This is a report on a limited scope compliance audit of the Mid-Coast Forest District SBFEP. The audit examined the SBFEP’s operational planning (including forest development plans, silviculture prescriptions, and logging plans); timber harvesting; and road construction, maintenance and deactivation activities for the period of August 9, 1998, to August 31, 1999.

Before completing this report, the Board considered written representations from the Mid-Coast Forest District as required under section 182 of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act (the Act). The Board also considered the Report from the Auditor along with supporting audit evidence.

This is the Board’s report on a compliance audit of the SBFEP in the Port McNeill Forest District. The operating areas of the SBFEP are located on the northern portion of Vancouver Island, numerous islands in Johnstone Strait and the adjacent mainland coast from Knight Inlet north to Seymour Inlet.

The audit examined the SBFEP’s operational planning, timber harvesting, silviculture, fire protection, and road construction, maintenance and deactivation, for the period July 1, 1997, to July 15, 1998, to assess compliance with the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act and related regulations (the Code).

In early 1997, the Forest Practices Board began a special investigation into forest planning and practices around streams in coastal British Columbia. Logging practices around streams were the subject of public controversy at the time. The Board decided to undertake this investigation in its role as public watchdog over effective forest management, and because streams and their adjacent riparian areas are of great interest to the public and to organizations involved in forestry

A complaint was filed with the Board in August 1996 about the way ten forest development plans in the Port McNeill Forest District on northern Vancouver Island were advertised for public review and comment. The complainant requested that their name be kept confidential and the Board agreed to the request. The complainant was represented in all discussions by its agent, the Sierra Legal Defence Fund.

The complaint focused on the acceptability of the notice advertised in early 1996 by the licensee, International Forest Products, announcing that the plans were available for public review and comment. Shortly after the licensee placed the notice in the North Island Gazette, the complainant’s agent informed the district manager that the complainant considered the notice to be flawed because it did not include the name or phone number of a person to contact for further information, and included no information about alternative times and places for the public to review the plans.

This is the Forest Practices Board’s final report on a special investigation of a cutblock at Schwartzenberg Lagoon, near Seymour Inlet in the mainland coast portion of the Port McNeill Forest District. The block was harvested under timber licence T0127, held by Lone Tree Logging Ltd.

While conducting an audit of the Port McNeill Small Business Forest Enterprise Program in July 1998, Board staff flew over the cutblock and observed two landslides, one of which had entered an S3 class stream. Staff also noted that there was extensive windthrow along the stream, the block appeared not to be planted, and roadside slash piles had not been burned. Because the cutblock was not part of the small business program, it could not be examined within the audit.