The Chair of the Forest Practices Board, Keith Moore, was re-appointed by the government on December 18, 1997. Moore is a forester and a former consultant in forest land management and environmental assessment. He is a long time resident of the Queen Charlotte Islands and is the original chair of the Board, which was established under the Forest Practices Code in 1995. His term was extended for a two year period, effective January 1, 1998.
"I am very pleased to be able to continue on as Chair of the Forest Practices Board." said Moore. "My first three years were spent getting the Board established and operating and now we are beginning to produce some substantial results in our audits, investigations, and other work."
Moore is the full time Chair while five part-time members round out the Board. Vice-chair, Cindy Pearce, of Revelstoke, and Jack Toovey of North Vancouver are also founding members of the Board, while John Cuthbert of Summerland, Frances Vyse of Kamloops and Klaus Offermann of Nelson were all appointed to the Board in 1997.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent agency, established in 1995, that provides reports to the public and government about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The Board's main roles are: auditing forest practices; investigating public complaints; undertaking special investigations of any Code related forestry issues; participating in administrative reviews and appeals; and providing reports to the public and government on Board activities, findings and recommendations.
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
The Forest Practices Board today released the results of its audit of Forest Licence A19202, held by Cattermole Timber of Chilliwack, BC. The licence includes two operating areas in the Fraser Valley: Anderson River east of Yale, and the Upper Nahatlatch River west of Boston Bar. This is one of nine audits carried out in 1997 and is the first to be released.
The audit examined operational planning, timber harvesting, silviculture, forest protection, and road construction, maintenance and deactivation activities carried out by Cattermole Timber between June 1995 and June 1997. "Cattermole Timber's forest planning and practices were generally in compliance with the Forest Practices Code requirements," said Board Chair, Keith Moore. "However, there were two significant aspects of the operations that were not in compliance, both of which involve road construction, maintenance and deactivation activities."
These were:
inadequate installation and maintenance of drainage structures to prevent erosion and protect company roads; and
inadequate deactivation of one road system which is causing significant erosion.
The drainage structures, which include ditches, ditchblocks and culverts, are a concern because proper installation and maintenance is necessary to prevent erosion, and the resulting environmental harm, and to maintain the integrity and safety of the roads. Cattermole Timber has advised the Board that they are taking actions to address both of these audit findings.
The audit also identified an old road system on Cattermole Timber's road permit which is not being maintained and is beginning to cause significant harm to the environment. The Code does not require maintenance or deactivation work on roads that have not been used since before the Code was enacted.
"The Board regards this as a serious issue that requires attention because of the significant erosion that is beginning to occur in this case," said Moore. "We have notified the ministries of Forests and Environment, Lands and Parks about the problems that we found on this old road system."
The Board does not have the ability to impose fines or penalties as a result of its audit findings, but may make recommendations. As a result of the audit, the Board has recommended that Cattermole Timber:
repair the problems identified with the inadequate drainage structures;
repair the problems caused by the inadequate deactivation of the North Fork of Siwash Creek; and
obtain Ministry of Forests approval for the proposed repair work before it is undertaken.
The Board will also follow up with the ministries of Forests and Environment, Lands and Parks to see if appropriate actions are taken to address the problems with the old road system."
The Forest Practices Board is an independent agency established in 1995 that provides reports to three ministers and the public about compliance with the Code and the achievement of its intent. Auditing of forest practices and the appropriateness of government enforcement under the Code is one of its key responsibilities. Other important roles include investigating public complaints; special investigations of any Code related forestry issues; participating in administrative reviews and appeals; and providing reports to the public and government on Board activities, findings and recommendations.
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
fpboard@gov.bc.ca
The Forest Practices Board today released a report on the results of its first audit of a Ministry of Forests Small Business Forest Enterprise Program (SBFEP). The audit examined - an audit of the operational planning for forest management activities approved between January and October 1996 in the Lakes Forest District SBFEP, near Burns Lake, British Columbia.
The Board found that the 1996-2000 Forest Development Plan was in compliance with the operational planning requirements of the Code, in all significant respects, with the exception of two situations of significant non-compliance. The Plan does not contain the classification for streams that will be affected by proposed road construction to access areas planned for timber harvesting, and consequently does not address the risk of damage to fish and other stream values. In addition, the plan does not include strategies to reduce the risk to forest resources from mountain pine beetle.
