VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will conduct its second pilot audit on forest soil conservation in the Columbia Forest District, later this July.

In 2003, the Board conducted a pilot soil conservation audit, examining effectiveness of forest practices at protecting soil and site productivity. This second pilot audit will apply what was learned as the Board further refines its auditing of effectiveness of forest practices under the Forest and Range Practices Act.

The audit will examine all forestry activities relating to soil conservation including harvesting, roads, and silviculture (mechanical-site preparation), for the period between July 1, 2004 and July 31, 2006. The three operations that will be audited are: Louisiana-Pacific Canada Ltd.; Wood River Forest Inc.; and BC Timber Sales Okanagan-Columbia. All activities are located in the vicinity of Golden, including Kinbasket Lake to the north and operations south of Golden, in the Golden Timber Supply Area.

The four-member audit team will be in the area for about ten days, beginning July 24. Once the fieldwork is done, the audit 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 first soil conservation pilot audit took place in the MacKenzie Forest District—assessing the level of licensee compliance with the Forest Practices Code, and assessing the effectiveness of forest practices in conserving soil and site productivity. The audit found that the forest practices examined were generally successful at protecting soils from the effects of harvesting activities and at preserving fish habitat in streams.

The Forest Practices Board is an independent public watchdog that reports to the public about compliance with the FRPA and the achievement of its intent. The board’s main roles are:

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

-30-