Board to Audit Woodlot Licence Holders

They will examine each woodlot’s compliance with harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire protection activities and associated planning regulations during the period from Jan. 1, 2006 to the week of June 11, 2007.

The board conducts periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with the Province’s forest practices legislation. This is the first board audit to focus solely on woodlots.

The five woodlots with the most harvest activity since January 2006 were selected from the 45 woodlots in the Arrow Boundary Forest District. The total volume harvested over the past 16 months for these five woodlots is approximately 30,000 cubic metres. They are all located in the southern portion of the Arrow Boundary Forest District.

Once the fieldwork is complete, 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 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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