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Forest Practices Board to audit First Nations Woodland Licence

The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices of Lake Babine Nation Forestry Ltd. on First Nations Woodland Licence (FNWL) N21, located near Burns Lake, B.C., during the week of Aug. 8, 2022.

Auditors will examine whether timber harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire protection and associated planning carried out between Aug. 1, 2020, and Aug. 12, 2022, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.

The audit area is in the Nadina Natural Resource District, north of the Village of Burns Lake, in the territory of the Lake Babine Nation. The licence has three separate operating areas on the west side of Babine Lake, covers 36,500 hectares and has an allowable annual cut of approximately 74,000 cubic metres.

First Nations Woodland Licences are an area-based, long-term forest tenure unique to First Nations. FNWL N21 is distinct because it extends through two timber supply areas—the Morice and Lakes.

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 the 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.

Learn more: www.bcfpb.ca/release-publications/releases/board-to-audit-first-nations-woodland-licence/