VICTORIA -The Ministry of Forests' Squamish forest district needs to improve its bridge inspections and completion of repairs to avoid potential user safety issues. Otherwise, the ministry's small business forest enterprise program (SBFEP) complied with the Forest Practices Code according to an audit released today by the Forest Practices Board.
The audit assessed 25 of the 26 bridges that the SBFEP is required to inspect and maintain. Ten bridges were not inspected at the frequency required by the code. The board also found that 20 of the inspection reports did not contain all of the required information. Two bridges were unsafe for use and required repairs were not completed.
"Findings related to the condition of these bridges are of concern," said board chair Bill Cafferata. "Lack of attention to inspections and repairs can lead to safety issues, not only for drivers of industrial vehicles, but also for the public who use forest service roads."
The board noted that the Squamish forest district acted promptly in response to the audit with plans to minimize the possibility of injury or harm to the environment.
The audit examined the Squamish forest district's forest planning and practices, for the period September 1, 2000, to September 23, 2001, related to operational planning (including forest development plans and silviculture prescriptions); timber harvesting; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; silviculture and fire protection.
Forest practices audited included:
The activities carried out by the Squamish SBFEP during the audit period were approved in the 2000-2004 forest development plan. In addition, a total of 23 silviculture prescriptions and amendments were approved during the period.
The Squamish SBFEP was selected randomly and not on the basis of location or level of performance.
The Squamish forest district encompasses 1.1 million hectares of forest and mountains immediately north of Vancouver in Sea-to-Sky country. The district's boundaries stretch roughly from Lions Bay at Howe Sound east to Harrison Lake, north to Anderson Lake, and west to the headwaters of the Lillooet River.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog, established in 1995, that publishes reports 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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Jacqueline Waldorf
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 356-1586
1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA - Forest planning and practices on Nisga'a lands are generally following the Forest Practices Code and the Nisga'a Final Agreement, with a few exceptions related to road maintenance and stream classification, according to the Forest Practices Board.
The audit examined the forestry activities of Skeena Cellulose Inc., West Fraser Mills Ltd., the Sim Gan Forestry Corp. and the Kalum Forest District's small business forest enterprise program, on lands being transferred to the Nisga'a people. These audits are required under Chapter 5 - Section 55 of the Nisga'a Final Agreement, which requires the board to perform annual audits of compliance with and enforcement of forest practices legislation and forestry-related requirements of the agreement during a five-year transition period ending May 10, 2005.
The audit found that the small business forest enterprise program and West Fraser complied with the Forest Practices Code and the Nisga'a Final Agreement in all significant respects, while Sim Gan and Skeena both had some instances of non-compliance related to maintaining roads and harvesting near streams.
The board also audited the appropriateness of government's enforcement of forest practices legislation on Nisga'a lands. The audit found that even though two B.C. government ministries - Forests and Water, Land and Air Protection - could be involved in code enforcement in the audit area, formal code enforcement is only performed by the Ministry of Forests, and no systematic co-ordination exists between the ministries to achieve code purposes.
The board also expressed its concern with the frequent, minor non-compliances, specifically related to harvesting practices and planning in areas close to streams, that were not identified by the Ministry of Forests' compliance and enforcement inspections on Nisga'a lands.
Despite the problems found in the audit, no serious environmental harm resulted during the audit period. As a result of the findings, the board is recommending that the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection take a more proactive role to ensure the Ministry of Forests is reporting environmental concerns in its compliance and enforcement activity on Nisga'a lands.
The Nisga'a lands are in and around the Nass Valley, which is about 100 kilometres northwest of Terrace.
The audit examined operational planning, harvesting, construction, maintenance and deactivation of roads, silviculture and fire preparedness activities carried out between May 2000 and July 2001. The activities audited include harvesting of 15 cutblocks, silviculture activities like planting and brushing on 100 cutblocks, construction of 11 bridges, maintenance of 22 bridges, construction of 18.9 kilometres of road, maintenance of 252.5 kilometres of road, and deactivation of 47.4 kilometres of road.
