VICTORIA – An audit of 0866740 B.C. Ltd., held by Aspen Planers Ltd., on forest licence A18700, has found compliance with most requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, according to a report released today.

All activities carried out by Aspen Planers, between July 2015 and November 2017, were audited, included harvesting timber, constructing, maintaining and deactivating forestry roads, reforesting logged sites, wildfire protection and associated planning.

“The audit did find some issues with how Aspen had managed visual quality,” said Bruce Larson, board vice-chair. “Visual quality objectives were not met in a scenic area visible from Highway 40. However, it was clear that Aspen has recently improved its visual-quality management efforts, so this was not considered a significant finding.”

The audit also found that Aspen assesses the fire hazard for its harvest blocks as part of the final road and block inspection, but its assessments do not adequately consider the risk of a fire starting and spreading. This is considered an area for improvement. This forest licence is in the Cascades Natural Resource District. The area audited is west of Lillooet, and includes Carpenter Lake and the Bridge River. Nearby communities include Bralorne and Gold Bridge.

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 and appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.

Contact:
Andrew Campbell
Communications
Forest Practices Board
250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899