VICTORIA– The board’s first audit of the Ministry of Forests and Range’s small scale salvage program will be conducted in the Kamloops Forest District starting Sept. 24, the Forest Practices Board announced today.

Small scale salvage is the recovery of timber not considered economically viable by the major licensees and includes trees that are wind-thrown, beetle-killed, damaged by fire or considered to be residue.

The audit will examine:

• compliance with forest practices legislation
• the small scale salvage program’s effectiveness in meeting strategic and forest health plans
• district enforcement of forest practices in the small scale salvage program

The audit is expected to take one to two weeks of fieldwork.

Small scale salvage operations are located throughout the Kamloops Forest District, which includes the city of Kamloops and the communities of Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Logan Lake, Barriere and Chase.The board carries out periodic independent audits to see if government and forest companies are complying with provincial forest practices legislation. When the analysis is complete, an audit report is prepared and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings has a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations are then 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.

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