TimberWest Forest Corporation 2017 SFI Forest Management Re-certification Audit

Transcription

1 TimberWest Forest Corporation 2017 SFI Forest Management Re-certification Audit In April 2017 an audit team from KPMG Performance Registrar Inc. (KPMG PRI) carried out a full scope re-certification audit of TimberWest Forest Corporation (TimberWest) s forest management operations against the requirements of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) forest management standard. In order to ensure a more efficient audit process, audits of TimberWest s conformance with the requirements of ISO 14001:2004 and PEFC ST 2002:2013 were conducted at the same time. This Certification Summary Report provides an overview of the process and KPMG PRI findings that relate to the SFI forest management standard. Description of TimberWest s Timberlands Operations TimberWest s private timberland operations are situated on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The operations currently encompass approximately 325,000 hectares (803,000 acres) stretching from the Sooke area in the south to the Campbell River area, lying mid-island, along the east coast. Much of the land is in relatively large contiguous holdings. The private timberland operations are managed by the Company from two separate operations: North Island Timberlands and South Island Timberlands. The private forest lands comprise a mix of old forest and second growth timber, with second growth making up the majority of the current harvest (approx. 95% in 2016). The current sustainable long term harvest level for the Company s private timberlands is 1.9 million m 3 /year. TimberWest s public timberland operations are managed by the Company s North Island Timberlands Division from its field office located in Campbell River, BC. These public land operations include Tree Farm Licence 47 (TFL 47), three Forest Licences (FLs) and two Timber Licenses (TLs) with a combined allowable annual cut (AAC) of approximately 692,000 m 3 /year. As with the private timberlands, second growth makes up the majority of the harvestable landbase (approximately 90% in 2016). A portion of the landbase covered by these forest tenures is located on the BC mainland coast and is subject to the ecosystem-based management requirements of the Great Bear Rainforest Order. In addition, timberlands management and planning staff and the Environment and Resource Integration (ERI) group consisting of scientific experts are located at the Company s Nanaimo Office on Vancouver Island. The areas covered by the TimberWest SFI certification fall within the following World Wildlife Fund (WWF) ecoregions: (1) Central Pacific Coastal Forests, and (2) British Columbia Mainland Coastal Forests. The forests managed by TimberWest are predominantly coniferous with the main commercial tree species being Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, Sitka spruce, grand fir and balsam fir. #0746 The forest management approach employed by TimberWest is based primarily on even -aged management, ground-based and overhead cable-based harvesting systems, retention of reserves of standing trees either within or adjacent to harvest areas, replanting of harvest areas with a mix of ecologically suited tree species and control of competing vegetation through the use of government-approved chemical herbicides and/or mechanical means. Controls are in place to help reduce reliance on chemical brush control where feasible to do so.

2 TimberWest Forest Corporation 2017 SFI Forest Management Re-certification Audit page 2 TimberWest sells logs in domestic and international markets and does not operate any forest products manufacturing facilities. Audit Scope The audit was conducted against the requirements of the edition of the SFI forest management standard and incorporated an assessment against the SFI program objectives for: Forest management planning; Forest health and productivity; Protection and maintenance of water resources; Conservation of biological diversity; Management of visual quality and recreation benefits; Protection of special sites; Efficient use of forest resources; Recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples rights; Legal and regulatory compliance; Forestry research, science and technology; Training and education; Community involvement and landowner outreach; Public land management responsibilities; Communications and public reporting, and; Management review and continual improvement. Scope of TimberWest s SFI Certification TimberWest s SFI forest management certification covers forestry, logging and related operations on the Company s public forest tenures (TFL 47, FL A29159, FL A20913, FL A94736, TL T0769, TL T0883) and private lands including planning, roads, harvesting, silviculture, log hauling and sorting. The Company s SFI forest management certificate is valid until May 14, The 2017 SFI Forest Management Re-certification Audit Audit Team The 2017 SFI forest management re-certification audit was conducted by a 4 person audit team comprising Dave Bebb, RPF, EP(EMSLA) Chris Ridley-Thomas, RPBio, EP(EMSLA), Branden Beatty, RPBio and Mike Alexander, RPF, EP(EMSLA). Dave, Chris and Branden are all KPMG PRI staff members and Mike is a contractor to KPMG PRI. All members of the audit team have conducted numerous forest management audits under a variety of standards including SFI, CSA Z809, FSC, ISO and PEFC chain of custody (CoC) SFI Forest Management Re-certification Audit The audit included an offsite document review, staff and contractor interviews and inspection of a large sample of field sites (24 roads, 26 harvest blocks, 11 silviculture sites, 3 log sorts, 1 camp, 1 research trial and 1 fish habitat enhancement project). The SFI portion of the audit took approximately 17.5 days to complete, 12 of which were spent onsite. The balance of audit time was spent preparing the audit plan, completing offsite reviews of selected documents and records and completing various audit checklists and preparing the main and public summary audit reports. TimberWest Forest Corporation 2017 SFI Re-certification Audit Findings Open non-conformities from previous audits Major non-conformities 0 Minor non-conformities 0 Opportunities for improvement Types of audit findings Major non-conformities: Are pervasive or critical to the achievement of the SFM Objectives. Minor non-conformities: 0 Are isolated incidents that are noncritical to the achievement of SFM Objectives. All non-conformities require the development of a corrective action plan within 30 days of the audit. Corrective action plans to address major nonconformities must be fully implemented by the operation within 3 months or certification cannot be achieved / maintained. Corrective action plans to address minor non-conformities must be fully implemented within 12 months. Opportunities for Improvement: Are not non-conformities but are comments on specific areas of the SFM System where improvements can be made. 3

