A Decade in Review: Observations on Regulation of Forest and Range Practices in BC

One of the fundamental purposes of the Forest Practices Board is to encourage continual improvements in forest and range practices. The purpose of this special report is to provide independent observation, based on Board work, on how well the regulatory system is working and to identify opportunities for improvement.

The Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), along with the Wildfire Act, regulates the activities of forest and range licensees operating on Crown land. When it was introduced in 2004, replacing a Forest Practices Code that had been in place since 1995, it was understood that adjustments would be necessary as circumstances changed and practitioners gained experience with the new approach. Now, a decade later, the Board finds that the system is generally working but that implementation is incomplete and some aspects need to be refined or adapted to changing circumstances. The Board decided to report on how well FRPA is working after nearly a decade of experience.