Victoria - Tolko Industries’ Questwood Division and Riverside Forest Product’s Armstrong Division are complying with the Forest Practices Code, according to two Forest Practices Board audits released today. The audits were both "clean", meaning no significant non-compliance was found.

Last month, the Board released audits of an Interfor operation on the coast and a Slocan Forest Products Ltd., operation in the Kootenays, which were the first clean audits the Board has seen.

"The fact that we have had four clean audits so far in 1998 supports the Board’s observations that compliance with the Code has improved each year since it came into effect," said Board Chair, Keith Moore. "Not all the 1998 audits are likely to be clean, but the clean ones can be completed quickly because there are few issues for the auditor and the Board to deal with."

Both audits examined timber harvesting, construction, maintenance and deactivation of roads, and the associated planning, carried out between summer 1997 and summer 1998. Tolko's forest licence is located west of Quesnel and Riverside's forest licence is near Armstrong.

The licences were selected for audit randomly, not on the basis of location or level of performance. The Board has undertaken nine compliance audits in 1998.

Created in 1995, the Board is BC’s independent watchdog for sound forest practices. The Board reports to the public and government about compliance with the Forest Practices Code and the achievement of its intent. The Board’s main roles are: auditing forest practices, undertaking investigations in response to public complaints, undertaking special investigations of any Code related forestry issues, participating in administrative reviews and appeals and providing reports on Board activities, findings and recommendations.