VICTORIA - The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices of Tolko Industries Ltd. on timber licence T0816 in the Okanagan Shuswap Natural Resource District, starting Oct. 23, 2023.
Auditors will examine whether timber harvesting, roads, bridges, silviculture, wildfire protection and associated planning carried out between Oct. 1, 2021, and Oct. 27, 2023, meets the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
The audit area is in the Okanagan timber supply area and the territories of the Adams Lake Indian Band, Little Shuswap Lake Band, Neskonlith Indian Band, Okanagan Indian Band, and the Splatsin First Nation. The timber licence is located near Mabel and Sugar Lakes, Eagle River, and the communities of Revelstoke, Lumby and Sicamous.
Once the audit is complete, a report will be prepared. 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 be released to the public and provincial 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 a sample of licence holders each year using a licence-selection process based on a modified random sample, not on past performance or public complaints. The board audits forest and range practices on public lands and the appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
Contact:
Shannon West, Communications
Forest Practices Board
shannon.west@bcfpb.ca
Phone: 250 213-4735 / 1 800 994-5899
