Region Archives: Canada West

The worsening effects of climate change are compounding the historical loss of BC’s old-growth forests, says the co-author of a new paper that shows decades of logging on the province’s central coast targeted the highest-value forests first. “History tells us that we have really depleted these high-value elements of the landscape, and that we can’t keep going,” said Ken Lertzman, at Simon Fraser University.
“At the same time, (forests) have never been under greater threat from natural disturbances that are driven by a changing climate.” …That’s the reality today’s policy-making must reflect when it comes to determining how B.C.’s forests will be valued and used in years to come, Lertzman said. The paper examined more than 150 years of logging around Bella Bella on B.C.’s central coast. …The paper demonstrates how the logging industry engaged in “high-grading,” or targeting the most profitable and accessible forests first.

Duncan’s First Nation in northern Alberta is suing the Alberta government for infringement of Treaty Rights, leaning heavily on a B.C. Supreme Court decision last year, which found that province liable for violations based on the cumulative impacts of industry on the Blueberry River First Nations’ territory. The lawsuit could have a profound impact in a province heavily reliant on an oil and gas industry that has caused significant cumulative impacts, including in the Peace River district that is home to Duncan’s First Nation. In B.C., the court ordered the government to sit down with Blueberry River First Nations to develop a plan to address its concerns and gave the nation the power to block new developments on its land. …The traditional territory of Duncan’s First Nation sits on oilsands deposits … but there is also extensive logging in the area, with large forest management agreements in place. 

Lawmakers heading into the first day of the fall session at the B.C. legislature were met by a small group of people looking for more concrete action on ending old-growth logging in the province. The group wants the province to implement all 14 recommendations from the independent old-growth strategic review. …a recent report from Stand.earth found that over 55,000 hectares of proposed deferrals face imminent risk of logging. It used satellite imagery analysis to allege that some deferrals have already been destroyed – some to make way for pipelines – or are in the process of being clearcut. Forests Minister Katrine Conroy, in a statement to Black Press Media, said such reports about significant logging in deferral areas are misleading. “The ministry of forests has been monitoring the situation on the ground and – in fact – less than half a per cent of the proposed deferral areas have been harvested since November 2021.” 

Fuel modification continues in the Selous Creek area through the Selous Creek Wildfire Fuel Mitigation project, building an eyebrow of protection for Nelson through a three-metre wide no-tree zone.  A collaboration between the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) and Kalesnikoff Lumber Co. Ltd., the Selous Creek fuel management project begins again this month and is designed to reduce the risk of wildfire adjacent to Nelson and the threat to its secondary source of water, the Selous Creek water intake.  In reducing wildfire risk, the project will retain large and healthy fire-resistant trees but remove surface fuels and understory trees. This is expected to enhance “infrastructure protection for potential future suppression efforts.” …The project — supported through funding from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC — covers an area of approximately 65 hectares directly upslope from the Rail Trail on provincial Crown land. 

Re: “Campaign killing forest interests with ‘wacky’ ideas”, “Resume logging in forest reserve” and “Elect council to axe forest review” letters to the editor.  As it stands right now, the forest review is moving forward this week with a Forest Advisory Committee Meeting…. They will be reviewing the forest management scenarios brought forward by UBC forestry and staff.  Next week the new forest management scenarios go to council for approval.  The scenarios include business as usual, variable retention harvesting, active and passive conservation.  The public will be informed on the details later in the fall. Thirteen of the current mayoral and councillor candidates have committed to a timely finish of the forest review. …No one is questioning the work of the volunteer Forest Advisory Committee. They are true professionals, respected in the industry and they more than fulfilled their mandate.

Additional coverage in the Chemainus Valley Courier: Vote for North Cowichan candidates committed to finishing the forest review

Lisa White-Kuuyang

Lisa White-Kuuyang recalls the touch of her clan grandmother’s hand, guiding her in gently peeling a handspan of bark from the mammoth red cedars used to weave traditional baskets of the Indigenous Peoples of B.C.’s Haida Gwaii. “Don’t take more than you need,” she would tell her. “We don’t want to harm the tree.”  Fifty years later, most of those giants — which can live a thousand years and grow to nearly 200 feet tall — are gone.  “I have watched our forests disappear my entire life,” Lisa laments. She and her family have fought for generations to preserve Haida artistic and spiritual traditions. Now, they must also fight to save the trees that give birth to those traditions.  Blockading logging operations, giving speeches, writing letters, creating video sand social media campaigns — Lisa speaks for her people, her ancestors and future generations that don’t have a voice, she says.

