This is a report on a “limited scope” audit for TFL 6, held by Western Forest Products Inc., in which only harvesting, road activities and associated planning were examined. These activities were assessed for compliance with the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act, the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), and related regulations.
The Board’s audit fieldwork took place from June 25 to 29, 2007.
Originally published in 2008, this report was revised and re-published in January 2009. Revisions were made to correct data errors and to clarify the Board's views on the findings of the investigation. The conclusions and recommendations in the original report did not change.
This investigation examines the sustainability of timber supply in areas with high retention harvesting on the Queen Charlotte Islands and the central and northern B.C. coast, by assessing post-harvest stand structure and condition in recent cutblocks. The investigation found high-grading of cedar and some spruce trees—selectively removing the valuable cedar and spruce trees, leaving behind mainly old rotting hemlock trees spread across the cutblock. The investigation also found that important social and environmental values such as viewscapes and biodiversity, often cited as the reason for using this method, were protected.
The Toquaht Nation filed a complaint to the Board about the approval of an amendment to the BC Timber Sales 2001/2006 Forest Development Plan. The Toquaht Nation asserts that the approval was unreasonable, as the government failed to adequately consult with and accommodate the Toquaht Nation, and the approval did not follow ministry policy and guidelines respecting First Nations’ interests.
The Carmanah Forestry Society filed a complaint about approval of timber harvesting on several woodlots in the coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem of Vancouver Island, within the South Island Forest District. The complainant is concerned that timber harvesting on woodlots is occurring without identification and ecological assessment of endangered plant communities, putting those communities at risk.
Related Links
1,598 Hectares of Coastal Douglas-Fir to be Protected (MFR News Release)
