Monthly Archives: February 2018

A debate has been raging in the central interior of British Columbia over the pace and scale of post-wildfire salvage of dead trees. …The salvage debate pits those who want to recover any remaining economic value in burnt wood while still possible from those who don’t wish to see another major disturbance (logging) visited on a site that has just experienced a major disturbance. The province has just waded into the debate with the release of the report: Post Natural-Disturbance Forest Retention Guidance. This document is intended to guide forest recovery post-wildfire; including where and how to salvage. …A better strategy is to look to what we know about historical resilience, couple that with our predictions of climate change influences… It will mean removing large quantities of dead wood everywhere they pose a future threat to resilience regardless of land designation.

After investigating a complaint about logging on the Sunshine Coast, the Forest Practices Board (FPB) is making recommendations that could lead to changes to the way plant species are protected. The complaint was filed in August 2016 by Elphinstone Logging Focus, as the group was trying to stop logging in a BC Timber Sales cutblock on Mount Elphinstone known as A87125, part of the area known by many locals as the Twist and Shout Forest….In a report released late last week the FPB, an independent watchdog that reports to the provincial government, found that those plant communities were present in the logging area, but that BCTS did nothing wrong in the way it managed the cutblock.

An endangered caribou herd that rears its young deep in the B.C. backcountry was put at risk this winter by a covert construction project that was eventually foiled by natural resource officers. The scheme, which involved someone using heavy equipment to clear a deactivated forest service road that had been closed to protect the Klinse-Za caribou herd near Chetwynd, highlights the struggle to save at-risk species, which are threatened by habitat loss, recreational activities and invasive species. Despite federal legislation and a patchwork of provincial regulations, Canada is failing to adequately protect many vulnerable animal populations, according to a study released Friday by the Smart Prosperity Institute. Of the more than 350 imperilled species assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, more than 85 per cent have seen no status improvement or have deteriorated, said Scott McFatridge.

Donna Barnett

Spruce beetle outbreaks occur throughout B.C. and usually last up to seven or eight years. These insects are native to our province and they normally feed on the inner bark of weakened or fallen trees. However, spruce beetles are quite capable of killing healthy trees under the right conditions. Warm springs, dry summers and mild winters all conspire to increase beetle populations. Unfortunately this year appears to be shaping up for a serious infestation and perhaps the worst since the 1980s. The latest aerial survey reveals nearly double the presence of spruce beetle across the province. To make matters worse, it is hard to detect infested trees because they do not display any signs of distress until 13 to 15 months after being successfully attacked.

Diane Nicholls

B.C.’s chief forester says she recognizes the economic desire to harvest wood damaged in 2017’s record-setting wildfire, but warns the long-term health of ecosystems must trump short-term commercial gains. Fire-damaged wood is only commercially viable for two to three years, and both local governments and private companies have been calling for a salvage plan after more than 1.2 million hectares of forest burned last year, most of it in the province’s Cariboo region. Chief forester Diane Nicholls said the amount of timber burned or damaged is “substantially greater” than the annual allowable cut in many areas and that it is “unlikely” all of it can be salvage logged. In a 26-page guide released last week, Nicholls said it is important to recognize the role forests — even burned ones — play in supporting the long-term health of ecosystems and wildlife habitat.

Stephanie Smith, president of the BCGEU

Professional Reliance is a fancy word that means nothing to most people — precisely what was intended when the former BC Liberal government introduced this scheme more than a decade ago. But change the name to Industry Self-Regulation and people start paying attention. Up to now, environmental and industrial regulation in B.C. could be captured by a simple phrase: “let industry do it.” That’s been the guiding principle in environmental and natural resource regulation — corporations approving their own resource plans, while monitoring and certifying their own industrial activities. …The results from Professional Reliance are also shocking: Today, the number of forest industry inspections are less than one third of the number conducted before Professional Reliance. …The Forest Practices Board reports that 23 per cent of inspected resource roads in 2017 were structurally unsafe. Only 38 per cent met legal requirements. 

…City council received notice from the provincial government at their last meeting that the area is on the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development’s list of gypsy moth spraying sites for 2018, with proposed treatments to occur over a three-week period in late April or early May. Campbell River is one of four communities on this year’s treatment list, which also includes North Surrey, Agassiz and Courtenay. The invasive European gypsy moth was first seen in B.C. in 1978, and, so far, it has failed to gain a solid footing here. Which is a good thing.

Ken Higginbotham shared the news at the end of December 2017 that he had decided to retire as Chair of the BC Forest Safety Council and as facilitator for both the Coast Harvesting Advisory Group focused on coastal logging safety and the Manufacturing Advisory Group, focused on sawmill safety across the province. “I just passed my 72nd birthday and it seems like the right thing for me to do at this point after 43 years in forestry,” explained Ken who has been a force in forestry in both Alberta and BC for many years. “Before I sail into the sunset, though, I wanted to express my thanks for having had the chance to work with industry, WorkSafeBC and the provincial government over the past few years to help support better safety outcomes for all,” he said.

Coralee Oakes

Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes is very concerned about the current spread of spruce beetle in the Northern Interior. Noting she has been talking to several groups, including forestry and First Nations, the MLA says there is a significant fear the spruce beetle march is very much like the pine beetle invasion. British Columbia communities are still trying to recover from the damage that was caused by that little insect with the voracious appetite. “It has an epicentre right now, but they are studying it … we have to become more proactive. …“The spruce beetle [invasion must be stopped] because that’s hitting all of our mid-term timber supply.” …“We have to do more than just research it.

The 100 Mile House Community Forest

While they would like to do some work on the 100 Mile House Community Forest ridge above Centennial Park, they’re not entirely sure yet what that will look like, says Bill Hadden who’s with the Community Forest. They’re still in the planning phases and are working with the Ministry of Forests and the Ministry of Environment, he says, adding that they are hoping to have boots on the ground in May or June. He’s not sure that’s feasible. “Most of what we’re talking about doing hasn’t really been done before,” he says. “We’re going into uncharted areas.” …A lot of the ridge closest to 100 Mile House, however, is covered off as an Old Growth Management Area (OGMA), he says. “OGMAs are very difficult to do anything in.”