruce Fraser.
The investigation resulted from public complaints about the new plan, prepared under the Forest and Range Practices Act(FRPA). The earlier plan was produced under the Forest Practices Code as part of a pilot project government set up to test a results-based approach to forest regulation.
Since the original Stillwater plan was approved by government, the forest licence has changed hands twice and the legislation governing forest practices changed from prescriptive to results-based.
The complaints that prompted the board investigation were about the difficult format of the new forest stewardship plan, changes made to the membership of the local community advisory group, and the loss of objectives that were in the pilot plan.
While the board noted that both the licensee and the forest district had made efforts to make the new plan more accessible, it also found that the planning requirements have changed under FRPA from providing clear, detailed information about proposed forest practices and community values to providing broad and more general objectives. This made it difficult for the public to interpret and provide meaningful comment on the forest stewardship plan or to track existing commitments.
The plan also covered all of the licensee’s coastal operations including Vancouver Island, the Queen Charlotte Islands and the mainland, which added to the difficulty.
The result is a plan that obscures at least some of the values identified by the community with its pilot plan, putting at risk public confidence in forest management for the area.
“As we continue to develop and implement FRPA-based forest stewardship plans and to rely on voluntary advisory processes as the primary vehicle for more detailed public involvement, we need to ensure that we maintain the public trust,” said Fraser.
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 – Bruce Fraser, chair of the Forest Practices Board, issued the following statement today after professional forester John Dunford’s appointment to the board was officially announced by Forests and Range Minister Rich Coleman:
“On behalf of board members and staff at the Forest Practices Board, we are pleased to welcome John Dunford to our organization. He brings an extensive knowledge of forestry-related issues to the table, and will make a significant contribution to our work, particularly with regard to sustainability, and the realities faced by the forest industry in the current environment.
“John has had more than 30 years of experience as a professional forester in B.C., and is currently employed as the manager of forestry and sustainability by Tolko Industries. He is also the chair of the Canadian Standards Association’s Sustainable Forestry Management Users Group and serves on committees for the Forest Product Association of Canada, the B.C. Market Outreach Network and the Association of B.C. Forest Professionals.
“We would also like to congratulate Guenter Stahl on his re-appointment to the board for a two-year term. Guenter was first appointed in 2004, and with more than 30 years of experience in the province’s forestry ministry, he will continue to be a valuable asset to us. Guenter’s history includes that of working as district manager for the Bulkley/Cassiar Forest District from 1985 to 1999; being a founding member of the Bulkley Valley Community Resources Board; and helping to oversee the introduction and implementation of the Forest Practices Code and results-based Code pilot projects.
“It is with gratitude and good wishes that we bid goodbye to outgoing board member Barb Shirley. Her contributions to the board included the extensive northern experience she brought to our deliberations, gained during the many years she served as the Mayor of Chetwynd. She also brought knowledge about forestry matters acquired while serving as a lay member of the governing council of the Association of BC Forest Professionals. Her wisdom, directness and sense of humour were highly valued by her colleagues on the board and served on many occasions to keep us aware of the realities of rural resource dependent communities.”
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 / 1-800-994-5899
VICTORIA– Two non-replaceable forest licences, A56805, held by Yun Ka Whu’ten Holdings Ltd., and A73558, held by Sigurdson Bros. Logging Company Ltd., will be audited the week of Oct. 9, 2007.
The Yun Ka Whu’ten Holdings operations are located in the vicinity of Anahim Lake, which is about 200 kilometres west of Alexis Creek and about 300 kilometres west of Williams Lake, while the Sigurdson Bros. operations are in the vicinity of Alexis Creek. Both companies’ operations are within the area encompassed by the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land-Use Plan.
The limited scope compliance audits will focus on harvesting, roads and associated planning undertaken between Oct. 1, 2006 and the present.
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 / 1-800-994-5899
VICTORIA– A complaint investigation into logging practices at Furlong Creek near Terrace has resulted in resolution between the complainant and the licensee, according to a Forest Practices Board report issued today.
A complaint was filed with the board after a member of the public visited the logging site and saw conditions that caused concern. Further consultation between the board investigator, the licensee and the complainant revealed that, while the complainant assumed that work was complete at the time the complaint was filed, in fact it was not, and the licensee had subsequently returned and finished its work.
“It is commendable that the complainant and licensee were able to engage in informed consultation with our investigator and arrive at an understanding of the situation,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “When a complaint about forest or range practices is received by the Forest Practices Board, it is always our preference to work with the parties involved to see if we can help them resolve concerns through identifying additional information or developing potential solutions they can all agree to.”
In this case, although generally familiar with forest planning in the area, the complainant was surprised by the cutblock because she had not seen it on a map. Under the Forest and Range Practices Act, licensees are not required to show cutblocks and roads in their forest stewardship plans.
As a means of improving communication and minimizing public “surprise” about cutblock locations without adding onerously to licensee requirements, board and forest district staff discussed whether a “roll-up” map of planned cutblocks and roads could somehow be provided to the public. The district is looking into putting such a map on its web site, using digital data supplied by licensees.
“If an information map is created, it will serve as a positive example addressing a key public involvement gap in the current forestry legislation,” said Fraser.
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 is recommending that the provincial government promptly finalize and implement an overall stewardship strategy for the coastal Douglas fir ecosystem (CDF) on Southeast Vancouver Island.
The recommendation was made in a newly released board report, Woodlot Harvesting and Red-listed Plant Communities in the Coastal Douglas-fir Ecosystem of Vancouver Island. The report is the result of a public complaint about approval of timber harvesting on several woodlots in the CDF.
“The most abundant red-listed plant community in the CDF is recognized by ecologists as globally imperiled, and assessment of the immediate danger to it and the many other red-listed CDF plant communities is crucial to their survival,” said board chair Bruce Fraser.