Silviculture prescriptions were in compliance, in all significant respects, with the operational planning requirements of the Code, with the exception of five significant non-compliance situations involving the salvage of timber attacked by mountain pine beetle. On four timber sales, a total of 25,836 cubic metres of timber was removed without the required silviculture prescriptions. The District advised the Board that it believed these operations were consistent with ministry interpretation of the Code and with ministry policy. The fifth situation involved an area logged outside of an approved emergency silviculture prescription.
The extensive number of non-compliance situations found in logging plans led the Board to conclude that, overall, logging plans were not in compliance with the Code. Many of the logging plans were missing essential information required by the Code, and were inconsistent with the silviculture prescriptions.
The Forest Development Plan is an overall plan that shows proposed forest resource management for the entire SBFEP over five years, while the silviculture prescriptions and logging plans show specific forest management plans for individual cutblocks.
The Board has been advised by the Lakes Forest District that a number of steps have been taken, or are in progress, that are expected to remedy the situations of non-compliance that were identified. These include:
The Board does not have the ability to impose fines or penalties as a result of its audit findings, but may make recommendations to government. As a result of the audit findings, the Board has recommended that government clarify the interpretation of sections of the Forest Practices Code related to preparation of silviculture prescriptions, and provide policy guidance to district staff on implementation of the interpretations. The Board has requested that the government advise the public and the Board by October 15, 30, 1997, of its, or proposed, response to this recommendation.
The Board has also recommended that the Lakes District:
The Lakes District SBFEP extends over the entire district from Babine Lake in the north to the northern boundary of Tweedmuir Park in the south. The audit was conducted by a team of six, including foresters, auditors, and a fisheries biologist2.
The SBFEP was selected randomly from 43 such programs in the province, and not on the basis of location or past level of performance. The Board currently has another five audits underway and plans to complete nine audits in 1997.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent agency established in 1995 that provide reports to three ministers and the public about compliance with the Code and the achievement of its intent. The undertaking of audits of forest practices and of the appropriateness of government enforcement is one of its key responsibilities. Other important roles include undertaking investigations in response to public complaints; undertaking special investigations of any Code related forestry issues; participating in administrative reviews and appeals; and providing reports to the public and government on Board activities, findings and recommendations.
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
The Chair of the Forest Practices Board welcomes Kamloops resident Frances Vyse as a new Board member. Frances, along with John Cuthbert, was appointed for two years through a government order-in-council on April 11th, 1997. The order also appoints Cindy Pearce as vice-chair.
Frances is a geographer, naturalist and parks planning consultant. She is well-known and respected in the conservation sector and forest sector, particularly through her work with the Federation of BC Naturalists and the Kamloops Naturalist Club.
John is a forester with a long and distinguished career with the Ministry of Forests, who had been Chief Forester for the province for nearly a decade when he retired in 1994. He lives in Summerland, and is well known in many forestry communities in British Columbia.
These new appointments add to the diversity on the Board both with their background and where they live. Frances joins John Cuthbert from Summerland and three original Board members, Keith Moore, from Queen Charlotte City, Cindy Pearce from Revelstoke and Jack Toovey from North Vancouver.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent agency established in 1995 that provides reports to the public and three ministers about compliance with the Code and the achievement of its intent. Important roles of the Board include audits of forest practices, investigation of complaints from the public about forest planning, forest practices or enforcement of the Forest Practices Code, as well as special investigations, special reports and participation in administrative reviews and appeals.
The Chair of the Forest Practices Board welcomes two new Board members. Frances Vyse and John Cuthbert were appointed for two years through a government order-in-council on April 11th, 1997. The order also appoints Cindy Pearce as vice-chair.
Frances is a geographer, naturalist and parks planning consultant living in Kamloops. She is well-known and respected in the conservation sector and forest sector, particularly through her work with the Federation of BC Naturalists.
John is a forester with a long and distinguished career with the Ministry of Forests, who had been Chief Forester for the province for nearly a decade when he retired in 1994. He lives in Summerland, and is well known in many forestry communities in British Columbia.
