Enhancing the Board’s Ability to Appeal FDP Approvals

Enhancing the Board’s Ability to Appeal Forest Development Plan Approvals:

• A special report on the need to amend Section 40 of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act and Section 2 of the Administrative Review And Appeal Regulation.
• The Forest Practices Code empowers the Forest Practices Board to appeal certain government decisions to administrative review panels. Among other things, the Board is the only body that can appeal the approval of a forest development plan (FDP).
• This allows the Board to act when it appears that an FDP has been prepared in contravention of the Forest Practices Code. At the request of concerned citizens, or acting of its own accord, the Board can represent the public interest by appealing the approval of the FDP.
• The Board’s ability to appeal FDP approvals is an important safeguard that helps assure the public that FDPs—the highest level of operational plan, which sets the direction for future logging and road construction in a particular area—will meet Code requirements.