The Rocky Mountain Forest District got an A+ in a recent audit of forest planning, silverculture, fire protection, harvesting and road activities.
The district stretches from Cranbrook to Invermere and includes the Columbia and Kootenay rivers and local lakes and smaller rivers. The audit was conducted by the Forest Practices Board to review BC Timber Sales operations in the area.
“In particular, the BCTS and its timber sale licence holders’ activities in the Mark Creek Community Watershed were well done,” said board chair Al Gorley. “Roads and bridges were well constructed and special care was taken to manage potential sediment sources to streams. The board acknowledges their efforts.”
The audit was conducted based on information compiled between August 2010 to August 2012 when about 450,000 cubic metres of timber were harvested. One cubic metre of timber is about one telephone pole.
All forestry activities in the Rocky Mountain District must comply with the Kootenay Boundary Higher Level Plan which addresses environmental concerns such as wildlife, old growth forests, establishment of scenic areas and restoration. It was put into place in 2001.
The independent Forest Practices Board is a watchdog group that audits forest and range practices, reporting findings to the province and recommending changes to legislation.
