Audit of Forest Legislation Enforcement in the Columbia Forest District

The Forest Practices Board has audited the appropriateness of government’s enforcement of the provisions of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, in the Columbia Forest District in southeastern British Columbia.

The Board commends the Ministry of Forests and Range staff in the district for their good compliance and enforcement (C&E) practices during the audit period. They completed a large number of inspections, demonstrating that they were out on the ground, extensively monitoring forest activities. They also conducted numerous investigations and took appropriate enforcement actions when problems were identified. When interviewed, licensees in the district reported that compliance monitoring and enforcement practices were conducted fairly during the two-year audit period. Overall, the investigation found no C&E weaknesses of concern in the district.