VICTORIA – Two Forest Practices Board auditors will visit five woodlots in the Quesnel Forest District from June 15 to 19, spending one day on each woodlot. The board carries out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with provincial forest practices legislation.

The audit will examine each woodlot holder’s harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire protection activities, and associated planning for compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act, and the Wildfire Act. The area being examined has been hit heavily by mountain pine beetle, and most harvesting activity is salvage of beetle killed trees.

The five woodlots with the most harvest activity since January 2007 were selected from the 59 woodlots in the Quesnel Forest District. The total volume harvested over the past two and a half years for these five woodlots is approximately 70,000 cubic metres. They are all located within two hours of Quesnel, BC.

Once the audit work is completed, a report will be prepared, and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations will then be released to the public and government.

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;
• audits appropriateness of government enforcement;
• investigates public complaints;
• undertakes special investigations of current forestry issues;
• participates in administrative appeals; and
• makes recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.