These new appointments add to the diversity on the Board both with their background and where they live. Frances from Kamloops and John from Summerland join three original Board members, Keith Moore, chair, from Queen Charlotte City, Cindy Pearce from Revelstoke and Jack Toovey from North Vancouver.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent agency established in 1995 that provides reports to the public and three ministers about compliance with the Code and the achievement of its intent. Important roles of the Board include audits of forest practices, investigation of complaints from the public about forest planning, forest practices or enforcement of the Forest Practices Code, as well as special investigations, special reports and participation in administrative reviews and appeals.
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
The Chair of the Forest Practices Board welcomes Summerland resident John Cuthbert as a new Board member. John, along with Frances Vyse, was appointed for two years through a government order-in-council on April 11th, 1997. The order also appoints Cindy Pearce as vice-chair.
John is a forester with a long and distinguished career with the Ministry of Forests, who had been Chief Forester for the province for nearly a decade when he retired in 1994. He moved to Summerland when he retired, and is well known in many forestry communities in British Columbia.
Frances is a geographer, naturalist and parks planning consultant living in Kamloops. She is well-known and respected in the conservation sector and forest sector, particularly through her work with the Federation of BC Naturalists.
These new appointments add to the diversity on the Board both with their background and where they live. John joins Frances Vyse from Kamloops and three original Board members, Keith Moore, chair, from Queen Charlotte City, Cindy Pearce from Revelstoke and Jack Toovey from North Vancouver.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent agency established in 1995 that provides reports to the public and three ministers about compliance with the Code and the achievement of its intent. Important roles of the Board include audits of forest practices, investigation of complaints from the public about forest planning, forest practices or enforcement of the Forest Practices Code, as well as special investigations, special reports and participation in administrative reviews and appeals.
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
The Forest Practices Board today released the report for its audit of the silviculture practices on Forest Licence A20021 held by West Fraser Mills Ltd. The licence is located northeast of Williams Lake around Quesnel Lake and Horsefly Lake in the Horsefly Forest District.
The audit examined the silviculture practices of West Fraser Mills Ltd. for compliance with the Forest Practices Code, and included practices carried out in the licence area from June 15, 1995, to September 30, 1996.
The Board's audit work included assessments of 17 cutblocks, involving the examination of practices relating to mechanical preparation of sites for planting and the planting of tree seedlings.
The Board recognizes that all of the silviculture activities audited were implemented under silviculture prescriptions prepared and approved before the substantial requirements of the Code came into effect on December 15, 1995, and therefore did not have to meet the full requirements of the Code.
Overall, the Board concluded that West Fraser Mills Ltd. was, in all significant respects, in compliance with the silviculture requirements of the Code. The use of the words "in all significant respects" recognizes that there may be minor instances of non-compliance that either may not be detected by the audit, or that are detected by the audit but not worthy of inclusion in the report from the auditor.
The audit was conducted by a team of five that included foresters and auditors.
The licence was selected randomly, not on the basis of location or performance. The licence has approximately 4 percent of the allowable annual cut of the Williams Lake Timber Supply Area, with a current allowable annual cut of 127,004 cubic metres.
Three other audits were conducted by the Forest Practices Board in the fall of 1996. The audit reports for Finlay Forest Industries Inc. and International Forest Products Ltd. were released in February and March 1997. The remaining report will be released soon. The Board expects to undertake between 10 and 15 audits in 1997, beginning in the spring.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent agency established in 1995 that provides reports to the public and three ministers about compliance with the Code and the achievement of its intent. Audits of forest practices and of the appropriateness of government enforcement is one of its key responsibilities.
Other important roles include investigation of complaints from the public about forest planning, forest practices or enforcement of the Forest Practices Code, as well as special investigations, special reports and participation in administrative reviews and appeals.
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
The Forest Practices Board today released the report for its first audit on the coast - an audit of the road and timber harvesting practices on Tree Farm Licence 45 held by International Forest Products Ltd. The licence is located in the coastal mainland area north of Campbell River.
The audit examined the road and timber harvesting practices of International Forest Products for compliance with the Forest Practices Code. The audit included timber harvesting and road construction, maintenance, and deactivation practices carried out in the licence area from 1 January to 15 September 1996.
The Board's audit work included assessments of 14 cutblocks and approximately 90 kilometres of road in two different operating areas of the tree farm licence. The audit found that International Forest Products Ltd. was in compliance, in all significant respects, with the timber harvesting requirements of the Code. In one operating area, International Forest Products was in compliance, in all significant respects, with the road requirements. In the other operating area, the audit identified three events of significant non-compliance associated with road construction and maintenance requirements.
