Board to conduct area-based audit in Quesnel forest district

VICTORIA -The Forest Practices Board will conduct an area-based audit this spring in the Quesnel forest district.

Area-based audits look at all activities subject to the Forest Practices Code within a selected area, including government’s enforcement of the code. The board will audit all major and small licence-holders, including Crown woodlot and range licence-holders within the selected area. Auditors will look at a wide range of forest practices, including logging; road construction, maintenance and deactivation; fire protection; range activities; silviculture; and planning.

The audit area lies in the central part of the Quesnel forest district. It extends south from the forest district boundary near the Blackwater River and Boot Lake, and east of the Nazko River, to Wentworth Creek. The mountain pine beetle epidemic has hurt forests in this district, and timber harvesting has been primarily focused on limiting the spread of the infestation.

The board is required to carry out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with the code. The audit area was chosen randomly, not on the basis of location or level of performance.

The eight-member audit team of professional foresters, chartered accountants and a geoscientist will spend two weeks this May working in the field. Once the fieldwork is done, the audit team will report its findings to the board. 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 the government.

The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog, established in 1995, that publishes reports about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent.

The board’s main roles under the Forest Practices Code are:

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

Bill Cafferata,Chair
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899

Steve Hughes
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899