This was the first of five annual audits. The second annual audit will begin on Aug. 12 and will examine compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the Nisga'a Final Agreement for operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture and fire protection activities carried out between July 17, 2001, and Aug. 16, 2002. The same auditees will be examined in the second audit. This audit will also examine district manager obligations on Nisga'a lands, such as planting of backlog areas, stand management activities and maintenance of forest roads that are the district's responsibility. Enforcement activities will not be examined this year, but will be in future audits. As this is the second time the board will be auditing these lands, the process is expected to proceed much faster, and a final report should be ready this fall. The second audit will also allow the board to see how Sim Gan and Skeena Cellulose have addressed the problems identified in the 2001 audit.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog, established in 1995, that publishes reports about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board's main roles under the Forest Practices Code are:
Darlene Dahl
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA - B.C.'s Ministry of Forests needs to follow its own policy for making sure range practices on Crown lands are meeting Forest Practices Code requirements.
In an examination of range practices that took place in the Horsefly forest district between May 1, 2001, and September 10, 2001, the Forest Practices Board found that, with one exception, ranchers met Forest Practices Code requirements. One instance of significant non-compliance was observed, in which cattle damaged about 200 metres of stream bank, but range practices in the district had a low overall impact on the land base. Water quality impacts from cow pies were low, wildlife habitat was in good condition and grazing cattle did not overly damage seedlings.
However, in auditing government's enforcement of the code for the same area, the board found that the district did not have an effective compliance and enforcement program for range practices at the time of the audit. The district did perform some inspections, but they were not focused on higher risk sites, such as sensitive areas around water bodies. The district also failed to keep inspection information on file for future reference.
"The fact that range practices were generally sound is mostly due to the performance of ranchers, combined with a relatively low level of range activity in that district," said board chair Bill Cafferata. "Our audit found this is not the result of the district's range enforcement program."
Cafferata also noted that while range performance was generally good, the code lacks clear guidance on range practices. This makes following, enforcing and auditing code requirements a challenge for all involved. Having specific and measurable range practice requirements in place will be even more important as government moves to establish a results-based code.
The board's look at the Horsefly district included a compliance audit, an enforcement audit and a survey to determine whether the results expected from range agreements were actually being achieved on the ground. The Horsefly district and its range licence holders were selected at random from a population of 18 forest districts with more than 30 range agreements. The district spans about 800,000 hectares from the Quesnel River to Wells Gray Park. This area has a wetter climate than many forest districts in the province, which increases the amount of overall forage available and consequently reduces the danger of overgrazing. There are no community watersheds in the district, but there are a number of licensed domestic water intakes.
The compliance audit examined:
The enforcement audit included:
The board recommends that the Ministry of Forests establish an effective compliance and enforcement program for range practices in the audit area to meet its current policy. The board asked for a response to this recommendation by March 31, 2003.
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Darlene Dahl
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA- Skeena Cellulose Inc. needs to improve some logging practices near streams, but otherwise it was found to have generally complied with the Forest Practices Code in an audit of Tree Farm Licence 1 near Terrace.
The Forest Practices Board found problems with Skeena Cellulose's practices around riparian areas on 13 of 48 cutblocks examined. Riparian areas are the moist, sensitive areas along streams and water bodies that often provide protection for fish and wildlife habitat. The problems included logging too close to streams and misclassifying or failing to identify streams in company logging plans.
"Each of these issues taken separately would not be considered serious, but the cumulative effect could be damaging to public forest lands," said board chair Bill Cafferata.
The board also notes that Skeena Cellulose needs to update some older silviculture prescriptions with more current information. In response, Skeena Cellulose says it has started a review of all siviculture prescriptions within the Terrace operations. The review includes riparian classification and wording in plans.
The operating area for the tree farm licence consists of four geographically separate cutblocks in steep, rugged terrain dominated by the Skeena Mountains and the Nass Basin. It is north, east and west of Terrace in the Kalum forest district.
The audit examined Skeena Cellulose's operational planning; timber harvesting; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; and silviculture and fire protection practices for the period from June 1, 2000, to June 18, 2001. The tree farm licence was chosen for audit at random from the major licences within the Prince Rupert forest region.
The audit of selected roads and cutblocks included ground-based procedures and assessments from the air using helicopters. The audit examined the following:
ยท Harvesting practices on 40 cutblocks.
ยท Construction of six bridges and 39.4 kilometres of new road.
ยท Maintenance of 62 bridges and 244 kilometres of active road and 130 kilometres of seasonally deactivated road.
ยท Seasonal deactivation of 41 kilometres of road.
ยท Silviculture activities and obligations on 38 cutblocks.
ยท Fire-preparedness planning and fire-preparedness at nine active sites.
