Audit of Forest Planning and Practices: McBride Community Forest Corporation – Community Forest Agreement K1H
As part of its 2012 compliance audit program, the Forest Practices Board selected community forest agreement K1H, held by the McBride Community Forest Corporation for audit. A community forest pilot agreement was first issued to MCFC in August 2002, and MCFC was awarded the 25-year long term CFA K1H in 2007.
The McBride community forest surrounds the Village of McBride, which lies in the Robson Valley, about 210 kilometres southeast of Prince George.
Audit: BCTS and TSL Holders – Stuart-Nechako Business Area in the Fort St. James District
Forestry Audit: BCTS and Timber Sale Licence Holders – Stuart-Nechako Business Area, Fort St. James District
This audit examined the activities of the BC Timber Sales (BCTS) program and timber sale licence (TSL) holders in the Fort St. James District.
The communities in this district depend heavily on the forest industry but also rely on resourcessuch as water, fish, and wildlife to provide economic diversity and to meet cultural and tourism needs. At a time when mountain pine beetle infestations and subsequent timber salvage are high, BCTS and TSL holders face many challenges when balancing resource interests with salvage operations.
Audit of Forest Planning and Practices: Valemount Community Forest Company Ltd. – Community Forest Agreement K2T
The Forest Practices Board selected community forest agreement K2T, held by the Valemount Community Forest Company Ltd. (VCFC) for audit. Community forest agreement K2T surrounds the Village of Valemount, which lies in the Robson Valley, about 300 kilometres southeast of Prince George.
The VCFC harvested approximately 250 000 cubic metres of timber during the two-year audit period. Harvesting was focused on salvaging lodgepole pine trees affected by the mountain pine beetle. Field work was carried out from September 24 to 27, 2012.
Valemount Community Forest Company Ltd. – Community Forest Agreement K2T
Davidson Creek Access Management
In September 2010, Batnuni Lake Guides and Outfitters (the complainant) submitted a complaint to the Forest Practices Board that L&M Lumber Co. Ltd. (the licensee) was not seasonally-blocking motorized access to the road system in their Davidson Creek operating area (the Davidson). This caused the complainant to lose a key business opportunity guiding hunters by horse in a non-motorized area.
Since 1994, when not being used for industrial purposes, the Davidson road system has been closed every winter to motorized use by putting concrete barriers in front of the bridge at the start of the road. In 1997, the Vanderhoof Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP)formalized this practice by designating access into the Davidson as ‘semi-primitive, nonmotorized’(SPNM), and specifying that recreationalists, including hunters, could not use vehicles in the area between April 1 and November 30 each year.
Davidson Creek Access Management
Audit: BCTS – Prince George Business Area, Mackenzie District
Upgrading of the Trout Mainline Road
In June 2011, the Stellat’en First Nation of Fraser Lake (the Stellat’en) asked the Forest Practices Board to investigate government approval of plans by Fraser Lake Sawmills (the licensee) to re-align and widen several haul roads through traditional Stellat’en territory.
The Stellat’en asserted that a major haul road would seriously disrupt traditional uses of their territory and that consultation and accommodation of Stellat’en interests by both the licensee and the government were inadequate.
While on the surface this complaint is about the adequacy of consultation, the Board found that much of the concern was about accommodation, particularly compensation.
