Statement on the August 2015 Forest Practices Board Report
The Forest Practices Board (FPB) report on Forest Stewardship Plans (FSPs) released today falls short of properly informing the public on how forest resources are managed. The Report fails on three major accounts:
1. Their assertion that FSPs are the sole opportunity for the public to comment on operational plans ignores the extensive consultation with stakeholders, First Nations, the public, resource professionals and government agencies that foresters undertake in planning forest activities on-the-ground. It also ignores that the public interest in forestry is embodied in extensive legislation, regulation and policy that direct and prescribe how forest resources are developed. Finally, it ignores that FSPs are only one of dozens of science-based, professionally-developed operational plans required before activities can commence on-the-ground.