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Forest stewardship plans must be specific, says FPB
by Fred Davies Parksville Qualicum Beach News •
Saturday May 13, 2006 at 05:59 PM
The first stewardship plans being released by forest companies under new results-based legislation are vague, complex, and provide little detail about how, when and where logging will take place on Crown land.
Parksville Qualicum Beach News Forest stewardship plans must be specific, says FPB By Fred Davies News Reporter The first stewardship plans being released by forest companies under new results-based legislation are vague, complex, and provide little detail about how, when and where logging will take place on Crown land. This, according to a report issued last week by the Forest Practices Board. In the wake of the report environmental groups are calling on the B.C. government to halt approval of logging plans until companies working in the woods can provide more detailed and accessible information on how and where they intend to log. In a media release FPB chairperson Bruce Fraser says, “These FSPs simply do not reflect the high level of forest practices we find in our regular board audits and investigations. We would like to see those good practices ... to provide greater accountability and to maintain B.C.’s global reputation as a leader in sustainable forest management.” The FPB supports the government’s much-ballyhooed results-based regulatory framework. However, the report does identify key concerns with initial forest stewardship plans that include: a lack of detail, complex legal language that makes it difficult for the public to understand, no commitments to measurable results and, where commitments are made, the tendency for them to be vague and non-measurable. “The government will take a close look at the report and, where possible, work to implement the recommendations,” a spokesperson from the Ministry of Forest and Range said. “The objectives remain the same (protect water quality, species etc.) What we’ve said to the forest companies is, if you’ve got a better way of doing things, you can do it, as long as you still meet the required results.” The Ministry points out that forest practices are in a transition period and, should the public have a concern, they can contact either a local MOF office or the licensee responsible for logging on the land in question. Annette Tanner chairs the mid-Island chapter of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee. She’s angered by logging occurring on the east side of the Island in forests of Coastal Douglas fir — described as the most endangered ecosystem in North America. “It’s just horrendous ... They are pulling out 500 year-old trees as we speak ... right down to the water, right through the water. There’s silting and erosion. Everything is just going to fall in.” FSPs are submitted under the Forest and Range Practices Act. In 2002 it replaced the former Forest Practices Code.
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