VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board has released the results of two separate investigations into public complaints about forest practices, one near Port Clements on Graham Island and another near Skidegate Lake on Moresby Island.
Both investigations found that the licensees' forest practices met the legal requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Haida Gwaii Land Use Objectives Order.
"These two complaints both involved the implementation of ecosystem-based management (EBM) on Haida Gwaii, and we are pleased to find that the objectives have been implemented through sound forest practices on the ground," said Kevin Kriese, board chair. "The board recognizes that EBM is intended to achieve both ecological integrity and human well-being, and that monitoring and adaptive management are needed."
A complaint about logging near Port Clements involved the activities of BC Timber Sales (BCTS). The investigation found that BCTS is meeting legal requirements for cedar stewardship, management of streams and biodiversity. The Council of Haida Nation and residents of Haida Gwaii have ongoing concerns about the protection of important streams and yellow cedar. BCTS is meeting existing requirements while discussions continue on whether new approaches are needed.
The second complaint was in the Skidegate landscape unit and involved activities of several forest companies. The investigation found that forestry roads were well built and maintained, and that areas representative of old forest are being protected. In some ecosystems, there is not enough old forest available to meet old growth targets due to the history of logging. In these situations, stands are being designated to become old growth in the future.
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 investigates public complaints about forest and range practices on public lands and appropriateness of government enforcement. The board can make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
Contact:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – A report on an investigation of B.C.’s framework for woodlot management, and the performance of 15 woodlots in the Kootenay Lake timber supply area (TSA), concludes that the legislative and policy framework for woodlots is appropriate and most woodlots are conducting good forest practices on the ground.
However, some woodlot licensees need to do a better job of meeting their obligations for reporting, assessments and tenure administration.
The board found that three of the 15 woodlots examined had problems complying with legal requirements related to reforesting logged sites, but all other ground-based practices, such as road construction and timber harvesting, were good. However, 12 of the 15 licensees did not meet administrative requirements, such as reporting their activities to government and conducting and documenting fire hazard assessments.
“As a condition of being given Crown land to manage in a woodlot, licensees are required to report to government each year on the areas they harvested, the areas replanted, and the status of new growing forest, among other things,” said Kevin Kriese, Forest Practices Board chair. “Most of the licensees investigated had missed one or more of these requirements. While some may consider administrative requirements to be insignificant, they exist for good reason. The public deserves to know what is happening on public lands and the board expects all woodlot licensees to meet these requirements.”
The board started this investigation after a number of audits of woodlots found compliance issues, including four woodlots in the Kootenay Lake TSA. That prompted the board to take a closer look at the remaining woodlots in that TSA, as well as the woodlot-management legislation, policies and guidance, to see how the overall system in place for woodlots functions.
Investigators assessed the planning, licence administration and annual reporting activities of 15 woodlot licensees, and harvesting, road construction, road maintenance, silviculture and fire protection obligations for the 11 woodlot licensees that were not previously audited by the board. They also conducted interviews with government staff responsible for woodlot licence administration and compliance and enforcement, woodlot licensees, and representatives from the Federation of BC Woodlots and the West Kootenay Woodlot Association.
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 can investigate and report on current forestry and range issues and make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
Contact:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An investigation of a public complaint on the Sunshine Coast has found that the Sunshine Coast Community Forest took the appropriate steps when planning and harvesting a cutblock near Wilson Creek.
“The issue of sediment in water and impacts on fish habitat is a serious one. This investigation highlights the reasonable steps a forestry licensee should take when working in areas with natural terrain hazards that are also important for fish, water and community interests,” said Kevin Kriese, board chair.
The complainant was concerned that the community forest had not assessed the risks of logging the cutblock and had caused sediment to enter Wilson Creek, a fish-bearing stream. The investigation found that the community forest had followed all legal requirements and completed several voluntary assessments, which found that forest harvesting would not pose a significant risk to terrain stability, water flows or fish habitat. The assessments included recommendations to minimize potential impacts of harvesting, which the community forest had followed.
