The Chair of the Forest Practices Board welcomes Summerland resident John Cuthbert as a new Board member. John, along with Frances Vyse, was appointed for two years through a government order-in-council on April 11th, 1997. The order also appoints Cindy Pearce as vice-chair.

John is a forester with a long and distinguished career with the Ministry of Forests, who had been Chief Forester for the province for nearly a decade when he retired in 1994. He moved to Summerland when he retired, and is well known in many forestry communities in British Columbia.

Frances is a geographer, naturalist and parks planning consultant living in Kamloops. She is well-known and respected in the conservation sector and forest sector, particularly through her work with the Federation of BC Naturalists.

These new appointments add to the diversity on the Board both with their background and where they live. John joins Frances Vyse from Kamloops and three original Board members, Keith Moore, chair, from Queen Charlotte City, Cindy Pearce from Revelstoke and Jack Toovey from North Vancouver.

The Forest Practices Board is an independent agency established in 1995 that provides reports to the public and three ministers about compliance with the Code and the achievement of its intent. Important roles of the Board include audits of forest practices, investigation of complaints from the public about forest planning, forest practices or enforcement of the Forest Practices Code, as well as special investigations, special reports and participation in administrative reviews and appeals.