VICTORIA – An audit of forestry activities on four woodlots in the Nadina Resource District has concluded that the woodlot licensees complied with British Columbia’s forestry legislation, according to the audit reports that have been released.
The audits examined planning, timber harvesting, roads, silviculture and fire protection activities, carried out between October 2015 and October 2017, in four woodlots, all located near Burns Lake.
“The board is pleased that the audit found the holder of woodlot licence 2050 fully met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act,” said Bruce Larson, vice-chair of the Forest Practices Board. “Not many of the woodlots we have audited in the past several years have achieved that.”
For woodlots 1687, 1690, and 1691, auditors found that the licensees met most legal requirements, but did not complete fire hazard assessments on time.
“Assessing fire hazard is a legal requirement, and must be completed at required intervals after harvest has started,” said Larson. “In these cases, the licensees reduced the fire hazards to a safe level, so this was considered an area for improvement.”
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
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of Canadian Forest Products Ltd. (Canfor) found 10 bridges that were not maintained as required by the Forest and Range Practices Act. However, Canfor’s road maintenance and silviculture activities all complied with the act.
“There are standards in the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation that licence holders must meet to ensure bridges are sound and safe for industrial users. The bridges examined in the audit had structural deficiencies, but they were not closed or load-rated to warn users. This was a significant concern because two of the bridges had been used by oil and gas companies, and four others were accessible by pick-up trucks, and anyone could have driven over them,” said Bruce Larson, board vice-chair.
“Canfor responded to these findings in a positive and timely manner by removing one bridge and restricting access and posting new signs for the others.”
The audit examined activities under forest licence A17007, located in the Fort Nelson Resource District in northeastern British Columbia. Canfor has not harvested any trees on this licence since 2008, so the audit was limited to road and silviculture obligations, primarily maintenance and reforestation. Canfor has an active silviculture program, and met all requirements for planting and establishing new trees on harvested sites.
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 – The Forest Practices Board will examine the activities of the BC Timber Sales (BCTS) program and timber sale licence holders in the Arrow Field Unit portion of the BCTS Kootenay Business Area, during the week of June 11, 2018.
Auditors will examine whether harvesting, roads, bridges, silviculture, fire protection activities and associated planning carried out from June 1, 2017, to June 15, 2018, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
The audit area starts at the United States boundary, and stretches approximately 230 kilometres north toward Revelstoke. The area covers about 1.35 million hectares, and contains the communities of Trail, Rossland, Castelgar, Fruitvale, Salmo, Nakusp, Hills, Burton and Edgewood.
This BCTS program was chosen randomly for audit from among all the BCTS programs in the province. The board normally audits two BCTS programs each year.
Once the audit work is completed, 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 will then be released to the public and government.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government.
The board 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
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of Gwa’Nak Resources Ltd., on the B.C. central coast, has found poor bridge construction practices.
However, Gwa’Nak’s operational planning, timber harvesting, road construction and maintenance,silviculture and protection activities all complied with the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, as well as the Great Bear Rainforest land-use order.
“There are standards in the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation that licence holders must meet, to ensure bridges are sound and safe for industrial users. Gwa’Nak did not meet these standards on any of the five bridges examined in the audit,” said Bruce Larson, board vice-chair.
“The board is very concerned that we continue to see problems with forest road bridges, but we recognize that Gwa’Nak has responded to these findings in a positive and timely manner,” Larson said.
The audit examined activities under forest licences A93095 and A93096, as well as non-replaceable forest licence A75918. The licences are located within the Great Bear Rainforest South Timber Supply Area. The activities audited are just north of Port Hardy, along Belize Inlet. Gwa’Nak’s planning and practices are managed by Lions Gate Forest Products Ltd.
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 – The Forest Practices Board will examine the activities of the BC Timber Sales (BCTS) program and timber sale licence holders in the Dawson Creek Timber Supply Area (TSA) portion of the Peace-Liard Business Area, during the week of June 4, 2018.
Auditors will examine whether harvesting, roads, bridges, silviculture, fire protection activities and associated planning, carried out from June 1, 2016, to June 8, 2018, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
The audit area is located in the Dawson Creek TSA, in the Peace Natural Resource District, and includes the communities of Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge, Taylor, Hudson’s Hope and Pouce Coupe. The TSA covers about 2.3 million hectares in northeastern B.C., with an allowable annual cut of 1.86 million cubic metres. BCTS’s allocation is 401,106 cubic metres.
This BCTS program was chosen randomly for audit from among all the BCTS programs in the province. The board normally audits two BCTS programs each year.
Once the audit work is completed, 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 will then be released to the public and government.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government.
The board 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 0866740 B.C. Ltd., held by Aspen Planers Ltd., on forest licence A18700, has found compliance with most requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, according to a report released today.
All activities carried out by Aspen Planers, between July 2015 and November 2017, were audited, included harvesting timber, constructing, maintaining and deactivating forestry roads, reforesting logged sites, wildfire protection and associated planning.
“The audit did find some issues with how Aspen had managed visual quality,” said Bruce Larson, board vice-chair. “Visual quality objectives were not met in a scenic area visible from Highway 40. However, it was clear that Aspen has recently improved its visual-quality management efforts, so this was not considered a significant finding.”
