Management of McBride Community Forest concerns board

VICTORIA – An audit of the McBride Community Forest in the Robson Valley has found several instances of non-compliance with provincial forestry legislation, according to a report released today.

These findings include failing to show road locations on site plan maps, in one instance leading to a poorly constructed road that caused environmental harm. Five access roads also were upgraded and used without authorization. The status of cutblocks was not reported to government when required and accurate silviculture information was not maintained by the community forest.

“Each of these findings has potential implications for the overall sound management of forest resources, and collectively they raise serious questions about the community forest corporation’s diligence and attention to detail,” said board chair Al Gorley. “In our opinion, the management of the McBride Community Forest is not up to the standard required by provincial forestry legislation and expected by the public, nor is it reflective of the generally good management of other community forests we have audited in the past.”

This audit examined the activities of McBride Community Forest Corporation (MCFC) on community forest agreement K1H in the Prince George District from Sept. 1, 2010, to Sept. 28, 2012. The McBride community forest was randomly selected for audit, along with the Valemount Community Forest, which received a clean audit report last December.

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.

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