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 investigates public complaints about forest and range practices on public lands and appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
Contact:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of Forest Licence A89984, held by Adams Lake, which is managed by the Adams Lake Indian Band, has found compliance with most requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, according to a report released today.
“The Board is pleased to see that Adams Lake is participating in the forestry sector and creating benefits for their community” said Kevin Kriese, Board Chair.
The audit found one area for improvement, related to piling and burning logging debris too close to standing timber. On one site, a slash burn damaged some live trees. On two other sites, debris piles had not yet been burned, but were also too close to live timber. All other practices met the legal requirements.
The audit looked at a forest stewardship plan and site plans, timber harvesting, wildfire protection, and the construction and maintenance of roads between June 2016 and June 2018.
Government issued the forest licence to Adams Lake to implement or further an agreement respecting treaty-related measures, interim measures or economic measures. Adams Lake is permitted to harvest 27,840 cubic metres of timber each year under the terms of the forest licence. The operating area is approximately 60 kilometres northwest of Kamloops on the west side of Adams Lake, near Barriere.
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.
Contact:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – Skeena Sawmills Ltd. is generally meeting the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act on its forestry tenures in the Kitimat area, but the audit found non-compliance related to planting of tree seedlings, according to a report.
The audit found five cutblocks where seedlings were planted outside the appropriate elevation range. Planting seedlings in the wrong location can potentially lower their overall survival and productivity. That is why B.C.’s chief forester provides guidance on seed use.
“One of the main purposes of our audits is to encourage continuous improvement of forest practices,” said Kevin Kriese, chair of the Forest Practices Board. “Skeena has told us they learned a lot from the audit process, as the audit highlighted the areas where they are managing their practices well and the areas where they have to improve in the future.”
The audited activities included harvesting timber, constructing and maintaining forestry roads, reforesting logged sites, wildfire protection and associated planning carried out between August 2016 and August 2018. During the two-year period, Skeena harvested 41 cutblocks, constructed 51 kilometres of road and maintained 448 kilometres of road, planted 18 cutblocks and abated fire hazards on 15 cutblocks.
Skeena’s operations on TFL 41 and forest licence A16885 are within 40 kilometres of Kitimat, between the Kitimat River in the north and Miskatla Inlet and Kildala Arm in the south. Operations for forest licence A16882 are just south of Meziadin Lake, along the Kinskuch River and Little Paw Creek. 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.
VICTORIA – An audit of Western Forest Products Inc. on tree farm licence 39 (TFL 39) has found Western met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act,
according to a Forest Practices Board report.
“The board commends Western for its good practices in TFL 39,” said Kevin Kriese, board chair. “This is the third time the board has audited TFL 39 since 2008, looking at a different geographic area of the TFL each time, and all three audits found full compliance with forest practices legislation.”
TFL 39 is made up of four geographically distinct blocks. Two of those blocks were the subject of this audit. Block 2 is located near Sayward on Vancouver Island and Block 5 is located on the mainland in the Phillips River watershed.
Block 5 is within the Great Bear Rainforest. There has been no logging there since 2007, but Western still retains reforestation and road maintenance obligations. In Block 2, Western harvested approximately one million cubic metres of timber during the one-year audit period. It was also responsible for maintaining over 3,000 kilometres of road and 264 bridges in the two blocks, among other activities. All forest activities carried out between July 2017 and July 2018 were subject to 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 audits forest and range practices on public lands and appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
Contact:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of A&A Trading Ltd. and Terminal Forest Products Ltd. on forest licence A19229 has found both companies met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, according to a Forest Practices Board report.
“The board is pleased to see that A&A is fully meeting all of its legal obligations in an operating area that is largely rugged and remote, creating challenging conditions for forest practices,” said Kevin Kriese, board chair. “The area is subject to several land-use and legal orders, which establish old-growth management areas and objectives for recreation sites and trails, as well as visual quality. It also contains habitat for the marbled murrelet, northern goshawk and coastal tailed frog, all of which must be addressed in forest operations.”
