Audit of Downie Street Sawmills finds road issue

VICTORIA – An audit of Downie Street Sawmills on forest licence A31102, near Revelstoke, found compliance with most legal requirements, with the exception of some steep sections of road that were not properly constructed and were considered unsafe for industrial use. Other than this issue, Downie’s forestry activities complied with the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.

The audit examined timber harvesting, road construction, road and bridge maintenance, road deactivation, silviculture practices, fire preparedness, and related planning activities carried out between October 2015 and October 2017.

Downie’s operations are located on both sides of Revelstoke Lake and the Columbia River between Revelstoke and the Mica Dam, and in an operating area just south of Mount Revelstoke National Park and the Trans-Canada Highway.

Several of Downie’s cutblocks are located in scenic areas along the Trans-Canada Highway where special visual quality objectives apply. Auditors found that Downie did a good job of meeting those objectives when harvesting timber.

While building some steep roads, the recommended construction methods were not followed on some short sections of road. Following the audit field work, Downie rebuilt some of these road sections and advised the Board it will have a qualified specialist inspect and prepare remediation plans for the remaining ones.

The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board audits forest and range practices on public lands and appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.

Contact: Darlene Oman, Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4705 / 1 800 994-5899