Windthrow on West Island Timberlands

This special investigation examined windthrow management activities in the Franklin operating area of Weyerhaeuser Company Limited’s West Island Timberlands Unit (West Island). The Franklin operating area is part of Tree Farm Licence 44, on Vancouver Island.

The investigation stems from a complaint investigation about windthrow (trees blown down by wind) on one of the licensee’s cutblocks. The Board found the licensee had not complied with the Forest Practices Code (the Code) on that block, but that windthrow in the cutblock had caused no detectable damage to forest resources. That prompted the Board to examine the licensee’s windthrow management activities over a larger area.