The forest licence is located on the Sunshine Coast. The activities audited are spread across several areas near Sechelt and Powell River, including Salmon Inlet, the Sechelt Peninsula, Ramsey Arm, West Redonda Island and Bute Inlet. With the exception of the Sechelt Peninsula, the audit area is remote and can be accessed only by water or air.
A&A harvested 37 cutblocks and replanted 43 cutblocks during the two-year audit period, July 2016 to July 2018. A&A constructed 52 kilometres of road and eight bridges, and maintained 376 kilometres of road and 59 bridges. Terminal also had silviculture obligations due on 22 cutblocks during the audit period.
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 make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
Contact:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of the McLeod Lake Mackenzie community forest in the Mackenzie Natural Resource District has found compliance with B.C.’s forestry legislation.
The community forest is jointly managed by the District of Mackenzie and the McLeod Lake Indian Band.
“We are pleased to see that the community forest carried out sound forest practices and fully met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act,” said Kevin Kriese, board chair.
“Of note, the community forest has been proactive in adopting fire-management stocking standards for stands harvested in the wildland urban interface," said Kriese. “These standards permit more deciduous trees and fewer coniferous trees when these stands regenerate and will assist in reducing the risk of wildfire to the community of Mackenzie. This is a best practice that deserves recognition."
The community forest has five operating areas around the Town of Mackenzie, from the Parsnip River in the south to Nation Arm on Williston Lake in the north.
The McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest Limited Partnership harvested 108,000 cubic metres of timber between September 2016 and September 2018. The audit examined all operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture and wildfire protection activities carried out during the two-year period.
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.
Contact:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An investigation of a complaint by two trappers has concluded that the population of fisher — a fur-bearing mammal that is a species at risk in B.C. — is at a high risk of decline or local elimination in the Nazko region, west of Quesnel.
The Nazko area experienced widespread tree mortality from mountain pine beetles, which resulted in extensive salvage harvesting in the complainants’ trapping area between 2002 and 2017. The trappers complained to the board that logging significantly impacted habitat for fishers and other fur-bearing mammals.
“Our investigation found that government did not take steps to ensure protection of fisher habitat,” said Kevin Kriese, board chair. “While licensees did make some efforts to protect habitat when designing individual cutblocks, these efforts were insufficient given the unprecedented scale of salvage logging across the landscape.”
Additionally, the area was extensively damaged by forest fires in 2017. “The board is concerned that unplanned salvage of fire-damaged stands could make a grave situation even worse,” continued Kriese. “We are recommending that government take steps to address fisher habitat needs and work to restore the local population over time."
The board also recommends that for any large-scale salvage logging operations in future, government ensures that harvesting is co-ordinated between the various forest companies, addresses habitat needs of species at risk and is monitored to ensure it is properly implemented and effective.
Fisher habitat consists of older forest stands with lots of large trees, snags and coarse woody debris. Fishers prefer landscapes with large areas of connected forest and avoid non-forested openings. Areas of mostly-dead timber may still provide habitat for fishers. Impacts to fisher habitat in the Nazko area will also have implications for other species with similar habitat needs.
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 investigates public complaints about forest and range practices on public lands and appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
Contact:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will audit the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development’s small-scale salvage program and salvage licence holders in the Cariboo-Chilcotin Natural Resource District, starting Sept. 24, 2018.
Auditors will examine whether harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire protection and associated planning, carried out between Sept. 1, 2017, and Sept. 28, 2018, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
Small-scale salvage is the recovery of trees that are wind-thrown, beetle-killed, damaged by fire or considered to be residue. Licence volumes must be 2,000 cubic metres or less. In the past year, most salvage activities in the district took place near Williams Lake, Horsefly and McLeese Lake.
Once the audit work is complete, 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 then will 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 land, as well as appropriateness of government enforcement.
Contact:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
