VICTORIA — The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices of the Okanagan Indian Band operating out of Vernon, in the Okanagan Shuswap Forest District.
The audit will examine the Okanagan Indian Band’s forest operations in the area of the Cedar Hill fire near Falkland and the Okanagan Mountain Park fire near Kelowna. The Okanagan Indian Band salvaged timber from these two fires, which occurred late last summer, in August and September 2003. The Okanagan Shuswap district stretches from the U.S. border in the south to Seymour River/ Shuswap Lake in the north.
The audit will be a full-scope audit, meaning that auditors will examine forest practices carried out over the past year, including timber harvesting; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; fire protection; silviculture; and operational planning.
The Forest Practices Board carries out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with the province’s forest practices legislation. This licence was chosen randomly for the audit and not on the basis of location or level of performance.
The four members of the audit team include professional foresters and a chartered accountant. They will be in the licence area examining plans, cutblocks and roads for up to five days beginning on July 26, 2004. Once the fieldwork is done, the board will prepare a draft report on the audit findings. Any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have an opportunity to respond to the board before the report is finalized and released to the public and government.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board’s mandate has been retained under the new Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). The board’s main roles under FRPA are:
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Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will conduct its fourth annual compliance audit of forest planning and practices on Nisga’a lands, beginning July 5.
The Nisga’a lands cover about 2,000 square km in the Nass River Valley on both sides of the river about 90 km north of Terrace.
The audits will examine compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the Nisga’a Final Agreement by licensees and the Ministry of Forests on Nisga’a lands. The Nisga’a Final Agreement requires the board to undertake a compliance audit of all existing forest licences in each year of the five-year transition period (May 2000 to May 2005), as well as audits of government enforcement.
The audits will assess operational planning; construction, maintenance and deactivation of roads; timber harvesting; silviculture; fire protection activities; and district manager obligations for the period of July 2003 to July 2004. The purpose is to determine whether the following auditees complied with the code and with forestry-related Nisga’a Final Agreement requirements:
The four-member audit team is comprised of two professional foresters (one of whom is also an engineer), a professional biologist and a chartered accountant. The team will be in the operating areas for about five days beginning July 5. Any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will be given 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 an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board’s mandate has been retained under the new Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). The board’s main roles under FRPA are:
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Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – Timely rehabilitation of forest sites damaged by firefighting efforts depends on well-trained staff, effective coordination and advance planning, according to a Forest Practices Board report released today.
The interim special investigation report examined all fires larger than 250 hectares in the Southeast, Cariboo, and Kamloops fire centre areas, between 2000 and 2003. The report focuses on repairing damages resulting from fire suppression activities, rather than damages from the fire itself. Current legislation only requires damages resulting from fire suppression activities to be repaired by government staff.
The goal of the report is to verify whether government agencies are preparing rehabilitation plans, implementing those plans on the ground, and whether treatments are effective in controlling water and erosion damage. The interim report covers the plan preparation component; the other two aspects will be examined in the final report scheduled for release in fall 2004.
“In most cases, Ministry of Forests staff are preparing and submitting fire rehabilitation plans within the required deadlines, with late submissions in 2003 due to the unprecedented fire season last year,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “Effective fire rehabilitation is a complex challenge that requires cooperation with many sectors outside government, including First Nations communities and local residents in fire areas.
“This work takes time and must not be rushed in order to meet an arbitrary deadline. The board believes that the current legal obligation to submit a plan within 10 days of the fire being suppressed should be reviewed.”
The report identifies several key issues and challenges with respect to fire rehabilitation: managing public expectations that all damage from the fire itself will be repaired, even though this is not legally required; ensuring training is offered at all levels; gaining knowledge of sensitive environmental and cultural values in the fire area, and coordinating salvage activities with rehabilitation in order to reduce costs after the fire has been suppressed.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board’s mandate has been retained under the new Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). The board’s main roles under FRPA are:
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Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA - The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices of the British Columbia Timber Sales (BCTS) program in the 100 Mile House Forest District.
