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.
This audit examined the activities of the BC Timber Sales Program (BCTS) in the Mackenzie District. Numerous natural resources support a wide range of interests in the district—including recreation, trapping, guide-outfitting, tourism, wildlife and fish—creating challenges for BCTS and timber sale licensees that carry out forestry activities in the area.
Another challenge faced by licensees there is how to achieve free-growing silviculture milestones in areas prone to rust infection (a fungus that infects hard pines). Rusts can reduce tree growth and cause early mortality in pine stands, impeding the ability to achieve freegrowing status. However, on all cutblocks where the risk of rust infection was moderate or high, BCTS achieved free-growing, and it continues to work in collaboration with licensees and
the ministry to further enhance knowledge and management of pine rusts.
Coast Mountain Expeditions (CME) submitted a complaint to the Forest Practices Board in September 2011 asserting that a recently approved log dump in Toba Inlet will impact its business.
Although the log dump will be operated as a forestry operation, the application was approved under the Lands Act. The Board does not have jurisdiction to consider Land Act issues and, as a result, cannot consider this complaint. However, the Board believes it worth highlighting the circumstances of this issue as an example of the problems that can arise when two tenure holders rely on the same resource for different purposes.
As part of the Forest Practices Board's 2011 compliance audit program, the Board randomly selected the Selkirk District as the location for a full scope compliance audit. Within the district,the Board selected Forest Licence A20213, which operates in the Kootenay Lake Timber Supply Area. This licence is held by J.H. Huscroft Ltd., a family owned and operated company established in Creston in 1927.
As part of the Forest Practices Board's 2011 compliance audit program, the Board randomly selected the Quesnel District as the location for a full scope compliance audit. Within the district, the Board selected occupant licences to cut (OLTC) L43043 and L48493, held by Troll Resort Ltd. (Troll).
The OLTCs were awarded under the Forest Act, but because they are contained within the Troll Mountain Controlled Recreation Area (CRA), designated under the Resort Timber Administration Act and the CRA Regulation, they are administered by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Resort Development Branch. While forest practices are not administered under the traditional legislative framework, the licencee still must meet the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act, Wildfire Act and related regulations for OLTCs.
This investigation examines licensees’ compliance with the Chief Foresters Standards for Seed Use. When planting seedlings on harvested sites, it is important that the seedlings are suited to the location and climate of the planting site to ensure they will grow well and become healthy trees.
This audit examined the activities of the BC Timber Sales (BCTS) program in the Squamish portion of the Chinook business area. BCTS’s operating area includes the Sea to Sky corridor – a world-famous recreational destination for both residents and visitors. Substantial First Nations interest, high recreational use and the natural values of the land base create significant challenges for BCTS and timber sale licensees carrying out forestry activities in the area. Overall, the audit found that BCTS and the timber sale licensees did a good job at meeting these challenges and the Board acknowledges their efforts.
This report concerns a 2011 investigation by the Forest Practices Board into fire management planning in British Columbia. Specifically, the Board looked at the status and use of fire management plans and fire analyses to determine whether accurate and complete land and resource information is adequately incorporated into fire control activities.
As part of the Forest Practices Board's 2011 compliance audit program, Weyerhaeuser Company Limited’s forest licence A18698 in the Cascades forest district was selected for audit. The forest licence lies within the Merritt timber supply area (TSA), and nearby communities include Princeton, Tulameen and Hedley. The audit took place between October 1, 2010 and October 20, 2011.
As part of the Forest Practices Board's 2011 compliance audit program, the Board randomly selected the Sunshine Coast District as the location for a full scope compliance audit. Within the district, the Board selected all four community forest agreements (CFAs) for audit: CFA licence K3F held by Sechelt Community Projects Inc.; CFA licence K3G held by Powell River Community Forest Ltd.; CFA licence K3P held by Sliammon First Nation; and CFA licence K4C held by Klahoose First Nation. A community forest is a forest tenure managed by a local government, First Nation, or community group for the benefit of the entire community.
