Timber Rules : Forest Regulations Lower Standards, Tie Government Hands and Reduce Accountability

With the release of new forest practices regulations effective January 31, 2004, the BC provincial government has now finalized its 'results-based' forest management regime. In November 2002, it passed the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), but the legislation did not contain enough details to give a clear indication of what the overall regime would look like. The government claims to have reduced regulatory requirements by 55% by eliminating unnecessary red tape and paperwork. But in the process, measures designed to protect the environment have been cut.