Audit of the Government of British Columbia’s Enforcement of the Forest Practices Code in the Vernon Forest District

NEWS RELEASE

Board releases first audit of government

VICTORIA -The Forest Practices Board has released a report on its test audit of government’s enforcement of the Forest Practices Code within an entire forest district.

The Vernon forest district was chosen at random for the audit, which looked at whether the Ministry of Forests and Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection enforced the code appropriately and adequately. The audit examined enforcement for all major forest licensees, small business forest enterprise program operations, woodlot operations and range tenures on Crown lands in the district between Sept. 1, 1999, and Sept. 30, 2000.

The audit also examined how government has responded to recommendations the board made in its Audit of the Government of British Columbia’s Framework for Enforcement of the Forest Practices Code, released in December 1999.

The Forest Practices Code requires the board to audit the appropriateness of government’s enforcement of the code and to report its findings to the public.

The board’s main roles under the Forest Practices Code are:

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

Bill Cafferata,Chair
Forest Practices Board
Phone: (250) 387-7964
1-800-994-5899

Jacqueline Waldorf
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone: 250 387-7964
1 800 994-5899