VICTORIA – An audit of Mackenzie Fibre Management Corporation in the Mackenzie District found that silviculture, fire protection, harvesting and road activities complied with forest practices legislation, but found two practices that could be improved according to a report released today.

“While the majority of Mackenzie Fibre Management’s forest practices were sound, auditors did find that some improvements were required related to soil disturbance and operational planning,” said board chair, Tim Ryan. “We are pleased that since the audit, the company has implemented soil disturbance training for logging supervisors, and developed a checklist and a stream classification field card to prevent these types of problems in the future.”

During the two-year audit period, MFMC harvested approximately 881,735 cubic metres of timber, primarily to salvage mountain pine beetle (MPB) infested timber. The audit fieldwork took place from September 23 to 27, 2013.

The Mackenzie District lies within the Northern Interior Forest Region and includes Williston Lake, a reservoir created by the W. A. C. Bennett Dam. The audit area is subject to the 2000 Mackenzie Land and Resource Management Plan, which defines sensitive areas and objectives for their management.

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.

More information can be obtained by contacting:

Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899