Board to Audit SWC Holdings Ltd. on the Mid-Coast of BC

VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices of SWC Holdings Ltd., in the North Island-Central Coast Forest District.

The audit will examine SWC Holdings’ operations on forest licence A16848, located in Smith Inlet, approximately 70 km north of Port Hardy on the Central Coast.

The audit will examine forest practices carried out between Oct. 1, 2004, and Oct. 4, 2005, to assess compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA).

The Forest Practices Board carries out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with the Province’s forest practices legislation. SWC Holdings Ltd. was selected randomly, and not on the basis of location or level of performance.

The two-member audit team will be in the area for two days, during the first week of October 2005. Once the fieldwork is done, the 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 an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and the achievement of its intent. The board’s main roles 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 / 1 800 994-5899