3 TimberWest Forest Corporation 2017 SFI Forest Management Re-certification Audit page 3 Multi-site Audit Sampling TimberWest holds a multi-site SFI forest management certificate covering both its South Island (private timberlands) and North Island (private timberlands and Crown forest tenures) operations. Both sites were included in the 2017 audit sample. This sample size meets IAF requirements regarding audit sampling for multi-site certifications. TimberWest SFI Program Representative Mr. Domenico Iannidinardo, RPF, RPBio, PEng. served as the SFI program representative during the audit. Use of Substitute Indicators No substitute indicators were used during the audit. Audit Objectives The objective(s) of the SFI audit were to evaluate the sustainable forest management (SFM) system at TimberWest to: Determine its conformance with the requirements of the SFI forest management standard; Evaluate the ability of the system to ensure that TimberWest meets applicable regulatory requirements; Evaluate the effectiveness of the system in ensuring that the Company meets its specified SFM objectives, and; Where applicable, identify opportunities for improvement. Audit Conclusions The audit found that TimberWest Forest Corporation s SFM system: Was in full conformance with the SFI requirements included within the scope of the audit, except where noted otherwise in this report; Continues to be effectively implemented, and; Is sufficient to systematically meet the commitments included within TimberWest s environmental and SFM policies, provided that the system continues to be implemented and maintained as required. In addition, the audit found that: The scope of TimberWest s SFI forest management certification is appropriate. The Company s current harvest levels are consistent with the sustainable long term harvest level (private timberlands) and AAC (public timberlands). Overview map showing the location of TimberWest s private and Crown timberland operations. As a result, a decision was reached by the audit team to recommend that TimberWest Forest Corporation be re-certified to the SFI forest management standard for a 5 year term. NB: Our assessment by its nature is a sample and it is possible for nonconforming issues to remain undetected. Our next assessment will verify that TimberWest s monitoring and internal audit processes continue to operate as the primary mechanisms to ensure that the Company s management system remains effectively implemented and continues to improve.

4 TimberWest Forest Corporation 2017 SFI Forest Management Re-certification Audit page 4 Evidence of Conformity with the SFI Forest Management Standard The primary sources of evidence used to assess conformity with the requirements of the SFI forest management standard are presented in the following table. SFI Forest Management Objective Key Evidence of Conformity 1. Forest Management Planning TimberWest Private Forest Land Management Strategy (PFLMS), 2015 TimberWest Private Lands LTHL Analysis, Private Lands 10 Year Plan, Timber Supply Review (TSR) AAC Rationale, Forest Stewardship Plans (FSP), TFL 47 Partition Harvest Plan, cut control records, site plans, field inspections, staff interviews. 2. Forest Health and Productivity Site plans, silviculture reports, field inspections, staff interviews. 3. Protection and Maintenance of Water Resources 4. Conservation of Biological Diversity 5. Management of Visual Quality and Recreational Benefits Field inspections of riparian areas, review of site plans & harvest plans, staff and contractor interviews. PFLMS/FSPs, site plans, species at risk training materials, The Forest Manager (TFM) database, GIS, staff and contractor interviews, field inspections. PFLMS/FSPs, harvest plans, field inspections, visual impact assessments, staff interviews. The audit included an off-site document review, staff and contractor nterviews and inspection of a large sample of field sites (24 roads, 26 harvest blocks, 11 silviculture sites, 3 log sorts, 1 camp, 1 research trial and 1 fish habitat enhancement project). 6. Protection of Special Sites PFLMS/FSPs, harvest & site plans, special site inspections, TFM database, GIS, staff and contractor interviews. 7. Efficient Use of Forest Resources 8. Recognize and Respect Indigenous Peoples Rights 9. Legal and Regulatory Compliance 10. Forestry Research, Science & Technology PFLMS/FSPs, waste reports, field inspections, staff and contractor interviews. Company policy on Indigenous Peoples rights, records of consultation with local Indigenous Peoples, interviews with Company staff and representatives of local Indigenous Peoples. Sustainability policy, incident tracking system, available records of regulatory agency enforcement actions, environmental management plan (EMP), health & safety policy, field inspections, staff and contractor interviews. Research records, staff interviews, inspection of a sample of research field sites.

