This is the third annual report on compliance and enforcement of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act and its regulations (the Code), which came into effect on June 15, 1995. The report gives an objective picture of compliance and enforcement activities from June 15, 1997 to June 14, 1998 and provides a follow-up to the previous years' annual reports.
This report contains statistics recorded by the Ministry of Forests (MoF) and the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. The report covers compliance and enforcement activities under the Code with respect to forest practices carried out by major licensees; small business licensees; woodlot licensees; and mining, petroleum and natural gas companies holding licences to cut.
The information contained in this report reflects the ministries third year of gathering information about enforcement activities under the Code. The majority of information is generated from MoF's Enforcement Action, Administrative Review and Appeal Computer Tracking System (ERA).
During the period from June 15, 1997 to June 14, 1998, 47,265 scheduled and unscheduled harvest and road inspections were completed. These inspections identified 2,686 problems/incidents which were dealt with in the field or required further investigation. Of these, 1,309 violations are still under investigation, while 1,377 violations have been the subject of formal or informal measures. Informal measures, such as written instructions issued by field staff, are useful and practical mechanisms to help avert contraventions and ensure compliance with the Code. Formal measures are used when it is determined by an official that the Code has been contravened and a formal sanction is warranted. It is important to note that the number of administrative remedies specified for the reporting period are subject to revision depending on the outcome of reviews or appeals.
For the reporting period, 51 administrative reviews have been requested under the Code of which 5 have been withdrawn, and 27 appeals have been filed with the Forest Appeals Commission of which 6 have subsequently been withdrawn. During the period, 55 reviews and 16 appeals were scheduled to be heard. Some of these were requested in a previous reporting period.
Since the Code came into force there have been a total of 186 administrative reviews requested of which 14 have been withdrawn. In addition, 71 appeals have been filed with the Forest Appeals Commission, of which 25 have been withdrawn.
