BC Forest Practices Board

04/17/2026

We’re pleased to share that Meggin Messenger has been appointed Chair of the Forest Practices Board for a three-year term.

Meggin is a Registered Professional Forester with more than 30 years of experience in land management and public administration. Her career has spanned silviculture, planning, timber supply, tenures, engineering and climate change, as well as leadership positions in government and professional regulation in British Columbia.

As Chair, Meggin is committed to the Forest Practices Board’s role in serving the public interest as the independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, and to supporting fair, transparent and evidence-based oversight of forest and range practices in British Columbia.

Learn more: https://www.bcfpb.ca/board/our-team/

04/07/2026

The Forest Practices Board has completed an investigation into wildfire-risk-reduction harvesting near Alkali Lake in the Cariboo.

“This investigation shows that community wildfire safety and wildlife habitat aren’t an either-or choice,” said Vice-Chair Gerry Grant.

Read the full investigation on our website - https://www.bcfpb.ca/release-publications/releases/alkali-lake-harvesting/

03/19/2026

to 2009 — Wildfire

The Board examined how recommendations from the 2003 Kelowna wildfire — which destroyed more than 200 homes — were being implemented to reduce wildland-urban interface fire risk. The review looked at 50 fuel treatment projects across BC to identify what was working for communities and what lessons had emerged.

The resulting report included recommendations for provincial and municipal governments, along with those delivering fuel-reduction projects — helping strengthen wildfire risk reduction efforts across the province.

https://www.bcfpb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SIR28-Managing-Forest-Fuels-in-the-WUI.pdf

03/12/2026

to 2008, when the Board investigated concerns raised by public groups about biodiversity management in the interior cedar-hemlock rainforests at Dome Creek, southeast of Prince George.

Following its investigation, the Board recommended the area for protection. In 2016, the BC government announced the area would become a provincial park — a significant step for conserving this rare inland rainforest ecosystem.

A powerful reminder of how public engagement, careful review, and evidence-based recommendations can shape the future of BC’s forests.

https://www.bcfpb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/IRC137-Dome-Creek.pdf

03/05/2026

to when the mountain pine beetle dominated conversations across British Columbia’s forests.

At the height of the outbreak, BC faced the most widespread MPB infestation ever recorded in North America — impacting approximately 9.2 million hectares.

The Board undertook multiple projects examining how the outbreak was managed and what it meant for the future of BC forests. These reviews helped inform understanding of large-scale forest health challenges and the long-term effects on communities, ecosystems, and forest management practices.

Looking back reminds us how critical oversight, science, and adaptive management are when responding to landscape-level change.

to when the mountain pine beetle dominated conversations across British Columbia’s forests.

At the height of the outbreak, BC faced the most widespread MPB infestation ever recorded in North America — impacting approximately 9.2 million hectares.

The Board undertook multiple projects examining how the outbreak was managed and what it meant for the future of BC forests. These reviews helped inform understanding of large-scale forest health challenges and the long-term effects on communities, ecosystems, and forest management practices.

https://www.bcfpb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/SR32-25-Years-after-MPB-Attack.pdf

01/28/2026

FPB investigation finds long-term overgrazing has left parts of the Coutlee Range Unit near Merritt not functioning. The Board also found the range-use plan unenforceable.

🔍 https://www.bcfpb.ca/release-publications/releases/coutlee-range-practices/

01/27/2026

A Forest Practices Board investigation found that grassland and open forest areas in the Mine pasture of the Coutlee Range Unit near Merritt are not functioning, with long-term overgrazing contributing to soil loss and reduced area stability.

The investigation followed a complaint from two of six range agreement holders sharing grazing rights under a single range-use plan. The Board found plan requirements were not measurable or verifiable, making compliance unenforceable. An amended 2023 grazing schedule was also invalid due to missing signatures.

“When range-use plan requirements are not measurable or verifiable, there is no reliable way to determine compliance,” said Gerry Grant, vice-chair, Forest Practices Board.

🔍Find out more - https://www.bcfpb.ca/release-publications/releases/coutlee-range-practices/

01/22/2026

January 20-22, 2026 | Prince George, BC - 23rd Annual BC Natural Resources Forum

We're exhibiting at the BC Natural Resources Forum. If you are attending, stop by our booth to say hello and chat with our Chair about what's ahead for B.C.'s resource future and the Board's role in it. We look forward to connecting!

01/08/2026

to 2006! The Board examines 15 of Forest Stewardship Plans (FSPs) prepared under FRPA... findings? 🔍🌲

Read more to find out -- https://www.bcfpb.ca/release-publications/releases/a-review-of-the-

early-forest-stewardship-plans-under-frpa/

01/07/2026

12/17/2025

BC’s forest sector is changing fast—but uncertainty remains.

In our input to the Provincial Forest Advisory Council (PFAC), we highlighted long-standing barriers to effective land-based decision-making: unclear objectives, fragmented oversight, and the absence of landscape-level systems.

Strong compliance alone isn’t enough. What the sector needs now is clear, stable direction for how decisions are made and how provincial goals come together on the land.

BOARD'S INPUT -

We appreciate the opportunity to provide input into the Provincial Forest Advisory Council’s (PFAC) examination of barriers to effective land-based decision-making in British Columbia. The Board’s investigations, audits, and special reports consistently point to systemic issues: unclear objectiv...

12/08/2025

- 👋Meet Shannon Podgorenko, who's been looking after our budget and finances since 2015.

Learn more about Shannon and the rest of our team at https://bcfpb.ca/board/our-team/