5 TimberWest Forest Corporation 2017 SFI Forest Management Re-certification Audit page 5 SFI Forest Management Objective Key Evidence of Conformity 11. Training and Education Training needs matrix, training records, Western Canada SFI Implementation Committee (WCSIC) minutes & resources, staff and contractor interviews. 12. Community Involvement and Landowner Outreach 13. Public Land Management Responsibilities 14. Communications and Public Reporting 15. Management Review and Continual Improvement Community involvement records, WCSIC minutes & resources, staff and contractor interviews. Records of cooperative public land planning processes, FSPs and associated referral process, site plans, records of plan referrals to local stakeholders, staff interviews. Certification summary report. Forest management plan, management review records, internal audit and related action plans, interviews with senior management. A portion of the landbase covered by TimberWest s Crown forest tenures is located on the BC mainland coast and is subject to the ecosystem-based management requirements of the Great Bear Rainforest Order. Good Practices A number of good practices were identified during the course of the audit, including: SFI Forest Management Objective 2 (forest health and productivity): Inspection of a silviculture site that had been treated to control competing brush species found that the Company had modified the brushing treatments on different parts of the block to manage for other values, including nearby cabins and streams. More sensitive areas were manually brushed, and only a small portion of the block received a ground based herbicide treatment. (North Island Operation) SFI Objective 3 (protection and maintenance of water resources): Concurrent with the recent Beaver Creek bridge replacement, TimberWest voluntarily completed a coho salmon habitat enhancement project by creating a new side channel for coho rearing and adding additional in-stream structure (logs and large rocks) to enhance the main channel. (South Island Operation) SFI Objective 4 (conservation of biological diversity): Review of current planning and harvesting operations at the Company s Johnstone Straits operation found that they were very low intensity and did a good job of addressing nontimber values. In addition, the Company has taken considerable steps in attempting to address the requirements of the GBRF Land Use Order, including working on developing 3 new/updated Landscape Reserve Designs (LRDs) as well as coming up with clearer definitions of old forest and red and blue listed plant communities, both of which have been incorporated into the draft 2017 FSP for the operation. (North Island Operation) SFI Objective 4 (conservation of biological diversity): The Company s South Island Operation has recently developed an invasive plant species treatment areas layer in the GIS as a means to help monitor the efficacy of control efforts. (South Island Operation)

6 TimberWest Forest Corporation 2017 SFI Forest Management Re-certification Audit page 6 SFI Objective 6 (protection of special sites): Inspection of a sample of recent private land harvest blocks with high recreation values found that the Company had made a significant effort to address these values (e.g., exclusion from harvesting of a portion of one block adjacent to a Provincial park, buffering and/or cleaning of trails of harvesting debris, implementation of riparian buffers that exceeded both PFMLA and TimberWest requirements and use of dispersed retention to soften the visual impact of harvesting). (South Island Operation) SFI Objective 7 (efficient use of fibre resources): The audit noted a number of examples where the Company was working to help improve the utilization of wood fibre, including implementing a number of small log sorts and contracting with a commercial firewood operation to utilize non-merchantable logging debris. (Corporate) SFI Objective 9 (legal and regulatory compliance): The increasing use of tethered harvesting systems and grapple-mounted cameras by TimberWest and its logging contractors is helping to increase both worker safety and operational efficiency. (Corporate) SFI Objective 12 (community involvement and landowner outreach): In 2016 TimberWest provided 450K tree seedlings to log purchase suppliers free of charge to help promote reforestation on purchase wood sites. (Corporate) Use of Certification Documents and Marks The audit found that TimberWest is effectively controlling the use of the certification documents and marks. The KPMG PRI ISO mark as well as the PEFC logo continue to be applied to PEFC certified sales invoices. However, no certification labels or marks are applied directly to the logs sold by the Company. Concurrent with the recent Beaver Creek bridge replacement, TimberWest voluntarily completed a coho salmon habitat enhancement project by creating a new side channel for coho rearing and adding additional in-stream structure (logs and large rocks) to enhance the main channel. (South Island Operation) Follow-up on Findings from Previous Audits At the time of this assessment there was 1 open SFI-specific minor non-conformity and 2 open SFI-specific opportunities for improvement from previous external audits. The audit team reviewed the implementation of the action plans developed by TimberWest to address these issues and found that they had been effectively implemented. As a result, all of the SFI-specific findings identified during previous audits have now been closed. Areas of Nonconformance The 2017 TimberWest SFI forest management re-certification audit did not identify any non-conformities in relation to the requirements of the SFI forest management standard.

