BC Timber Sales Program Gets Clean Audit in 100 Mile House

VICTORIA – The British Columbia Timber Sales (BCTS) program has received a clean audit for its operations in 100 Mile House Forest District, the Forest Practices Board reported today.

The compliance audit examined all activities, planning and obligations for the period June 1, 2003 to June 20, 2004, in the areas of operational planning; timber harvesting; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; silviculture; and fire protection. The audit found that BCTS complied in all significant respects with forest practices legislation in effect during the audit period.

“BCTS in 100 Mile House complied with all legal requirements and supported the objectives of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “The audit identified one area for improvement – better management practices to address the unprecedented pine beetle epidemic, which is the major focus of logging activity in this area.”

The audit found that approximately two-thirds of beetle-infested trees, baited to concentrate insect broods before logging, were not harvested before the 2004 beetle flights. While several factors beyond the control of BCTS contributed to the delay in harvesting, the board believes this is a forest practice that requires improvement and encourages BCTS to review its approach to beetle management in the district.

BCTS is an independent organization within the B.C. Ministry of Forests created to develop Crown timber for auction to establish market price and capture the value of the asset for the public. BCTS replaced the former Small Business Forest Enterprise Program (SBFEP) as of April 1, 2003.

The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The board’s mandate has been retained under the new Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). The board’s main roles under FRPA are:

• Auditing forest practices of government and licence holders on public lands.
• Auditing government enforcement of FRPA.
• Investigating public complaints.
• Undertaking special investigations of forestry issues.
• Participating in administrative appeals.
• Providing reports on board activities, findings and recommendations.

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Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250-356-1586 or 1-800-994-5899