Daily Archives: September 23, 2019

Doug Donaldson

National Forest Week is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of Canada’s forests. Here in British Columbia, our forests have always been vital to our way of life, providing economic, environmental, recreational and cultural values to our communities. Currently, our forest industry is going through a very challenging transition. The combined effects of mountain pine-beetle epidemics, wildfires and external market forces have resulted in mill closures and job losses for many B.C. forest workers. This government is committed to helping impacted workers, their families and communities weather these ongoing changes. …We are taking action to ensure support systems are in place, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure our forest industry stays competitive as we transition to a new vision for forestry in B.C. While it may sound like an odd thing to say given the recent mill closures …there is a bright future ahead for forestry in British Columbia. 

Vancouver – Canada’s research forests are the focus of National Forest Week, September 23-29. “British Columbians have a strong affinity for the outdoors and the natural beauty of our forests. But people may not realize that forests are also living laboratories that offer us places to observe, experiment, and learn,” said Bill Bourgeois, PhD, RPF(Ret) and executive director of the National Forest Week BC Coalition. “Forest research helps grow our knowledge of biodiversity, forest management, and climate change. By learning how forests grew and reacted in the past, as well as predicting responses to new pressures like climate change, we can build a greener future and maintain healthy, vibrant, and productive forests across the country.”

Some of the log exporters in B.C. claim cheap Chinese labour is the reason for outcompeting our local mills but some U.S. companies claim Chinese government subsidies may be the main reason. …While this accusation is coming from the U.S. we should not be too complacent to think a similar thing is not happening here. …I can appreciate that it may not be fair to make too many comparisons with the larger private hardwood market system in the USA but we should not be too slow to think that the same outside pressures could be at play here as well. In defence of log exports, B.C.s forest-sector organizations like the… Truck Loggers Association argue that log exports are a very important part of the economics of the coast, ensuring that we can harvest the entire profile of the allowable cut. 

A First Nation has signed an agreement that will return over 3,000 hectares of land after it has been in treaty negotiations for more than two decades. The land on the east coast of Vancouver Island will be returned to the We Wai Kai Nation, which has about 1,150 members in the Campbell River and Quadra Island areas. The land that is being returned under the incremental treaty agreement is on its territory around Campbell Lake. Chief Brian Assu says the First Nation is building a forestry industry and owning and managing private land is important as it develops its economy. …Millions of dollars in expenses and loans accumulated by First Nations in the treaty process were also forgiven.

Jonathan Smyth and Lt. Gov. Gen. Janet Austin

A Maple Ridge man was awarded high honours for his decades-long commitment to volunteering in his community. Jonathan Smyth, 61, was notified by the governor general’s office notifying that he was nominated by his colleagues for the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers. …The honour recognizes Canadians from across the country for their “exceptional volunteer achievements” in a range of fields. …A former scout himself, Smyth was awarded the medal for his “passion for youth development [which] led to increased enrollment in local Scouts Canada units.” …The award also recognized his role with the Kanaka Education and Environmental Partnership Society, which supports youth environmental education; and the British Columbia Institution of Technology (BCIT) Forest Society. …Smyth, an instructor at his alma mater BCIT, teaches in the fish, wildlife and recreation program; and the forest and natural areas management program said the forest society was founded in the early 90s

Of the many species of animals out there that are managed for by professional foresters and biologists, the mobility of birds and their uses of habitats that cross numerous national and international boundaries makes managing for them quite challenging. Most species of birds are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, a federal statute originally passed in 1917. …Until recently, it was generally accepted for forest activities in B.C. that birds were taken care of through the management of numerous other values in the province.  …A tool kit, with considerable input from West Fraser Professional Biologist Laura Trout, was developed to help forest managers incorporate information about migratory birds, their nesting habitats and migration into forest harvest planning and operations. …Armed with the results of the risk ranking system, field crews key in on highly ranked areas for habitat protection and disturbance avoidance of nesting birds.

As mills continue to close and fears are raised about the sustainability of the B.C. Lumber industry, organizations like the Alex Fraser Research Forest are working to educate the next generation of foresters and environmental stewards with hands-on experience. The Alex Fraser Research Forest consists of 10,000 hectares of Crown forest that has been set aside for the purpose of research and education conducted by the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia. …Currently, the forest is managed by Stephanie Ewan. …Looking at ways to reduce the severity of fires through commercial thinning and examining the continuing impact of the Douglas Fir Beetle are also important ongoing projects right now, Ewan said. Silviculture, regeneration and wildlife habitat management are also common areas of interest and study. 

That’s the gist of BC government MLAs’ responses when pressed on what the province of BC is doing about the ongoing destruction of its last, globally rare old-growth temperate rainforest. In the midst of the climate and species extinction emergencies, a growing number of concerned British Columbians are speaking out. In recent months, over 20,000 BC residents have sent messages to the provincial government demanding action to save ancient forests and improve forest management. …For decades, in the battle to save at least some of BC’s endangered old-growth forests, there’s been a severe gap between the pace of protection and the pace of destruction. When the government talks a good game and acts slowly while allowing forests to be clear cut rapidly, we call it “Talk and Log.” …But this government has so far failed to take meaningful steps.