North Cowichan finally releases uncensored document after appeal
KPMG report confirms ‘high-level feasibility of potential carbon projects’ in forest reserve
It took seven months and an appeal to BC’s information and privacy office, but North Cowichan has finally released an uncensored copy of a “private and confidential” report on the forest reserve.
The unredacted copy now officially identifies consultant KPMG and three of its employees as authors of the report, entitled “Assessment related to Forest Carbon project feasibility.”
The Municipality hired KPMG to review findings of the UBC Partnership Group, which included carbon-credit specialists, 3GreenTree. The partnership told council in November 2022 that North Cowichan stands to earn millions of dollars more in carbon-credit sales than logging over a 30-year period.
The KPMG report is dated June 16, 2023.
Council considered the report at in-camera meetings on Nov. 15, 2023, and Mar. 6, 2024, but did not release it publicly despite its significance to debate on future management of the forest reserve.
On Jan. 18, 2024, sixmountains.ca filed a freedom-of-information request with North Cowichan for a copy of the report.
On Mar. 11, North Cowichan provided a redacted version of the report that did not identify the consulting company and three employees who conducted the review.
Ted Swabey, Chief Administrative Officer for North Cowichan, said at the time that “I cannot confirm the author of the report. We do not have the consultant’s permission to do so.”
That seemed backwards. As the one paying the bills and calling the shots, North Cowichan should require that consulting reports be made public, including names of authors.
sixmountains.ca appealed to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia on March 27, and the Municipality released the uncensored report with KPMG’s consent on August 15.
The document identifies the KPMG “Engagement Team” who worked on the review:
— Shawn Ellsworth: a registered professional forester with a master of business administration, “recognized as an expert in the evaluation of forest industry practices,” including forest carbon.
— Mike Buell: “broad estate modelling and carbon modelling experience in the forestry sector and has supported the development of successful forest carbon offset projects for clients.”
— Sam Gildiner: consultant in KPMG’s forestry practice, “actively engaged in forest certification and forest carbon projects.”
Ellsworth said in an email: "On some mandates we write it into our contract that our name is not shared in certain circumstances – normally for potential competitive reasons, as was the case here.” But, in light of the FOI request, the company "undertook an assessment of the content of the report along with our statutory rights and obligations and ultimately determined that we did not oppose...the release of our names.” Why the company did not give approval at the time of the initial FOI request is unclear.
As of last March, Swabey said that the consultant’s report had not been presented to the Quw’utsun Nation, which is holding closed talks with the municipality over future management of the forest reserve.
On Tuesday, Swabey said members of Quw’utsun Nation are "generally aware” of the KPMG report. He added: "Our current focus is on developing a co-management plan and framework but we will be working together to further investigate a shared forest carbon credit program in the MFR in the future."
Sixmountains.ca has taken the initiative to email member Chiefs the unredacted report.
The KPMG review concluded that the 3GreenTree “analysis and supporting data provides a reasonable and conservative approach to demonstrate the initial potential of a forest carbon project.
“Our review of the Assessment did not reveal any significant deficiencies or concerns about the Assessment’s conclusion of the high-level feasibility of potential carbon projects” in the forest reserve.
A lengthy public consultation process showed 76-per-cent support for conservation management of the forest reserve, with just 17 per cent supporting status-quo logging.
Council’s failure to release the KPMG report represented a disservice to the partnership, whose findings had been criticized by a small minority, mostly retired politicians and foresters.
North Cowichan has since posted the report — but in its redacted form — on the municipal website.
https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2024-03/Evaluation_report_%202024-02-28_redacted.pdf
(Ted Swabey photo courtesy of The Citizen).
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— Larry Pynn, Aug. 20, 2024