The board considered the audit result in light of the government's results-based code discussion paper released May 1, 2002. In its opinion, the same key findings of this code compliance audit would remain a concern under a results-based code.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog, established in 1995, 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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Jacqueline Waldorf,
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA - A Forest Practices Board study of the impacts of cattle grazing near lakes, streams and wetlands in B.C. has found some range practices that could harm fish habitat, wildlife habitat and water quality.
In addition to forest practices, the Forest Practices Code regulates range practices on Crown land in B.C. In 2001, the board looked at how well range practices are protecting riparian areas, which are the moist, sensitive areas around inland water bodies. Seventy-five ranches were surveyed in the Cranbrook, Kamloops, Penticton and Horsefly forest districts, and within those, the health of 391 riparian sites was examined.
Overall, the board found that cattle do not heavily use most of the riparian areas surveyed, but riparian areas were damaged - particularly in the dry grasslands of the province's Interior. Unusually dry weather last year likely caused cattle to use riparian areas more, but better range practices (such as fencing or providing other water sources) could have prevented some of the damage, which includes soil disturbance and destabilized stream banks. This in turn can increase erosion and add sediment to streams, which can harm fish habitat and water quality. Soil disturbance and plant browsing by cattle can also disrupt the growth of native plants and create a more welcoming environment for invasive plants, which affects wildlife habitat.
"The public would not tolerate this level of damage if it were caused by a logging operation," said board chair Bill Cafferata. "Clear and measurable standards are needed to protect sensitive riparian areas. As B.C. moves toward results-based regulation of forest and range practices, it's important that those operating on Crown lands - including ranchers - understand what results are expected of them."
About 71 per cent of riparian areas along wetlands and streams in the survey area were found to be healthy. Seventeen per cent of sites were at risk, and 13 per cent were not healthy. The streams and wetlands in the wetter climatic zones, such as the Horsefly district, were generallyย in the best health, while only 49 per cent of the sites in the driest ecosystems, such as the Cranbrook district, were healthy. Community watersheds generally fared better than undesignated watersheds, with higher overall riparian health and fewer cow-pies in riparian areas.
The board recommends government develop clear and measurable goals for range practices in riparian areas so all parties involved have a clear understanding of the expectations. The board also recommends government develop limits for soil disturbance, stream channel disturbance and fecal deposits along streams, lakes and wetlands.
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This news release, aย summary, the full report ( 339 Kb - pdf ) and more information about the board are available on the Forest Practices Board Web site atย www.fpb.gov.bc.caย or by contacting:
Jacqueline Waldorf
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA - The Forest Practices Board will conduct a Forest Practices Code audit next month, west of Hazelton in the Kispiox forest district.
The audit will look at all code-regulated activities in the selected area, including government enforcement. Operators to be audited include the Ministry of Forests small business program, a number of major forest licence-holders, several range tenures and as many as eight Crown woodlots.
Auditors will look at a wide range of forest practices, including logging; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; fire protection; range activities; silviculture; and planning. They will also examine enforcement of the code by the ministries of Forests, and Water, Land and Air Protection.
The audit area makes up the western part of the Kispiox forest district. It covers about 570,000 hectares, predominantly west and south of the Skeena River. The economic downturn in the area, resulting from the uncertainty around Skeena Cellulose, has resulted in an unusually low level of forest activities in the last year. The audit area was chosen randomly, not on the basis of location or level of performance.
The eight-member audit team of professional foresters, a chartered accountant and a professional engineer will spend two weeks working in the field. Once the fieldwork is done, the audit team will report its findings to the board. 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 the government.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog, established in 1995, 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:
Chris Mosher
Director, Audits
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899
Steve Hughes
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA -The Forest Practices Board will conduct a Forest Practices Code audit this July north of Princeton in the Merritt forest district.
The audit will look at all code-related activities in a selected area, including government enforcement. Operators to be audited include the Ministry of Forests small business program, a number of major forest licence-holders, more than a dozen range tenures and some Crown woodlots.
Auditors will look at a wide range of forest practices, including logging; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; fire protection; range activities; silviculture; and planning. They will also examine enforcement of the code by the ministries of Forests, and Water, Land and Air Protection.
The audit area lies in the central part of the Merritt forest district. It extends north from Princeton approximately to highway 97C, following the height of land between Asp Creek and the Tulameen River and Otter Creek to the west, and following the height of land between Rampart Creek and Siwash and Hayes Creeks to the east. Forestry and range activities are prominent in this area, which is also host to a mountain pine beetle outbreak. The audit area was chosen randomly, not on the basis of location or level of performance.
