Board to audit Carrier Lumber licence takeovers in Robson Valley

VICTORIA–Carrier Lumber’s road and bridge maintenance and silviculture obligations on two recently purchased licences in the Robson Valley will be audited by the Forest Practices Board next week.

Carrier took over the two largest licences (A15430 and A15429) in the Robson Valley when the previous holders closed operations due to financial problems.

The four-person audit team will spend a week looking at licence obligations from Aug. 1, 2005 to present, to see if any outstanding obligations were reneged on by the financially strapped companies. The team will also review how Carrier has addressed these obligations since taking over the licences in November 2006 and May 2007.

Collectively, the two licences include an annual allowable cut of more than 260 thousand cubic metres in the Robson Valley timber supply area, which is located in the Rocky Mountain Trench and extends north and south of the McBride community, also encompassing Valemount.

The board carries out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with provincial forest practices legislation. Once the analysis is complete, an audit report will be prepared and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations will then be released to the public and government.

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.

-30-