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
Forest Planning and Practices in Coastal Areas with Streams – Technical Report
Road deactivation near the Oyster River
In mid‐November, 1995, a member of the public observed a backhoe operator employed by a forest company carrying out pre‐winter road maintenance on a hauling road southwest of Campbell River, Vancouver Island. Waterbars and cross‐ditches were being constructed at a time when previous heavy precipitation had saturated the soils.
The complainant was concerned that, as a result of this work, silt was entering the Oyster River, causing damage to salmon eggs in the river gravel at that time of year. The complainant contacted a number of government agencies to express concern and subsequently filed a complaint with the Board on December 7, 1995.
Adequacy of the Notice of Public Review and Comment for Ten FDPs on Northern Vancouver Island
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.
Road deactivation near the Oyster River
Adequacy of the Notice of Public Review and Comment for Ten FDPs on Northern Vancouver Island
Forest Practices and Code Enforcement in a Cutblock near Schwartzenberg Lagoon in the Port McNeill Forest District
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.
Forest Practices and Code Enforcement in a Cutblock near Schwartzenberg Lagoon in the Port McNeill Forest District
Audit of Road and Timber Harvesting Practices: International Forest Products Ltd. – TFL 45
The objective of the audit was to determine if timber harvesting and road construction, maintenance, and deactivation practices carried out by International Forest Products Ltd., on TFL45, from January 1, 1996, and September 15, 1996, complied with the requirements of the Forest Practices Code, including the transitional provisions.