“Because the majority of the coastal Douglas fir ecosystem is located on private land, where government has limited control over logging practices, it is especially important that assessment and protection of these endangered plant communities occurs in a timely manner in what little coastal Douglas fir remains on Crown land.”
When it approved the woodlot plans, the forest district relied on its own interpretation of the abundance of red-listed plant communities and their potential tolerance to forest practices, and weighed the apparent risks with those of the tenure holder’s harvesting rights.
However, the board found that since there are no effective stewardship mechanisms in place for red-listed plant communities in the CDF, the appraisal of those risks is unreliable.
Government agencies have done some landscape-level assessment of red-listed plant communities, are currently mapping the CDF ecologically, and are progressing toward an overall stewardship strategy. The board’s view is that a stewardship strategy is needed soon– one that encompasses the full range of red-listed plant communities and the habitats and species they support.
In 2005, the Board recommended that no further logging approvals should be awarded in the CDF until site assessments for endangered plant communities were done. Subsequently, BC Timber Sales stopped selling wood in the CDF. However, today’s published report shows that the Ministry of Forests and Range continues to approve some timber harvesting in the CDF without the recommended site assessments.
The board continues to maintain the intent of the earlier recommendation – that effective planning should consider the location and condition of red-listed plant communities rather than assuming they can’t be avoided, or that potential harvesting impacts can’t be lessened.
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 board’s first audit of the Ministry of Forests and Range’s small scale salvage program will be conducted in the Kamloops Forest District starting Sept. 24, the Forest Practices Board announced today.
Small scale salvage is the recovery of timber not considered economically viable by the major licensees and includes trees that are wind-thrown, beetle-killed, damaged by fire or considered to be residue.
The audit will examine:
The audit is expected to take one to two weeks of fieldwork.
Small scale salvage operations are located throughout the Kamloops Forest District, which includes the city of Kamloops and the communities of Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Logan Lake, Barriere and Chase.The board carries out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with provincial forest practices legislation. When the analysis is complete, an audit report is prepared and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings has a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations are then 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:
-30-
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250-356-1586 / 1-800-994-5899
VICTORIA– The Clearwater business unit of B.C. Timber Sales’ Kamloops business area has been randomly selected for audit, the Forest Practices Board announced today. The field portion of the audit will begin on Sept. 24, 2007 and will last approximately one week.
The full-scope compliance audit will examine operational planning; timber harvesting; construction, maintenance and deactivation of roads; silviculture; and fire protection activities carried out between Sept. 1, 2006 and Sept. 28, 2007, to assess compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
The four-member audit team will examine BCTS operations throughout the Clearwater business unit, which includes the communities of Clearwater, Vavenby and Blue River.
The board carries out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with provincial forest practices legislation. When the analysis is complete, an audit report is prepared and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings has a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations are then 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:
-30-
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250-356-1586 / 1-800-994-5899
VICTORIA–Carrier Lumber’s road and bridge maintenance and silviculture obligations on two recently purchased licences in the Robson Valley will be audited by the Forest Practices Board next week.
Carrier took over the two largest licences (A15430 and A15429) in the Robson Valley when the previous holders closed operations due to financial problems.
The four-person audit team will spend a week looking at licence obligations from Aug. 1, 2005 to present, to see if any outstanding obligations were reneged on by the financially strapped companies. The team will also review how Carrier has addressed these obligations since taking over the licences in November 2006 and May 2007.
Collectively, the two licences include an annual allowable cut of more than 260 thousand cubic metres in the Robson Valley timber supply area, which is located in the Rocky Mountain Trench and extends north and south of the McBride community, also encompassing Valemount.
The board carries out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with provincial forest practices legislation. Once the analysis is complete, an audit 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:
-30-
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250-356-1586 / 1-800-994-5899
VICTORIA – Carrier Lumber Ltd.’s forest practices complied with legislative requirements while harvesting beetle-infested stands near Prince George last year, according to an audit released by the Forest Practices Board today.
The board audited Carrier’s non-replaceable forest licence A70174, which allows them to harvest 300,000 cubic metres of damaged timber within the Prince George Forest District.
“The Province gives out these licences to harvest beetle-killed timber before it loses its economic value,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “As Carrier Lumber demonstrates, this urgent harvest can still be done in compliance with legislation.”
The board conducted a “limited scope” audit, which means that only harvesting, road activities and associated planning that took place between July 1, 2005 and July 13, 2006 were examined.
The board’s only suggestion to Carrier was that bridge construction practices could be improved to ensure personal safety. They identified one bridge that was not built as designed, nor independently certified as required by the Forest Road Regulation.
To address this, Carrier has since modified their internal management system with respect to bridge construction. The board encourages Carrier to continue to use these measures.
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:
Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250-356-1683 or 1-800-994-5899
VICTORIA– The effect of 150 years of livestock grazing on grasslands in the interior Douglas Fir zone in south central B.C. has altered much of this ecosystem in long-lasting and possibly permanent ways, according to a Forest Practices Board special report released today.
The report says that:
“Our findings come as no surprise to knowledgeable range managers who have struggled for decades to improve B.C.’s grasslands,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “A healthy native bunchgrass community provides livestock forage, wildlife habitat and protection from soil erosion – but in their current state, many of our grasslands can’t do this.”
While the Province took action in 2006 to address the loss of grassland to encroaching forests – allocating $2 million toward their restoration – they have put little emphasis on restoring grasslands damaged by historical grazing. A comprehensive grassland restoration program would be beneficial, but would be expensive and difficult to implement. A first step would be to develop a restoration strategy addressing many diverse stakeholder concerns.
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:
Fred Parker
Executive Director
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250-356-1683 or 1-800-994-5899
