Rob Kozak
UNIVERSITY OF BC FORESTRY — With nearly 8,000 Forestry alumni around the world affecting change and making impacts in ways that are incalculable, we are most certainly one of the most successful Forestry schools globally. As well, our leading-edge, innovative research continues to make waves in positive and meaningful ways. …That as the backdrop to this issue on Future Forests, the reality is that the future of forests – and, by association, forestry – is in all of our hands. Looming large are the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, the decline of forest-dependent communities and an expanding – and increasingly voracious – human population. …Forests, as we all know, play a vital role in contributing solutions to address some of these pressing issues. Technological innovations are part of the answer, certainly, but what we need now – more than ever – is to put forward bold, courageous, conservation-based strategies, even if it sometimes means bucking the status quo.
…We have attempted to do this in the current issue of Branchlines by summarizing viewpoints shared in our recent webinars on the contentious issue of old growth forests and by providing some potential paths forward for all. In the end, we find ourselves in a maelstrom of wicked problems related to the sustainability of our planet, and we owe it to future generations to do whatever we possibly can to tackle this dizzying array of issues head-on. We also recognize that forests and the nature-based solutions that they provide are a big part of the solution, but that this may require disruptive, transformative change. The Faculty of Forestry is responding to this clarion call by providing intellectual space for informed dialogue and by imparting knowledge to the next generation of natural resources managers and change-makers. Together, we can make a difference in creating a healthier, more resilient and sustainable future.
The removal of what a forestry company in Port Alberni determined were hazardous trees has stirred up much public discussion. San Group built a dirt berm lining their property when they began building their remanufacturing plant, as a sound barrier to construction work on the site, said company spokesperson Amit Chandra Shekar. The berm was built at the base of the trees… San Group planted trees and shrubs along the berm and were plagued with thefts of the plants. “We knew the trees would die at some point. We planted four trees for every one,” he said. …while the trees planted within the past two years mature, San Group is looking at using it as a site to display public art. Port Alberni artist Michael Wright has already installed two metal sculptures. Chandra Shekar said he has some other ideas for the area for down the road.
British Columbia’s forestry sector is hitting pause as some companies are suspending operations to cut production — just in time for Christmas. Production curtailments, the latest announced by Canfor Corp. Monday, are a turnaround from a year ago when the industry was riding a high from a pandemic-recovery surge in home construction. “It looks like one wave of temporary curtailments after another,” said Jeff Bromley, United Steelworkers Union wood council chairperson. “I just got wind that Tolko (Industries) is taking some down time as well, throughout its B.C. plants.” The latest production cuts, however, come at the end of a year in which inflation and higher interest rates have threatened to spark a recession and “markets have dropped off a cliff,” said Bromley. …Madison’s Lumber Reporter reveals falling lumber prices, so it isn’t surprising to see some of the mills taking some down time now, said Keta Kosman, publisher of Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
VANCOUVER, BC – Canfor Corporation announced a temporary reduction in Canadian production due to very weak market conditions. The production will be reduced through curtailments at all solid wood facilities in B.C. and Alberta. This will remove approximately 150 million board feet in December and January. The curtailments will start to be implemented on December 19, 2022 and will range from one to four weeks across its Canadian operations. The Company will continue to adjust operating rates to align with market conditions and anticipates that the majority of its BC facilities will operate below full capacity in the New Year. “Due to the significant decrease in demand for solid wood products and challenging economic conditions, we are temporarily curtailing production in Canada. We will be working to mitigate the impacts on our employees by providing support and identifying meaningful work during the downtime,” said CEO Don Kayne.
MNP, one of Canada’s largest national professional services firms, is pleased to announce that it will join forces with Kerr & Company, effective January 16, 2023. Based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Kerr & Company is led by partners Chris Kerr, who will join MNP as a partner, as part of the merger. The firm includes a further eleven team members and provides a range of professional services (including accounting and tax services) to organizations throughout the Okanagan, with specialisms in working with Real Estate, Construction and Trades and Professionals. Trina Warren, MNP’s Regional Managing Partner for Okanagan, said that the merger reflects MNP’s continued commitment to investing in the region. “The Okanagan is a prosperous and diverse economy,” said Warren. “We are delighted to add Kerr & Company – a firm that shares our values and client-centric approach – into the fast-growing MNP fold.
From timber long houses in Europe to temples in Asia, wood has been a primary construction material in buildings since the Stone Age, with some still standing more than a thousand years later. Today, modern technology and engineering is turning wood into a “new” building material, mass timber, which is set to transform the North American lumber industry. …For decades, Europe has been at the forefront of this revolution, but growing momentum in the still-nascent North American market is fostering an environment ripe for commercial opportunities. …The number of North American mass timber plants has grown to 22 from just 4 in 2016, and that number could more than double by 2027… and there are many opportunities to participate in different parts of the business. These include fabrication of and design services for the various components and connections, all the way to working with architects and engineers on fully integrated design and supply solutions.
The B.C. government appears poised to announce new protections for “high profile” species at risk of extinction, including boreal caribou and spotted owls, as part of a long-awaited nature agreement with the federal government, according to documents obtained by The Narwhal through a Freedom of Information request. One document suggests the B.C. government’s decision to sign a nature agreement with Ottawa is motivated by a desire to sidestep potential federal interventions to protect at-risk species and their habitat. Details of the nature agreement have not yet been announced but speculation is it will be released any day to coincide with COP15, the United Nations biodiversity conference that opened Nov. 6 in Montreal. …The briefing note also says… Old-growth management areas, ungulate winter range designations and wildlife habitat areas “are likely to be used for species at risk and for old-growth management.” 
MONTREAL
Canada supports the goals of the European Union’s forestry trade rules, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says, after a leaked letter recently revealed the country’s efforts to water down proposed EU regulations right before the United Nations’ global biodiversity conference kicks off in Montreal. …The leaked letter … was penned by Canada’s ambassador to the EU, Ailish Campbell. It called for a “phased” approach that would slow down the push to halt deforestation and asked the European Commission to reconsider “burdensome traceability requirements” meant to ensure unsustainably sourced wood products have no place in the market. The federal government is working with provinces and territories to “define pathways” to protect areas with large, intact old-growth forests, said Guilbeault. Ottawa is prepared to give B.C. a “down payment” of $50 million to help protect old-growth forest, he said, but as the Narwhal recently reported, B.C. has yet to accept the funds.
At its October 2022 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s 
Manual tree falling is a high-risk activity that has resulted in serious injuries and deaths. In this video, forestry professionals share their personal stories of the long-term impact falling incidents have had on themselves and on their crews. These stories highlight the importance of supervision in identifying and managing risk — no matter the size of the operation — and how supervisors play a key role in making sure fallers return home safe at the end of the day. Visit our 