7 TimberWest Forest Corporation 2017 SFI Forest Management Re-certification Audit page 7 Opportunities for Improvement The 2017 TimberWest SFI forest management re-certification audit identified a total of 3 opportunities for improvement in relation to the requirements of the SFI forest management standard, as follows: SFI Objective 9 (legal and regulatory compliance): On 1 recent harvest block the operating plan summary indicated that fall and yard across was acceptable for 2 inblock streams. However, the pre-work for the block indicated that fall and yard away was required for these streams, and this was appropriately implemented on the ground. There is an opportunity to ensure that such changes in prescriptions are reflected in all block documentation to reduce the risk of confusion over what practices are actually required. SFI Objective 9 (legal and regulatory compliance): While the TimberWest EMS procedures have been updated to reflect the replacement of the Water Act with the Water Sustainability Act, the EMS Manual (March 2017 version) still refers to the Water Act. SFI Objective 11 (training and education): The audit found that TimberWest s staff and contractor training programs met SFI requirements in the large majority of instances. However, the following weaknesses were noted: TimberWest provides species at risk (SAR) training to staff and layout contractors and logging contractor principals. However, this training is not currently provided to logging contractor employees. The field portion of the audit identified a wide range in knowledge of logging contactor employees concerning SAR. In addition, when asked about SAR guidance, some logging contractor employees were unable to produce any reference material which could aid them in the identification of SAR that they might encounter in on active sites. While the audit confirmed that regular staff training occurs in relation to SAR, it is not evident that this is consistently reflected in staff training records. Corrective Action Plans Corrective action plans designed to address the root cause(s) of the findings identified during the audit have been developed by TimberWest and reviewed and approved by KPMG PRI. The next external audit (which is planned for spring 2018) will include a follow-up assessment of these issues to confirm that the corrective action plans developed to address them have been implemented as required. Inspection of a sample of recent private land harvest blocks with high recreation values found that the Company had made a significant effort to address these values (e.g., exclusion from harvesting of a portion of one block adjacent to a Provincial park, buffering and/or cleaning of trails of harvesting debris, implementation of riparian buffers that exceeded both PFLA and TimberWest requirements and use of dispersed retention to soften the visual impact of harvesting). (South Island Operation)

8 TimberWest Forest Corporation 2017 SFI Forest Management Re-certification Audit page 8 Focus Areas for the Next Audit Visit The following issues/potential concerns have been identified as focus areas for the next audit visit: Implementation of the action plans developed by the Company to address all of the open findings from previous audits. TimberWest s implementation of revised procedures to address the Great Bear Rainforest (GBRF) guidebooks regarding the management of old forest and red and blue-listed plant associations. Clean-up of the backlog of road-side debris pile burning (TimberWest only had a few days in 2016 where the smoke venting index was sufficient to permit pile burning, which resulted in the current backlog of unburned debris piles). The increasing use of tethered harvesting systems and grapplemounted cameras by TimberWest and its logging contractors is helping to increase both worker safety and operational efficiency. (Corporate) Contacts: Chris Ridley-Thomas, RPBio, CEA (604) David Bebb, RPF, CEA (604) This report may only be reproduced by the intended client, TimberWest Forest Corporation, with the express consent of KPMG. Information in this issue is of a general nature with respect to audit findings and is not intended to be acted upon without appropriate professional advice KPMG. All rights reserved. Through KPMG PRI, KPMG s Vancouver based forestry group is accredited to register forest companies to ISO 14001, CSA-SFM, SFI and PEFC certification standards. The group is led by Chris Ridley-Thomas and consists of a highly qualified team of resource management professionals.