Logging on District Lot 33 within the Coastal Douglas-Fir Ecosystem

NEWS RELEASE

Plans for harvest near Nanoose Bay meet requirements

VICTORIA – A Forest Practices Board complaint investigation report released today found that logging plans for a parcel of coastal Douglas-fir forest, known as District Lot 33, met, and in some cases exceeded, legislative requirements.

The complaint was filed by a resident of Nanoose Bay, who said that planned logging on the 64-hectare lot should not proceed, but if it did, wetlands, rare species, plant communities, fish streams and underground water resources on the site should be protected. The report considers how the licensee dealt with these resources in its cutblock planning under the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA).

The licensee obtained a cutting permit from government in late December 2010, but no logging has yet occurred. The harvest licence for DL 33 is part of an agreement related to treaty negotiations between the Province and the Nanoose First Nation.

This is the board’s second investigation of public complaints about logging of District Lot 33.

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 is required to investigate public complaints about forest planning and practices.

Media contact:

Helen Davies
Forest Practices Board Communications
Phone: 250 213-4708 / 1 800 994-5899