Overall, the Board concluded that, with the exception of the three events of significant non-compliance, International Forest Products Ltd. was, in all other significant respects, in compliance with the Code's timber harvesting and road construction, maintenance and deactivation requirements.
The events of significant non-compliance were confined to the following:
The audit was conducted by a team of six including foresters, forest engineers and auditors. A fisheries biologist and a terrain specialist were also involved. The team spent two weeks in the field.
The licence was selected randomly, not on the basis of location or performance. The total area of the licence is about 243,000 hectares, of which only 35,000 hectares are operable because of steep, mountainous, unstable terrain.
Three other audits were conducted by the Forest Practices Board in the fall of 1996. The Finlay Forest Industries report was released in February and the other reports will be released soon. The Board expects to undertake between 10 and 15 audits in 1997, beginning in the spring.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent agency established in 1995 that provides reports to the public and three ministers about compliance with the Code and the achievement of its intent. Audits of forest practices and of the appropriateness of government enforcement is one of its key responsibilities. Other important roles include investigation of complaints from the public about forest planning, forest practices or enforcement of the Forest Practices Code, as well as special investigations, special reports and participation in administrative reviews and appeals.
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
The independent Forest Practices Board has decided to initiate a special investigation into forest practices around streams in coastal BC.
The purpose of the Board's special investigation is to see if forest practices in the field comply with the Forest Practices Code and protect streams and riparian areas beside the streams. The special investigation will involve field assessment of a sample of all six classes of streams on the coast using audit techniques.
The Board's decision to undertake the investigation comes as a result of public concerns and request from government following the release of a report by the Sierra Legal Defence Fund on February 20. As part of its role as the independent public "watchdog" under the Code, the Board has decided to conduct its own investigation of forest practices in riparian areas.
In making its decision, the Board considered that requirements for riparian management are an important and integral part of the Code. Protection of streams and riparian areas is a common concern raised by the public to the Board and there is significant interest in the riparian provisions of the Code in the forest industry, environmental groups and government. The Board concluded that a special investigation was of general public interest.
Although final details of the special investigation have yet to be finalized, the Board plans to undertake the work in two phases. It intends to complete the first phase, with a report, by late spring, 1997. The second phase is planned to be completed with a final public report by the end of summer.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent agency established in 1995 that provides reports to the public and government about compliance with the Code and the achievement of its intent. The undertaking of special investigations of forest practices is one of its responsibilities. Other important roles include audits, investigation of complaints from the public, special reports, and participation in administrative reviews and appeals.
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899
The Forest Practices Board has released a final report concluding the investigation of a complaint about forest development plans in the Cariboo Forest Region.
The Board did not reach any conclusions about whether the complaint was substantiated or not. Nor did it find any fault or assign any blame to any organization or individual.
The Board found that there are different expectations about the CCLUP and its effect on the requirements of the Forest Practices Code relating to the 1996-2001 forest development plans. The Board is of the opinion that a more sensitive and rapid process to implement the CCLUP is required if the balance of interests and values in the CCLUP is to be realized.
The Board made ten recommendations as a result of the investigation. The first eight recommendations refer to 1996-2001 forest development plans, currently being considered for approval. The recommendations include:
In addition, two recommendations address the future declaration of other higher level plans in other parts of the province. These address the need for:
Board Chair Keith Moore released the report on Friday, December 6 in Williams Lake. This followed an opportunity for all the organizations involved in the complaint to provide comments to the Board on a draft report released in October, 1996.
The report results from the investigation of a complaint asserting that 1995-2000 forest development plans in the Quesnel River watershed were not consistent with the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land-Use Plan (CCLUP) and would prevent the achievement of the management objectives of the CCLUP.
Although the complaint is about the Quesnel River watershed, the Board's report and recommendations have implications for the larger area of the CCLUP and for other parts of the province where land-use plans are expected to be declared in future.
The Forest Practices Board is an independent agency established in 1995. Investigation of complaints from the public about forest planning, forest practices or enforcement of the Forest Practices Code is one of its responsibilities. Other important roles include audits, special investigations, special reports and participation in administrative reviews and appeals.
