On October 6, 2008, the Concerned Carter Creek Water Users submitted a complaint about proposed forest development on Woodlot 491, located near Argenta in the Kootenay Lake Forest District. WL 491 includes a portion of the Carter Creek watershed.

The complainant asserted that effective communication between the water users, the woodlot licensee and the Ministry of Forests and Range had broken down and, despite a request to the licensee to do so, the licensee did not notify the complainant of the application or issuance of a road permit for the woodlot. The complainant also believes that the licensee did not adequately consider professional assessments when planning its forestry activities, specifically the potential impact of road construction and harvesting on the hydrology of the Carter Creek watershed.

In summer 2008, the Forest Practices Board conducted a compliance audit of forest planning and practices of the Creston Valley Forest Corporation (CVFC) in the Kootenay Lake Forest District.

The audit examined planning, field activities and obligations in the areas of: operational planning (including forest stewardship plans and site plans, where applicable); timber harvesting; road construction and maintenance; silviculture; and fire protection.

These activities were assessed for compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act, the Wildfire Act and related regulations, as well as certain transitional elements of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act. All activities, planning and obligations for the period June 1, 2007, to June 10, 2008, were included in the scope of the audit.

As part of its 2008 compliance audit program, the Forest Practices Board randomly selected the Kootenay Lake Forest District as the location for a full scope compliance audit, with a focus on community tenures. Within the district, the Board selected the Harrop‐Procter Community Forest and the Kaslo and District Community Forest Society for audit.

Information about the Board’s compliance audit process is provided in Appendix 1.

This soil conservation pilot audit took place in the Golden Timber Supply Area of the Columbia Forest District. Three auditees, Wood River Forest Inc, Louisiana-Pacific Canada Ltd. and the Okanagan-Columbia business area of the BCTS program were audited. The audit focused on their effectiveness in managing forest soil conservation.