The Forest Practices Board (FPB) has released its audit of Canadian Forest Products Ltd. (Canfor) Forest Licence A19040 in the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District.

The report finds overall compliance with forestry legislation but highlights a notable practice and a fire-hazard abatement issue.

The audit examined Canfor’s forestry activities, which covered an extensive area near Cranbrook, Kimberley, Sparwood, Wasa and Elkford.

The board found that Canfor met its legal obligations for operational planning, timber harvesting, road construction and maintenance, silviculture and most wildfire protection requirements. Canfor’s operations included harvesting in 90 cutblocks and maintaining more than 4,600 kilometres of forest roads.

“The way Canfor managed its forest operations was very well done, given its size and complexity,” said Gerry Grant, vice-chair of the board. “We also saw a notable practice in this audit: Canfor’s use of a new predictive pine rust tool that can be used to model forest-health risks and support healthy, resilient forests.”

The predictive pine rust tool uses the latest silviculture survey data to model the future impacts of forest diseases known as rusts. This forecasting method can help Canfor make more informed regeneration decisions regarding species selection, planting densities and silvicultural systems.

Auditors also identified non-compliance in Canfor’s fire-hazard assessments and abatement practices. Canfor did not complete fire-hazard assessments within the required time frames for 14 of the 41 cutblocks sampled, and did not meet abatement requirements on two cutblocks.

One of these cutblocks was near Kimberley, where significant values are at risk, and public recreation and human activity increase the risk of a human-caused fire, FPB noted in a media release.

“Leaving fire hazards unabated in areas close to communities can put public and private resources at significant risk,” Grant added. “The board expects licensees to be diligent in managing wildfire risks, especially given the increasing severity of wildfires in B.C.”

Since the audit, Canfor fulfilled its outstanding abatement obligations. It has also committed to addressing the issues by completing overdue fire-hazard assessments, updating its fire-hazard assessment procedures and communicating these updates to its operations province-wide, FPB said.

This audit took place within the territories of the Adams Lake Indian Band, Neskonlith Indian Band, Shuswap Band, Yaqan nuʔkiy, Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi ‘it First Nation, ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation, ʔaq̓am and Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw. The board recognizes First Nations’ deep connection with the land that continues to this day.

Read the full report.

e-KNOW file photo

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