In October 2010, the Board conducted a full-scope compliance audit of forest planning and practices of Forest Licence (FL) A15385, held by Conifex Mackenzie Forest Products Inc. (Conifex). FL A15385 is located in the Mackenzie Forest District, on the west side of the northern half of the Williston reservoir, and the east side of the southern half of the reservoir. In August 2010, Conifex took over FL A15385 from Abitibi-Bowater (Abitibi), who was in bankruptcy protection and had not actively harvested in the licence area for approximately three years. The audit found Conifex in compliance with the legislated requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
The Forest Practices Board conducted a pilot audit of forest soil conservation in the Mackenzie 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).
In June 2000, the Board published a special investigation report titled “Significant Breaches of the Forest Practices Code along the Power Line Corridor for the Kemess South Mine.” The report was based on an investigation of breaches of the Forest Practices Code along the right-of-way for a 340-kilometre power line built to service the Kemess South copper mine in northeastern BC. That report made a number of recommendations to address environmental problems and government enforcement of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act (the Code).
The 2000 special investigation report was the first and, to date, the only case where the Board has found significant breaches of the Code. A significant breach is defined in the legislation as a breach of Code requirements “that has caused or is beginning to cause significant harm to persons or the environment.” The Board concluded that the failures to comply with Code requirements were causing significant harm to the environment and that government's response to the reporting of significant breaches was inadequate and uncoordinated. In total, six separate breaches of the Code were identified.
On August 11, 1999, the Omineca Community Forest Association complained to the Forest Practices Board with concerns about plans to log timber near Germansen Landing in the Mackenzie Forest District.
There are two parts to this complaint. The first part concerns an amendment to Slocan Forest Products' 1998-2002 forest development plan (FDP) for forest licence A15384. The amendment proposed three cutblocks in the Discovery Creek area to harvest timber damaged by mountain pine beetle infestation. The amendment was approved in August 1998. The complainant asserts that each of the three cutblocks is larger than the maximum allowed by the Code and is too large relative to the size of the pine beetle infestation.
The second part of the complaint concerns Slocan Forest Products' 1999-2003 FDP, which included 19 cutblocks in the Twenty Mile Creek area. The complainant asserts that the cutblocks were approved without specifying which existing road, or newly proposed road, would access the area.
On May 11, 1999, the Board received a complaint from the BC Trappers Association on behalf of trappers on three registered traplines. During 1997 and 1998, Royal Oak Mines Inc. (the licensee) constructed a powerline for the Kemess South Mine that intersected the complainants' trapping areas. The complainants claim that traps, trails, a trapping cabin, furbearer habitat, and their businesses were harmed by construction of the powerline. The complainants requested that the Board assist them in getting compensation for their losses. However, the Board has no authority to require either the licensee or government to pay compensation.
