A team of forestry auditors arrives in Prince George Monday to begin a week of scrutiny.
The province's Forest Practices Board spends its summers auditing forestry zones all over B.C. There was no complaint or concern driving them to Prince George, said Chris Mosher, director of audits, "it's just a random selection. It's just Prince George's turn."
The three-member audit team is made up of registered professional foresters with additional expertise in related fields like agrology and engineering. They have been doing research and preparation work for weeks and now they will get out on the local ground, travelling by ground vehicles and helicopter to witness B.C. Timber Sales activities between Prince George and Valemount.
While audits have been done in numerous locations in the general region, It's the first time Prince George has been the centre of the analysis.
"The audit will examine timber harvesting, road construction, maintenance, silviculture, fire prevention and associated planning activities carried out by B.C. Timber Sales and timber sale license holders for compliance with forest practices legislation," Mosher said.
It takes about a week for the typical forestry audit's field work to be done.
"It's possible to have everything align and have the team finish in a few days, but it is also sometimes the case where we have to stay longer," Mosher said. "If we notice something that appears to be pervasive, or if we see something of concern that has to have extra measurements and analysis, that can make the experience go longer."
Under normal circumstances, the final report is released to the public a few months after the field visit. The Forest Practices Board invests its summer attention on gathering information and visiting sites, then compiles the analyzed data during the winter.
