Fire has been a natural part of many ecosystems in BC. Lightning-caused fires periodically reduced the build-up of forest fuels, replaced older stands of trees and created a patchwork of different ages and forest types across the landscape. First Nations also used fire to create wildlife habitat, improve the growth of plants, and to protect settlements. But for the past century, humans have done a good job of excluding fire from the landscape and hazardous forest fuels have built up.
The 2003 fire season, and the Okanagan Mountain Park fire in particular, spurred BC into action. Since 2004, the provincial government, in cooperation with local governments, the Union of BC Municipalities and the First Nations Emergency Services Society have worked together to manage hazardous forest fuels around communities. Forest fire-fighters are increasingly being used to treat hazardous areas to protect communities and harvesting by the forest industry and ecosystem restoration activities have also had beneficial fuel management effects.
This report provides several ideas to get the conversation started, but the Board expects consultation with practitioners, local governments, First Nations, the Union of BC Municipalities, First Nations Emergency Services Society and others will be necessary.
As part of its 2014 compliance audit program, the Forest Practices Board randomly selected BC Timber Sales' (BCTS) activities in the Fraser timber supply area (TSA) for audit. The Fraser TSA is bounded by Bowen Island to the west, Manning Park to the east, Boston Bar to the north and the United States border to the south. The TSA includes the lower mainland and it is the most populated in the province.
The audit identified significant non-compliance with respect to BCTS’ planning for a cutblock beside the Hope Slide. The design of the block did not meet the established objectives for visual quality. The audit also identified an unsafe bridge and disturbance to a stream channel and stream bank by two timber sale licensees. These were also considered significant non-compliance. Finally, the audit identified unsound practices near streams by a timber sale licensee and noted that timber sale licensee fire preparedness could be improved.
In 2005, the Board reported on the state of access management in BC. The Board identified issues that reduced government's ability to provide positive benefits and prevent negative effects of resource roads. While there has been some progress in the intervening decade, many of the issues remain.
This special report provides an update to the 2005 report. The Board undertook this report in the interests of advancing the state of access management in British Columbia. Given the continuing and emerging issues with resource roads, it is time to review what has happened in the intervening years since the Board's 2005 report was published and to summarize the current situation.
The Forest Practices Board participates in appeals to the Forest Appeals Commission under the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act. These appeals concern administrative penalties (which are issued by government officials, rather than by the courts), remediation orders and government decisions concerning approval or rejection of forest stewardship plans, range stewardship plans, or range use plans. This report summarizes the work of the Forest Practices Board in administrative appeals from April 1, 2009, to December 31, 2014. Previous reports have summarized the periods from 1995 to 2001 and 2002 to 2009.
In September 2014, the Forest Practices Board audited range planning and practices on three licences for grazing and one for hay cutting, all located about 20 kilometers northeast of 100 Mile House, south of Canim Lake. The audit involved assessing compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act including the required content of range use plans and whether license holders met practice requirements such as protection of drinking water quality, riparian areas, fish habitat and upland areas.
The audit found that all four licensees had plans that met the required content. Grazing licensees ensured that minimum stubble heights and maximum browse utilization in its plans were not exceeded. Range practices provided for the protection of water quality, licensed waterworks, riparian areas, fish habitat and upland areas. Also, range developments were functional and maintained. The hay cutting licensee had not cut hay for the past several years and no issues were identified.
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.
This special investigation examined how well forest licensees plan and mitigate forestry impacts to timbered natural range barriers. Along with barriers such as steep gullies and large rivers, timbered range barriers are important because they help ensure cattle are contained within certain areas and do not graze where they are not supposed to. Forestry operations, including harvesting and road construction, can reduce the effectiveness of a timbered range barrier.
The investigation examined 10 case studies of range barrier mitigation on the ground and the commitments made in 56 operational plans (referred to as measures) to address forestry impacts to range barriers. In most of the case studies, the investigation found problems in how mitigation was planned and implemented. Most measures in operational plans were also deficient because, as written, they were not likely to lead to effective mitigation and were not verifiable. The investigation report includes three recommendations to improve how range barrier mitigation is planned and implemented.
As part of the Forest Practices Board's 2014 compliance audit program, the Board randomly selected the Thompson Rivers Resource District as the location for a full scope compliance audit. Within the district, the Board selected four woodlot licences for audit: W0303, W1434, W1591 and W2070. Two of the woodlots are located near the community of Clearwater and two are located just north of Adams Lake.
The individual woodlot licences were selected based on the level of harvest activity between October 2012 and October 2014, and all woodlot licences had harvested greater than 13,000 cubic metres during this period. The audit assessed all timber harvesting, roads, silviculture, protection activities, and associated planning.
The audit found that planning and field activities undertaken by all woodlot licensees complied in all significant respects with the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
The audit identified one area for improvement related to fire hazard abatement on one of the woodlots.
As part of the Forest Practices Board’s 2014 compliance audit program, the Board randomly selected the Campbell River Resource District as the location for an audit. Within the district, the Board selected Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 47, held by TimberWest Forest Corporation. The audit assessed all timber harvesting, roads, silviculture, protection activities, and associated planning, carried out over two years, commencing in August 2012.
TimberWest conducted its operations within the Campbell River and North Island Central Coast Districts, south-east of Port McNeil and on the islands to the east of Johnstone Strait. These islands are only accessible by water, making operations challenging. The TFL contains natural resource values, including scenic corridors, marine recreation areas, old growth forests, rare plant communities, and cultural sites, requiring special management. During the two-year audit period, the licensee harvested approximately 730 000 cubic metres of timber, in accordance with their forest stewardship plans.
The audit found that planning and field activities undertaken by TimberWest complied in all significant respects with the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
The audit found an area of improvement related to fire hazard assessments.
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.
