The Forest Practices Board announced last week it will examine the activities of the BC Timber Sales (BCTS) program and timber sale licence holders in the South Island Natural Resource District portion of the Strait of Georgia Business Area, including some operations near Bowser.
The audit will take place from May 29 to June 2. Auditors will examine harvesting, roads, bridges, silviculture, fire protection activities and associated planning for compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
The audit includes all forestry activities carried out from June 2015 to June 2017. In addition to the operations near Bowser, the audit area includes the communities of Port Alberni, Port Renfrew and Lake Cowichan.
This BCTS program was chosen randomly for audit from among all the BCTS programs in the province. The board normally audits two BCTS programs each year.
Once the audit work is completed, a report will be prepared and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations will then be released to the public and government.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board audits forest and range practices on public lands and appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
For more information, visit www.bcfpb.ca.
— Forest Practices Board submission