The audit will include BCTS's operations, under various licenses, located throughout the 100 Mile House Forest District, which covers over one million hectares. The forest district is bounded on the West by the Fraser River and on the east by the Cariboo Mountains and Wells Gray Park. In the centre of the operating area is the town of 100 Mile House, with Lac la Hache to the North and both 70 Mile House and Clinton to the South.
The audit will be a full-scope audit, meaning that auditors will examine forest practices carried out over the past year, including timber harvesting; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; fire protection; silviculture; and operational planning.
The Forest Practices Board carries out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with the province's forest practices legislation. This licence was chosen randomly for the audit and not on the basis of location or level of performance.
The four members of the audit team are professional foresters and a chartered accountant. They will be in the licence area examining plans, cutblocks and roads for about four days beginning on June 21. Once the fieldwork is done, the board will prepare a draft report on the audit findings. Any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have an opportunity to respond to the board before the report is finalized and released to the public and government.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board's mandate has been retained under the new Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). The board's main roles under FRPA are:
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Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – The BC Timber Sales (BCTS) program in Chilcotin Forest District is in compliance with the Forest Practices Code, except for free-growing obligations, the Forest Practices Board reported today.
The audit examined BCTS’s operational planning; timber harvesting; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; silviculture; and fire protection practices for the period of Aug. 1, 2002, to Aug. 22, 2003. The community of Alexis Creek, about 120 km west of Williams Lake, is the main community in the audit area.
The audit found that BCTS’s forest planning and practices complied with code requirements in all significant respects, except for the obligation to reforest logged sites with native tree species to establish a new crop of trees. This obligation ends once the trees are free to grow into a healthy new forest, which is known as free-growing.
“Compliance with free-growing obligations is a key component of sustainable management of British Columbia’s forest lands,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “BCTS is undertaking specific steps to improve its free-growing operating procedures. The board recognizes that progress is being made and recommends that BCTS report back to the board by the end of 2004 on implementation of the improvements.”
The audit also concluded that BCTS was taking appropriate measures to address the values of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan (CCLUP) in their forestry operations, when those values were linked to specific targets and objectives.
The board notes that some of those detailed planning elements are still not in place, eight years after the CCLUP was first announced. The board urges the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management to complete those planning processes in a timely manner. The board also encourages government to formalize the appropriate requirements as objectives under the Forest and Range Practices Act.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board’s mandate has been retained under the new Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). The board’s main roles under FRPA are:
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--- Closing Letter from Chair ---
Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – The third round of Forest Practices Board compliance audits on Nisga’a lands found forest planning and practices complied in all significant respects with the Forest Practices Code and the Nisga’a Final Agreement. The Nisga’a lands are in and around the Nass Valley, about 100 kilometres northwest of Terrace, and cover about 2,000 square kilometres.
A separate enforcement audit found that the Ministry of Forests (MOF) is appropriately enforcing the code and agreement on Nisga’a lands, while the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection (MWLAP) is not appropriately enforcing the code in this region. Since the audit was completed, MWLAP and MOF have agreed that MOF will take the lead on all enforcement activities. MOF will notify MWLAP of any concerns that relate to its mandate and MWLAP will have the option to take the lead on those issues.
The compliance audit examined the activities and obligations of five auditees: New Skeena Forest Products Inc., formerly known as Skeena Cellulose Inc.; Sim Gan Forest Corporation; West Fraser Mills Ltd.; BC Timber Sales, Skeena Business Area; and the Kalum Forest District Manager, for the period of August 17, 2002, to July 18, 2003. The audit found that auditees complied in all significant aspects with the code and agreement requirements for this period.
“While there was a low level of forestry activity during the audit period, we congratulate the auditees for maintaining a high level of compliance,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “The board encourages all auditees to continue their efforts towards achieving sound forest management on Nisga’a lands.”
The board also audited the appropriateness of government’s enforcement of forest practices legislation on Nisga’a lands for the period of July 17, 2001, to July 18, 2003. The audit found that the Ministry of Forests continued to make improvements to its enforcement during the audit period and is appropriately enforcing forest practices legislation on Nisga’a lands.
