VICTORIA– The Burns Lake community forest will be audited during the week of Oct. 15, the Forest Practices Board announced today.

The audit will look at timber harvesting, roads, silviculture, protection activities and planning in the community forest, which encompasses 120,000 hectares surrounding the Village of Burns Lake.  To the west and north, the community forest reaches Maxan Lake, and it extends as far south and east as Tchesinkut Lake.

Burns Lake received its 25-year community forest licence on Sept. 29, 2004, after successfully managing the community forest on a pilot basis for five years.  It was the first community in the province to receive a community forest licence, and it is the first community forest tenure to be audited by the board.

Over the past year, the Burns Lake community forest has yielded approximately 600,000 cubic metres of timber.

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;
• audits appropriateness of government enforcement;
• investigates public complaints;
• undertakes special investigations of current forestry issues;
• participates in administrative appeals; and
• makes recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.

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