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B.C. Forest Practices Board audits Interfor operations

The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices of Interfor Corp. on tree farm licence (TFL) 18, located near Clearwater, this week.

Auditors will examine whether harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire protection and associated planning carried out between July 1, 2020, and July 15, 2022, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.

The audit area is located in the Thompson Rivers Natural Resource District, northwest of Clearwater and south of Wells Gray Provincial Park. The TFL overlaps the territories of the Adams Lake Indian Band, Canim Lake Indian Band, Neskonlith Indian Band and the Simpcw First Nation.

The TFL was transferred to Interfor Corporation from Canadian Forest Products Ltd. in March 2020, including harvesting rights, road maintenance and silviculture obligations and commitments to First Nations, as well as stakeholders.

Once the audit work is complete, 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 land, as well as appropriateness of
government enforcement.

Natural resource districts are randomly selected as the locations for these audits. A forest or range licence within the district is then selected as the focus of the audit. Audit selections are not based on complaints or on the past performance of the tenure holder.

More information about the audit process is available on the board’s website: www.bcfpb.ca.