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Taan passes forestry audit on Haida Gwaii: BC Forest Practices Board

An audit of Taan Forest Limited Partnership’s tree farm licence 60 and Taan Forest Ltd.’s forest licence A87661 on Haida Gwaii has found the company complied with almost all requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and the Wildfire Act.

The audit examined forestry activities carried out between September 2019 and September 2021. Activities included harvesting on 36 cutblocks, construction of 45 kilometres and maintenance of more than 1,700 kilometres of road, planting on 54 cutblocks and ensuring forests are regenerating on more than 170 cutblocks. These activities were assessed for compliance with FRPA, the Wildfire Act, applicable regulations and legal orders.

“We are pleased to report that all field practices complied with legal requirements as well as objectives in the Haida Gwaii Land Use Order,” said Kevin Kriese, chair of the Forest Practices Board. “Taan appropriately addressed important resource features including riparian areas, visual quality objectives, wildlife habitat, karst, cultural features and cedar stewardship areas.”

The auditors found that Taan met reporting requirements in the land-use order but did not report reforestation information into the government’s silviculture database within the time frame required by legislation.

“As this non-compliance did not affect forest regeneration, this is considered an area for improvement,” said Kriese. Tree farm licence 60 and forest licence A87661 are within the territory of the Haida Nation and the Haida Gwaii Natural Resource District, off British Columbia’s northwest coast. Taan’s operations are primarily located on Graham and Louise Islands. The villages of Queen Charlotte and Masset are the largest communities in the district and Taan’s office is located in Skidegate.

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.