B.C’s Auditor General says the provincial government is not doing enough to replant forests damaged by fires and the mountain pine beetle, and needs a better plan to ensure the health and sustainability of B.C’s woodlands.
Independent MLA and former Forest Industry Manager Bob Simpson says the audit confirms what he’s been saying for years.
“The government now does not have enough foresters on the ground to know what’s happening in the forests,” he said. “They don’t have good inventory, they are not replanting, and they have turned the forests over to industry that doesn’t have a vested interest in the future of those forests, which are a public resource.”
The auditor made six recommendations, but in a written response, the Ministry of Forests denies most of the Auditor’s findings and defends the government’s record.