The audit found that MWLAP had not assessed risk associated with forestry activities on Nisga’a lands and had not conducted any inspections in this area. The audit concluded that the ministry was not appropriately enforcing the Code on Nisga’a lands during the audit period; the same problem was identified in the 2001 Nisga’a lands enforcement audit. There is no evidence of environmental harm resulting from lack of enforcement for the period under review.
“With some minor exceptions, the Ministry of Forests is doing a good job in enforcing forestry legislation on the Nisga’a lands,” said Fraser. “We are pleased that the Ministry of Forests and MWLAP have reached an agreement on enforcement obligations and we will be monitoring the effectiveness of this arrangement in future audits.”
The audit also found that the government has not yet met its obligation under the Agreement to provide a summary of compliance and enforcement activities on Nisga’a lands to the Nisga’a Lisims government. The board recommends that the ministries of Forests and Water, Land and Air Protection provide the summary by July 30, 2004.
This was the third of five annual audits under Chapter 5, Section 55 of the Nisga’a Final Agreement, which requires the board to perform annual audits of forest agreements and licences for compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the Nisga’a Agreement, during a five-year transition period ending May 10, 2005.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board’s mandate has been retained under the new Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). The board’s main roles under FRPA are:
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Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – West Fraser’s forest practices are in full compliance with the Forest Practices Code, while the company’s pine beetle management practices could be improved, the Forest Practices Board reported today.
The board audited for compliance with the Forest Practices Code on forest licence A20002, held by West Fraser Mills Ltd. (West Fraser). The operating area for this volume-based licence is within the 100 Mile House forest district. West Fraser’s operations during the audit period were primarily located in the southeastern area of the district, north of the town of Clinton and south of 100 Mile House.
The audit examined West Fraser’s operational planning; timber harvesting; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; silviculture; and fire protection practices for the period from June 1, 2002, to June 9, 2003.
The audit found that West Fraser’s forest planning and practices complied with code requirements in all significant respects, except for two cutblocks where there was insufficient information for the board to assess compliance.
“The board is pleased that West Fraser’s forest planning and practices are fully compliant with Code requirements,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “The company also worked with the Ministry of Forests to deal with heavy beetle infestations in some portions of their operating area.”
The population of mountain pine beetles has been increasing in the operating area of forest license A20002 for several years. The district manager of the 100 Mile House Forest District provided guidance to West Fraser on beetle management, and the company had the option to use the Bark Beetle Regulation (BBR), which was designed to help fight the spread of pine beetles while minimizing the impact on non-infested timber.
West Fraser was not legally obligated to follow either the district manager guidelines or the BBR regulations, and opted not to do so. The audit noted that West Fraser’s forest health practices could be improved by focusing aggressively on removing beetle-infested timber and relying on the district manager’s guidance and the BBR provisions where appropriate.
“There is no one perfect means that will solve the pine beetle crisis,” said Fraser. “The science continues to evolve, and methods that were effective during the audit period have been overtaken by the spread of the beetle infestation since that time.
“In dealing with this very difficult challenge, we encourage West Fraser to continue to target the removal of beetle-infested timber in its harvesting plans, by using the latest science to guide its approach in order to minimize harvesting of non-infested timber.”
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board’s mandate has been retained under the new Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). The board’s main roles under FRPA are:
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Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices of the Chetwynd division of Canadian Forest Products Ltd (Canfor) on forest licence A18151, covering five specific areas located in the Peace Forest District near Chetwynd.
The forest licence includes five distinct geographic units: one directly north of Chetwynd; one south east of Hudson’s Hope; one west of Hudson Hope; one south west from Dawson Creek below the Kiskatinaw River and one immediately east of Monkman Park. The forest licence is covered by the Dawson Creek Land and Resource Management Plan.
Auditors will examine forest practices carried out over the past year, including timber harvesting; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; fire protection; silviculture; and operational planning.
The Forest Practices Board carries out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with the province’s forest practices legislation. This license was chosen randomly for the audit and not on the basis of location or level of performance.
The operating area is subject to multiple uses besides timber harvesting, especially oil and gas operations. The licensee is certified with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14001) and the board audit will take the certification audit process into account if feasible within the time frame of the audit.
