Report Recommendations = Results

The BC Government has responded positively to a number of Board recommendations made in the past few years. The Board is pleased with these responses, and will continue to monitor these issues to see if improvements result on the ground.

Protection of Ancient Trees for Logging

In June 2010, the Board received a complaint about the logging of some very large and old trees near Port Renfrew. The complainant believed these trees should not be cut down because, in his view, they will never be replaced. The complainant wanted logging of “ancient” trees to stop; an old‐growth strategy to be developed, and the area near Port Renfrew, (referred to by environmental groups as Avatar Grove) to be saved from logging.

The investigation found that the forest company met all provincial requirements when it harvested the trees in question, and that part of the area is already included in an old growth management area. However the Board commented that government, forest professionals, and forest licensees should seek creative means to conserve trees of exceptional size or form, age or historical significance and, where appropriate, the forest stands that contain them.

As result of the Board’s report, along with the concerns voiced by the public, the Forest Minister at the time, the Honourable Pat Bell, directed the ministry to look at ways to protect individual trees or groups of trees of significance.

For more details on the Board’s investigation, please read the complaint investigation report – Logging Old-Growth Forest near Port Renfrew.

Improvements to Forest Retention to Protect Biodiversity in Pine Beetle Affected Areas

Also in early 2011, the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations responded to a recommendation made as a result of the investigation of biodiversity conservation in  salvage logging areas in the central interior of BC. That investigation found that objectives for retaining trees were being met in individual cutblocks, but when looked at from the landscape level, they were not. Large and very large disturbed areas are being created across the region, reducing the amount of older forest providing biodiversity. Following the investigation, government and the Council of Forest Industries (COFI) created a joint action committee to study the problem further and recommend actions to improve landscape level retention for biodiversity. That group confirmed the Board’s findings and came up with a number of recommendations for government, which have now been adopted.

For more details, refer to the Board’s report and the follow-up correspondence at: https://www.bcfpb.ca/reports-publications/reports/biodiversity-conservation-during-salvage-logging-central-interior-bc/

Protecting Grassland from Over-grazing in the East Kootenays

In 2008, the Board completed an investigation of a complaint about elk and cattle causing damage to forage resources in the East Kootenays. The complainant was concerned that the lack of government action to address forest in-growth and increasing elk and deer populations was resulting in lost ranching opportunities and over-grazing of wildlife winter ranges. The Board recommended that the Ministry of Forests and Range and the Ministry of Environment direct reductions of forage use in the East Kootenays to levels sufficient to achieve a positive and continuing trend in grassland ecosystem condition. After several years of delay, the new Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations responded to the Board in March 2011, describing a number of actions the Ministry is now taking to address livestock grazing, elk management and ecosystem restoration. The Ministry also committed to undertake a review in the near future to see if additional actions are needed.

For more details, refer to the Board’s report and the follow-up correspondence at: https://www.bcfpb.ca/reports-publications/reports/wildlife-and-cattle-grazing-east-kootenay/

Fast-tracked Study of Glyphosate Impacts on Amphibians

In a Board investigation of a complaint that the BC government had not been diligent in acting on a 2008 consultant report identifying concerns for glyphosate herbicides toxicity for amphibians, the Board commented that it is important for the Ministry of Environment (MOE) to establish a direct communication link with the federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA)—creating an opportunity for MOE to bring a greater profile to this issue, perhaps leading to a more timely and issue-targeted review of the product.

In response, an MOE representative met with representatives of the PMRA in Ottawa to reinforce BC’s interest in the review of glyphosate products formulated with polyethoxlated tallow amine, specifically as it relates to impacts to amphibians. MOE recently advised the Board that the work plan for the federal re-evaluation of glyphosate is targeted for completion in 2014.

In addition, MOE released Technical Guidance related to glyphosate use near amphibian habitat to all confirmation holders and licensees that work in the forest sector. The document provides a description of the issue, who it concerns, recommended actions and links to additional information.

For more detail, please refer to the Board’s Closing Letter: Glyphosate Herbicide Impacts and MOE’s Letter of Response .

NSR – The Facts of the Matter

For well over a year now, public debate has focused on the topic of NSR – or ”Not Satisfactorily Restocked” areas of forest land. A series of opinion pieces and letters to the editor have appeared in provincial media. At issue is how much of the provincial forest is not growing an adequate number and size of trees to ensure a sustainable forest industry in the future.

While the forest industry is legally required to restock sites they harvest, there are areas where stocking has been affected by disease, insect infestation and forest fires, and government is responsible for replanting. In many cases, we don’t know the extent of the issue because there has not been any recent surveying or inventory work done. Estimates of the size of the NSR area range from 200,000 hectares to many millions of hectares.

One of the Board’s strategic interests is whether a resilient forest is being established and maintained, consistent with public expectations and assumptions. Therefore, the Board has decided it would be in the public interest for the Board, as an independent voice, to provide comment on the current status and implications of NSR, in the form of a special report.

That special report will be written for the general public and policy makers and will include:

1. An assessment and summary of “the facts of the matter” that is as complete and objective as possible. This work will discuss what is known, what is unknown and provide a “best estimate” of the current state of NSR.
2. A discussion of strategic issues arising from “the facts of the matter” including:

  i. What is the significance of the unknowns to decisions that are made involving the topic?

 ii. What is government doing to address the information gaps about the nature of the forest in areas affected by beetles and fires?

iii. What is government doing to address the loss of mature and immature forests in the timber harvesting landbase and the loss of non-timber values such as visual quality and biodiversity values in dead old growth management areas (DOGMAs)?

iv. To the extent possible, what are the socio-economic and ecological consequences of government’s strategy and actions for addressing the NSR situation?

The report will be based on a collection and analysis of existing data relevant to the topic and formal and informal interviews with policy makers, forest managers and those who attempt to influence public opinion on the topic.

Planning For Wildfire

In 2005, the Forest Practices Board recommended that government conduct fire management planning before the fire season begins and secure the agreement of the land manager on the general response to a fire. Government responded that it would develop a wildfire management planning policy and it did—the policy was approved in 2008. In 2011 the Board decided to look at the implementation of these plans. Fire management plans show the values on the landscape including infrastructure, cultural heritage sites, and community watersheds. Some plans also indicate areas where fire may be beneficial and where it is not wanted.

The project team reviewed existing fire management plans from across the province, reviewed the Fire Analysis for selected fires and interviewed relevant district and fire centre staff to determine how values at risk and restrictions on practice were identified; whether resource information was adequately incorporated into control plans; whether the plans were followed; and whether the plans were successful.

Next the team examined 12 fires across the province to see if activities on the ground reflected the fire management plan and the fire analysis. Analysis of the results will take place over the summer and fall and a report should be ready by the end of the year.

Happy Retirement

Everyone at the Forest Practices Board bids Al Peatt a fond farewell and best wishes in his retirement.

Al Peatt, Manager of Audits and Investigations, has worked for the Forest Practices Board since 2000. In May of this year, Al decided to slow things down and he officially retired from government and took up consulting. We’re not sure that qualifies as slowing down, but we wish him well in his endeavors.

During his time with the Board, Al made valuable contributions through a number of significant projects, including:

• Logging Old-Growth Forest Near Port Renfrew
• Logging on District Lot 33 within the Coastal Douglas-Fir Ecosystem
• BC’s Mountain Caribou– Last Chance for Conservation?
• Conservation of Biological Diversity – An Assessment of the Application of Criteria and Indicators
• Windthrow on West Island Timberlands

Al’s expertise, his passion for stewardship of forests and wildlife, and his commitment to the mission and mandate of the Board will be missed.