B.C.'s forestry watchdog gave Conifex Timber's Mackenzie operations a passing grade in an audit.
The company met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act, the B.C. Forest Practices Board said in a report released Tuesday. "There was no active harvesting or road construction undertaken during the audit period, but Conifex adequately maintained its roads and bridges," said board chair Al Gorley.
The audit did note some log bridges were in disrepair, but Conifex has a plan in place to address these inherited issues, said the board.
The audit examined forest planning and practices between October 2009 and October 2010 in the company's forest licence in the Mackenzie Forest District, north of Prince George.
About half of the forest licence is pine forest, much of which has been hit by the mountain pine beetle epidemic.
The report noted it will be a challenge for Conifex to manage the large amount of dead and dying timber in the years to come.
Conifex took over the forest licence in August 2010 when it purchased a pair of sawmills from Abitibi-Bowater. One of the sawmills has since been restarted by Conifex.
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.
