In January 2004, the Forest Practices Board initiated an investigation of bridge and major culvert inspection and maintenance practices on forest service roads (FSRs). This special investigation assessed Ministry of Forests’ compliance with the Forest Practices Code requirements to inspect, repair and maintain bridges and major culverts. The investigation, consisting of both office and site visits, was conducted in the winter and spring of 2004. The Board examined bridges and major culverts on FSRs in six forest districts: Sunshine Coast, North Coast, Peace, Headwaters (including both former Clearwater and Robson Valley districts), Central Cariboo, and Kootenay Lake.
On July 5, 2002, the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (the complainant) submitted a complaint that International Forest Products Ltd. (Interfor) did not show the municipal boundary of Sechelt in the correct position on their forest development plan maps. The complainant thought that the public review and comment period would be more meaningful if the maps showed the correct boundary. As a solution, the complainant wanted to have the correct boundaries shown on Interfor and Ministry of Forests’ maps.
The Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (the complainant) reviewed three of International Forest Products' (the licensee) 2000-2004 forest development plans (FDPs) for forest licence A19220 in the Sechelt timber supply block. The licensee's Campbell River Division manages the area under two of those FDPs, the Nelson Island/Chapman and Grey Creek plan and the North Jervis Inlet plan. The licensee's Sechelt Division manages the area under the third FDP, the South Jervis Inlet plan.
On June 22, 1999, the Board received a complaint about the construction of a logging road and cutblock on the northeast side of the Sechelt Peninsula near Oyster Bay. The road accesses a cutblock beside Halfway Beach Provincial Park. The road location was originally approved under Terminal Forest Products Ltd.'s 1998-2002 Forest Development Plan. The road location and cutblock were subsequently approved in the 1999-2003 Forest Development Plan. The complainant asserted that the road construction and cutblock would remove valuable oldgrowth stands and affect a proposed hiking trail.
This is a report on a compliance audit of the SBFEP in the Sunshine Coast Forest District.The audit examined the activities of the Sunshine Coast SBFEP in the areas of operational planning (including forest development plans, silviculture prescriptions, and logging plans); timber harvesting; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; silviculture and fire protection. These activities were assessed for compliance with the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act and related regulations (the Code).
Before completing this report, the Board considered written representations from the Sunshine Coast Forest District and the Coastal Fire Centre, as required under section 182 of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act. The Board also considered the Report from the Auditor along with supporting audit evidence.