The four members of the audit team are professional foresters and a chartered accountant. They will be in the licence area examining plans, cutblocks and roads for about four days beginning on May 25. Once the fieldwork is done, the board will prepare a draft report on the audit findings. Any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have an opportunity to respond to the board before the report is finalized and released to the public and government.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board’s mandate has been retained under the new Forest Range and Practices Act (FRPA). The board’s main roles under FRPA are:
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Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – There is significant economic potential for developing non-wood and botanical forest products in British Columbia, as long as the proper regulatory and planning tools are in place, according to a Forest Practices Board report released today.
The report looks at the relationship between forest practices and non-timber forest products (NTFPs), which include over 200 species of plants and fungi across British Columbia, such as wild edible mushrooms, medicinal and pharmaceutical products, wild berries and fruit, and miscellaneous products such as honey.
“The commercial harvest of NTFPs is an important economic opportunity for the entire province, and for resource-based communities in particular,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “In 1997, it is estimated that this sector created almost 32,000 seasonal and full-time jobs and generated over $680 million in provincial revenues, and it is believed to have grown since then.
“To realize the potential of the NTFP sector, we need better baseline data, scientific information on sustainable management, and regulation to ensure sustainability and compatibility with traditional timber harvesting.”
NTFP harvesters include local residents looking to supplement their income and full-time migratory workers who relocate to the areas where the plants and crops are ripe for harvest at different times of the year. Many NTFPs are of significant cultural and economic importance to First Nations, and the report highlights the need for government and industry to recognize First Nations rights to commercial and traditional uses of NTFPs.
“Under new forestry legislation, there is no obligation to consider NTFPs when planning or conducting forest practices, “ said Fraser. “But government can ensure NTFPs are recognized through sustainable resource management plans and designating NTFP objectives under the Land Act. Creating such objectives would then trigger the consideration of NTFP values in forest planning and practices.”
The report was unveiled at a reception sponsored by the Centre for Non-Timber Resources at Royal Roads University. The Board commissioned the Centre to write the NTFP report.
“This report is important as it will increase the profile of the NTFP sector, which traditionally has been marginalized,” said Dr. Darcy Mitchell, director of the Centre for Non-Timber Resources. “NTFPs offer a field where ‘environment’ is not at war with ‘economy’, and where many users and uses are compatible.”
The report presents several recommendations to government, including supporting further research into the economic contribution of the sector and compatible management of timber resources and NTFPs; exploring options to regulate the NTFP sector to ensure that it can be managed in a fair and sustainable manner; establishing objectives for NTFPs under the Land Act to guide forest planning and practices; and raising awareness of NTFPs among foresters and other resource management professionals.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board’s mandate has been retained under the new Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). The board’s main roles under FRPA are:
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Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation has implemented sound forest practices, but must improve its fire preparedness, the Forest Practices Board reported today.
Those findings were the result of a compliance audit of Tree Farm Licence 56, held by Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation (RCFC). This area-based licence is located approximately 50 kilometres north of the City of Revelstoke in the Columbia Forest District. The audit examined RCFC’s operational planning, timber harvesting, road construction, maintenance and deactivation, silviculture, and fire protection practices for the period from July 1, 2002, to July 18, 2003.
“With one exception, RCFC is fully compliant with code requirements,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “The board is pleased that this licensee made a special effort to help achieve local land use planning objectives, such as managing for biodiversity and caribou, even when those objectives were not legally binding on RCFC.”
The audit did identify significant non-compliance in RCFC’s fire protection activities, including deficiencies in firefighting equipment, fire preparedness training and the fire preparedness plan. While the individual cases of non-compliance are minor, taken collectively they represent a breakdown in meeting code fire protection requirements.
“The auditor and RCFC agree that there was no serious risk of environmental harm as a result of these deficiencies,” said Fraser. “Nonetheless, the board believes that the code fire protection requirements are not onerous for licensees. It is critical to ensure that these basic regulatory requirements are met during fire season, especially considering the increasing risk of fire in many parts of the province.”
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board’s main roles under the Forest Practices Code are:
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Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586 / 1 800 994-5899