The eight-member audit team of professional foresters, chartered accountants and a professional engineer will spend two weeks working in the field. Once the fieldwork is done, the audit team will report its findings to the board. 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 the government.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog, established in 1995, 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:
Bill Cafferata,Chair
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
Nicky Cain
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899
Victoria -Sound forest practices must be guided by clear and measurable goals, especially as government moves to results-based regulation, according to theย Forest Practices Board's 2001 annual report.
The report, which summarizes the results of the board's work last year, notes problems on the ground that could be avoided through well-defined, measurable direction at all forest planning levels. Such problems were identified mainly around protecting species and habitat, public health and safety, and forest health.
"It's important that everyone involved in forest management agree on what the desired result is, so there are shared expectations and a common understanding," said board chair Bill Cafferata. "In this time of change, the board is encouraging government to develop clear and auditable standards for forest practices."
The report also sets out the board's strategic direction for the coming year, and reports on how the board will deliver its mandate within the confines of a reduced budget. Primary goals for the board in 2002 include providing input into the development of government's proposed results-based forest practices code, reporting on the anticipated redesign of the board mandate under a new code, conducting seven new audits, bringing 80 per cent of investigations to a close within eight months of their receipt, and resolving more public complaints through alternative dispute resolution.
Some highlights from the report:
Bill Cafferata,Chair
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
Jacqueline Waldorf
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA -The Forest Practices Board will conduct an area-based audit this spring in the Quesnel forest district.
Area-based audits look at all activities subject to the Forest Practices Code within a selected area, including government's enforcement of the code. The board will audit all major and small licence-holders, including Crown woodlot and range licence-holders within the selected area. Auditors will look at a wide range of forest practices, including logging; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; fire protection; range activities; silviculture; and planning.
The audit area lies in the central part of the Quesnel forest district. It extends south from the forest district boundary near the Blackwater River and Boot Lake, and east of the Nazko River, to Wentworth Creek. The mountain pine beetle epidemic has hurt forests in this district, and timber harvesting has been primarily focused on limiting the spread of the infestation.
The board is required to carry out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with the code. The audit area was chosen randomly, not on the basis of location or level of performance.
The eight-member audit team of professional foresters, chartered accountants and a geoscientist will spend two weeks this May working in the field. Once the fieldwork is done, the audit team will report its findings to the board. 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 the government.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog, established in 1995, that publishes reports about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent.
The board's main roles under the Forest Practices Code are:
Bill Cafferata,Chair
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
Steve Hughes
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA -The Forest Practices Board will conduct an area-based audit this spring in the South Island forest district.
"In an area-based audit we examine all activities in an area subject to the Forest Practices Code, rather than focusing on a single licensee or government forestry program," said board chair Bill Cafferata. "It gives us a broader sense of how a full range of practices, such as logging, mining, or oil and gas exploration, affect forest resources."
The selected audit area makes up the east side of the South Island forest district. It extends southeast from the Campbell River forest district boundary, east of Port Alberni and Labour Day Lake, to Shawnigan Lake and the Sooke Basin, including the area surrounding Cowichan Lake. The area is defined by 14 draft landscape units.
This full-scope audit will determine the compliance of operational planning and forest practices of Forest Act and Range Act agreement holders located within the audit area. It will also examine the appropriateness of government's enforcement of the Forest Practices Code. This audit will be unusual for the board in that the area is intensively developed and auditable public land is a small percentage of the audit area. The area also contains many community watersheds.
Companies being audited include major and small tenure holders, as well as Crown woodlot licence holders. Auditors will look at a wide range of forest practices, including logging; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; fire protection; silviculture and planning.
The audit will also examine the enforcement practices of the Ministry of Forests, the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, and the Ministry of Energy and Mines to see if they have appropriately enforced the code.
The board is required to carry out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with the code. The audit area was chosen randomly and not on the basis of location or level of performance.
The nine-member audit team of professional foresters, chartered accountants and engineers will spend two weeks this May working in the field. Once the fieldwork is done, the audit team will report its findings to the board. 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 the government.
This year, the majority of board audits will be area-based. To date, the board has completed compliance audits of 45 forest companies and Ministry of Forests small business forest enterprise program operations. Twenty-three audits were clean, meaning the forest planning and practices met code requirements in all significant respects. Twenty-two audits were qualified, meaning that there was some significant non-compliance with the code.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog, established in 1995, that publishes reports about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent.
The board's main roles under the Forest Practices Code are:
Bill Cafferata,Chair
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
Steve Hughes
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899
