The Forest Practices Board conducted a pilot audit of forest soil conservation in the Chilliwack forest district. The audit was one of two pilot audits designed to explore the Board’s approach to auditing the effectiveness of forest practices in anticipation of the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA).
On December 28, 2001, a small landslide originated in the fill slope of the Vedder Mountain Forest Service Road. Chilliwack Forest District staff undertook measures to temporarily maintain the road. On January 9, 2002, another landslide occurred at the same site. Both times, fill-slope material deposited into a regenerating cutblock immediately below the road. The road failed in another spot on January 9, 2002, depositing a small amount of material into a stream. On July 3, 2002, the Valhalla Wilderness Society complained to the Forest Practices Board that the district had failed to adequately maintain that forest service road.
On September 27, 1999, the Forest Practices Board received a complaint from the Chilliwack Field Naturalists (the complainant). The complainant said that a logging road and a helicopter landing beside Jones Lake would affect mountain beaver and grizzly bear habitat. The Board decided to investigate whether it was reasonable for the Ministry of Forests district manager to approve the road and landing, considering the concerns about impacts on wildlife habitat.
Durieu Ridge and Pattison Creek are located in the Hatzic Lake watershed, northeast of Mission, in the Chilliwack Forest District. The area has a history of landslides and flooding, caused both naturally, and by past logging and road building activities.
On October 26, 1998, the Board received a complaint about proposed clearcut harvesting on Durieu Ridge and in the Pattison Creek watershed. The complaint stated that the district manager had approved clearcut logging despite the fact that terrain stability reports indicated that the area is unstable. The complainant also questioned whether the proposed logging was advertised properly to the public since she did not know about it until after a timber sale license was approved in July 1998.
A compliance audit report of Forest Licence A19207 held by Prettys’ Timber Co. Ltd. The audit examined Prettys’ timber harvesting, road practices, and related operational plans, for the period from August 1, 1996, to September 22, 1997. The audit assessed compliance with FRPA and related regulations.
