As part of its 2016 compliance audit program, the Board randomly selected the Coast Mountain Resource District for the location of a full scope compliance audit. Within the district, the Board selected Forest Licence (FL) A16884, held by Canada Resurgence Developments Ltd. (CRD) for audit.
CRD’s operations under FL A16884 are near Bowser Lake and north in the Bell Irving watershed. Most of the operations are adjacent to Highway 37N (the Stewart–Cassiar Highway) and the Bell-Irving River north of Meziadin Junction. Operations are primarily on gentle ground. FL A16884 has an allowable annual cut of 291 712 cubic metres and harvested approximately 142 930 cubic metres during the two-year audit period.
The audit identified two significant non-compliances related to structure installation and silviculture obligations. CRD constructed two structures over seven metres in length instead of two, four metre long log culverts. Consequently, the structures are considered log stringer bridges which are subject to various requirements of the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation (FPPR). Because CRD was planning to install a log culvert, they did not comply with the FPPR. In addition, CRD did not update the forest cover information and could not confirm that free growing was achieved on five cutblocks.
CRD has stated that it will remove the structures in 2017 and will inspect all new wooden box culvert installation. CRD also stated that it will complete free-growing surveys and update forest cover information for the five cutblocks in 2017.
In October 2015, the Forest Practices Board audited the activities of Lowell A. Johnson Consultants Ltd.’s forest licence A70026 in the Skeena Stikine natural resource district. Activities took place approximately 35 kilometres east of Smithers, not far from Babine Mountains Provincial Park.
The audit found good practices – Lowell A. Johnson Consultants Ltd.’s operational planning, timber harvesting, road construction and maintenance, silviculture, and fire protection activities complied in all significant respects with the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act, the Wildfire Act and related regulations.
As part of the Forest Practices Board’s 2014 compliance audit program, the BC Timber Sales (BCTS) program and timber sale licence (TSL) holders in the Morice Timber Supply Area (TSA) portion of the BCTS Babine Business Area, in the Nadina District, was randomly selected for audit. The audit assessed all timber harvesting, roads, silviculture, protection activities, and associated planning, carried out by both BCTS and TSL holders over two years, commencing in July 2012.
The Morice TSA is situated on the western edge of British Columbia’s central interior plateau, extending from the most northerly tip of Babine Lake in the north to Ootsa and Whitesail Lakes in the south. During the two-year audit period, BCTS harvested about 667 000 cubic metres of timber, in accordance with their forest stewardship plan.
The audit found that planning and field activities undertaken by BCTS and the TSL holders complied in all significant respects with the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
As part of the Forest Practices Board’s 2013 compliance audit program, the Board randomly selected the Nadina Resource District as the location for an audit. Within the district, the Board selected non-replaceable forest licence (NRFL) A72921, held by 639881 BC Ltd., owned by Wet’suwet’en First Nation. The audit assessed all timber harvesting, roads, silviculture, protection activities, and associated planning, carried out between September 2011 and October 2013.
639881 BC Ltd. conducted its operations within a 50-kilometre radius of the community of Burns Lake. During the two-year audit period, the licensee harvested approximately 121 704 cubic metres of timber, primarily to salvage trees killed by mountain pine beetle.
The audit found that planning and field activities undertaken by 639881 BC Ltd. complied in all significant respects with the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act, with one exception, a significant non-compliance related to the control of invasive plants.
The audit also found an unsound forest practice pertaining to soil disturbance and an area of improvement related to annual reporting to the government.
The audit found that fire protection activities undertaken by 639881 BC Ltd. failed to comply with the Wildfire Act and related regulations, and in particular with requirements to assess and abate fire hazards following harvesting.
As part of the Forest Practices Board’s 2013 compliance audit program, the Board randomly selected the Nadina Resource District as the location for an audit. Within the district, the Board selected non-replaceable forest licence (NRFL) A66762, held by Burns Lake Specialty Wood Ltd. The audit assessed all timber harvesting, roads, silviculture, protection activities, and associated planning, carried out between September 2011 and October 2013.
Burns Lake Specialty Wood conducted its operations within a 50-kilometre radius of the community of Burns Lake. During the two-year audit period, the licensee harvested approximately 90 682 cubic metres of timber, primarily to salvage trees killed by mountain pine beetle.
The audit found that planning and field activities undertaken by Burns Lake Specialty Wood complied in all significant respects with the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act, with two exceptions:
- A significant non-compliance related to planting appropriate seedlings.
- A significant non-compliance related to the control of invasive plants.
The audit found that fire protection activities undertaken by Burns Lake Specialty Wood Ltd. failed to comply with the Wildfire Act and related regulations, and in particular with requirements to assess and abate fire hazards following harvesting.
