The McLeod Lake Mackenzie community forest has passed a Forest Practices Board audit.
It means the venture, managed by the District of Mackenzie and the McLeod Lake Indian Band, carried out sound forest practices and fully met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, said FPB chair Kevin Kriese.
The operators have "been proactive in adopting fire-management stocking standards for stands harvested in the wildland urban interface," he added. "These standards permit more deciduous trees and fewer coniferous trees when these stands regenerate and will assist in reducing the risk of wildfire to the community of Mackenzie. This is a best practice that deserves recognition."
The community forest has five operating areas around the town of Mackenzie, from the Parsnip River in the south to Nation Arm on Williston Lake in the north.
The McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest Limited Partnership harvested 108,000 cubic metres of timber between September 2016 and September 2018. The audit examined all operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture and wildfire protection activities carried out during the two-year period.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.'s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices.