The audit also found that Aspen assesses the fire hazard for its harvest blocks as part of the final road and block inspection, but its assessments do not adequately consider the risk of a fire starting and spreading. This is considered an area for improvement. This forest licence is in the Cascades Natural Resource District. The area audited is west of Lillooet, and includes Carpenter Lake and the Bridge River. Nearby communities include Bralorne and Gold Bridge.
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:
Andrew Campbell
Communications
Forest Practices Board
250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA - An investigation of a complaint by the Valhalla Wilderness Society about forestry activities near Summit Lake has found that the Nakusp and Area Community Forest (NACFOR) and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRO) have taken reasonable steps to ensure forest practices protect the western toad population.
"Both NACFOR and FLNRO contributed to research and expert advice was sought regarding toad habitat and population protection," said Bruce Larson, board vice-chair. "Both were also involved in developing best management practices to guide forest practices, although there is no legal requirement to do so."
The Summit Lake toad population is recognized as regionally important, and the Province is considering protection for it under the Forest and Range Practices Act. The board is recommending FLNRO proceed quickly with additional actions it deems necessary to protect the toads.
The report also notes that other land uses in the Summit Lake area, such as motorized recreation trails, are potentially impacting the toads, and urges government to consider what it can do to protect this population from land uses in addition to forestry.
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:
Andrew Campbell
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Doug Donaldson, has announced the appointment of three new members to the Forest Practices Board. The Board is pleased to welcome members Tara Marsden and Rick Monchak and new vice-chair, Bruce Larson.
Bruce is a professor and FRBC Chair of Silviculture in the UBC Faculty of Forestry. His expertise and insight on future forests and foresters will be appreciated.
Tara has been involved in resource governance and management issues across northern BC, and is currently the only board member from the north. A member of the Gitanyow First Nation, Tara brings an indigenous perspective to the issues the Board deals with.
Finally, the Board welcomes Rick, recently retired after 41 years with Timberwest. Rick brings his wealth of experience with field operations and coastal forestry issues to the Board.
All three appointees complement the current experience on the Board and together they ensure the many diverse points of view across the public spectrum are considered in Board deliberations.
The new appointees join current board members Norma Wilson, Marlene Machmer and Ken Higginbotham. The selection process for a Chair of the Board is ongoing.
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 and appropriateness of government enforcement on public lands, investigates public complaints and current forestry issues, participates in administrative appeals and makes recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Darlene Oman
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of the BC Timber Sales Program (BCTS) and timber sale licensees in the Bulkley Timber Supply Area (TSA) portion of the BCTS Babine Business Area found that most operational planning, harvesting and silviculture activities complied with legislation, but there were numerous problems with roads and bridges.
The audit found BCTS had a number of poor practices, including six bridges with structural safety issues. There were also problems with culvert installation and maintenance, and road maintenance issues that led to a small landslide. Several of the problems had been previously identified by government, but were not corrected. Overall, BCTS’s road maintenance system was not up to current standards.
Most timber sale licence holders met their obligations, with the exception of conducting fire hazard assessments following logging. One timber sale licence holder also failed to remove a temporary log crossing on an access road before spring freshet, which led to drainage issues.
“The number of issues with roads and bridges identified in this audit is concerning,” said Chris Mosher, director of audits for the Forest Practices Board. “We are also concerned that we continue to see issues with fire hazard assessments, as we have warned licensees that this is a legal requirement that we check in our audits.”
Following the audit, BCTS has taken actions, or has a plan to take action, to address the problems identified. The timber sale licence holder also addressed the natural surface drainage issue on its timber sale.
The audit area is located in northwestern B.C. BCTS has several operating areas across the Bulkley TSA. Nearby communities are Smithers, Telkwa, Witset and Fort Babine. The Traditional Territories of several First Nations also overlap the Bulkley TSA. During the two-year audit period, timber sale licensees harvested about 332,000 cubic metres of timber from 33 cutblocks, covering 1672 hectares.
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
250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
VICTORIA – An audit of Tree Farm Licence 52 (TFL 52) has found West Fraser Mills Ltd. met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, according to a report released today.
TFL 52 consists of two areas. One is east of Quesnel, extending to Bowron Lakes Provincial Park, and one is 40 kilometres northwest of Quesnel, along the Fraser River. The annual allowable cut for the TFL is about 900,000 cubic metres.
“This is a large operation in the Cariboo, and is subject to the requirements of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan, as well as forest practices legislation,” said Audit Director Chris Mosher. “West Fraser did a good job overall, and we were particularly pleased to find compliance with the wildfire hazard assessment requirements — something we often find lacking in our audits.”
The audit examined operational planning, timber harvesting, road and bridge construction, maintenance and deactivation, silviculture and fire preparedness activities for compliance with the legislation. During the two-year audit period, West Fraser harvested approximately 815,000 cubic metres of timber from 123 cutblocks. It constructed about 144 kilometres of new road and maintained 3210 kilometres of road.
A team of board auditors spent four days in the field examining roads, harvesting and reforestation in late October 2017.
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
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899
