AUDIT SEASON HAS ARRIVED!
The random selections have been made (congratulations to those chosen) and Forest Practices Board staff are busy planning the audits of forest practices we will undertake this year. Ten natural resource districts across the province have been randomly selected for audit and the individual licence holders that will be audited within each district are now being identified. Auditees will be selected based on who has not been audited in the last five years and which licences reflect the Board’s Strategic Priorities. Two of the ten audits will look at BC Timber Sales programs.
Our audits look at whether forestry activities (planning, roads, harvesting, silviculture and fire protection), carried out on Crown land, including woodlots and tree farm licences, complied with the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act. We typically look at all activities carried out in the year or two leading up to the start of the audit.
Auditees can expect to be notified a month before the audit happens, anytime between May and September. You will receive a phone call from the Board’s Director of Audits to let you know you are the lucky one! The auditors will work with you to make the process as painless as possible for your operation and your people.
So what can you do to be prepared, should your phone be the one that rings? First of all, don’t panic. A Board audit is an opportunity to show your customers and the public that you are doing a great job. And if you aren’t, well consider it an opportunity to get some free advice on how to improve your operation and show the public what you are doing to get better. Second, have a look at this document on What to Expect in an Audit. It sets out everything you need to know. Finally, be sure to review this Bulletin on Fire Hazard Assessment to make sure you are meeting your legal obligations, or to put a plan in place to achieve compliance if you aren’t already there.
For more information on the Board’s audit program, visit our website at www.bcfpb.ca/board/what-we-do/. You can also reach us via email at fpboard@bcfpb.ca or call 1-800.994-5899. We are more than happy to talk to people about what we do and what to expect in an audit.
We are looking forward to talking to you soon.
