Babine Forest Products Ltd. – FL A16823

NEWS RELEASE

Audit of Babine Forest Products finds good practices

VICTORIA – An audit of a Babine Forest Products (BFP) operation in the Nadina Forest District near Burns Lake showed a high standard of forest operations, according to a Forest Practices Board audit report released today.

“Our audit team found that, during the course of beetle-salvage logging, BFP effectively implemented its wildlife tree retention strategies, carefully managed its silviculture program and made sure roads, bridges and drainage structures were all well-maintained,” said board chair, Al Gorley.

The Nadina Forest District is located in the Lakes Timber Supply Area, which covers approximately 1.5 million hectares in north-central British Columbia, around Francois and Babine Lakes.

The audit, which took place from September 12 to 15, 2011, assessed over 80 cutblocks and close to 300 kilometres of road and found that BFP met or exceeded legislated requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act, the Wildfire Act, the Lakes District Land and Resource Management Plan and the Lakes North Sustainable Resource Management Plan.

BFP, a joint venture between Oregon-based forest products company Hampton Affiliates and the Burns Lake Native Development Corporation , was certified in July 2011 by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative . This is the first time this forest licence has been audited by the board.

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