B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices will be in the region.
The Forest Practices Board will be auditing the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development’s small-scale salvage program and salvage license holders in the Cariboo-Chilcotin Natural Resource District starting Monday.
“This is part of our regular audit program,” said Darlene Oman, director of communications.
“We do 10 to 12 audits each year around the province and we’re looking at forestry operations to ensure that they are complying with the forest arranged practices act and the wildfire act.”
Williams Lake District was randomly chosen as the location for an audit this year, and Oman says in looking what was going on in the District the Board decided to have a look at the small-scale salvage program with license volumes of 2,000 cubic meters or less.
Small-scale salvage is the recovery of trees that are wind-thrown, beetle-killed, damaged by fire or considered to be residue. In the past year, most salvage activities in the district took place near Williams Lake, Horsefly and McLeese Lake.
“The auditors will be looking at the sites for probably four to five days,” Oman said.
“So once they’ve had a look at the sites they may go back to gather more information. It can take anywhere from three months up to a year if it becomes a really complicated audit.”
Once completed, Oman says that a report will be finalized and released to the public.