VICTORIA – Northern Nlaka’pamux Forestry Resources Ltd (NNFR), based in Lytton, complied with the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and worked efficiently to salvage fire-damaged timber, the Forest Practices Board reported today.

The audit report covered NNFR’s forestry operations from May 1, 2004 to May 11, 2005. The Ministry of Forests and Range awarded NNFR a one-time, three-year licence to harvest timber damaged during the 2003 Venables fire, southwest of Ashcroft.

“The board found that NNFR met all legal requirements and did a good job in rapidly harvesting fire-damaged timber before it began to deteriorate,” said board chair Bruce Fraser. “NNFR also followed the direction set by the Kamloops Land and Resource Management Plan, in areas such as retaining undamaged trees in old-growth management areas and respecting the needs of recreational users.”

The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the FRPA and the achievement of its intent. The board’s main roles under FRPA are:

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

This news release and more information about the board are available on the Forest Practices Board Web site atwww.fpb.gov.bc.ca or by contacting:

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Erik Kaye
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250-356-1586 or 1-800-994-5899