BC’s government has made a show of protecting old-growth when really it is approving forest destruction at an alarming rate. B.C.’s grandstanding has been a jarring contrast to reality: the most at-risk old-growth forests are being cut down. …As old-growth logging continues, the reason behind B.C.’s misinformation campaign may be as insidious as it is predictable. …The B.C. government has cited a lack of Indigenous consent as its reason for failing to implement deferrals, even as it pursues a strategy that blocks deferrals sought by First Nations, and risks pitting First Nations against each other. …When First Nations must choose between logging remaining old-growth forests and having funds to support their communities, it violates their inherent rights to self-determination. …Immediately implementing all proposed logging deferrals is essential to restoring hope and trust in the province’s old-growth strategy. [to access the full story a National Observer subscription may be required]

VANCOUVER — Seemingly endless summer conditions in British Columbia have prompted a warning that this year’s “very unique fire season” in the province is not yet over. Hot and dry conditions persist, something the superintendent of the BC Wildfire Service’s predictive services said is “quite problematic,” and creates conditions for potential ignitions across B.C. Neal McLoughlin said the season was unusual because it started slowly and was damp, with a delayed snowmelt, then it transitioned into hot, dry conditions by July that continue to persist into October. Temperatures are about five to eight degrees above normal for this time of year, and there’s been little to no rain in several parts of B.C. in weeks. “I would suggest, while we are maintaining this hot, dry, precipitation-free period, fire season is by no means over yet,” McLoughlin said in an interview.

PORT ALBERNI, BC — The MacMillan Bloedel Retirees Committee has planned its annual coffee social for retired loggers. The event is back on track after a pause due to the coronavirus pandemic and resultant restrictions. The retired loggers coffee social will take place Tuesday, Oct. 4 at the Steelworkers Union Hall, from 1–3 p.m. All Alberni Valley retired loggers, staff, contractors and others associated with the forestry industry are welcome. Come and have a coffee, meet old friends, make new ones and share some stories. The Steelworkers Union Hall is located at 4904 Montrose St. in Port Alberni. [END]

The 2022 wildfire season is winding down, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service’s final status update of the year. Friday’s update notes that there are currently 166 wildfires burning in the province, with 82 per cent of those classified as “being held” or “under control.” “Over the last week, there were 24 new fire starts and three fires started in the last 24 hours,” said BCWS, adding that the majority of those fires were held under one hectare. “Though a downturn in activity has been observed, there is still no season ending weather in the forecast as conditions remain dry with above seasonal temperatures throughout most of the province,” the service continued. Compared to the devastating 2021 season, 2022 has been a down year for wildfires. The season started slowly with cooler-than-average weather and above-average precipitation in June. Despite the slow start, there had been a total of 1,577 fires sparked in the province in 2022 as of Friday. 

Diego Corry and Domenico Iannidinardo

VANCOUVER, BC—Canadian Forest Owners have awarded the University of British Columbia Master of Forestry’s student Diego Corry the Christopher Lee Memorial Scholarship, based on his MSc thesis which addresses how forest companies and landowners respond to the growing amount of environmental activism that occurs through social media. “This research stands to yield actionable insights for forest industry professionals and marks an original contribution to the academic literatures on corporate social responsibility, environmental governance, and social movements,” emphasizes Dr. Hamish van der Ven, Assistant Professor, Sustainable Business Management of Natural Resources, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia. CFO is interested in Corry’s research which could help determine how expectations for responsible business conduct expressed through platforms like Facebook and Twitter effect the policies and practices of organizations in the Canadian forest sector.

Forestry students at North Island College are learning the ropes in the classroom and out in the field. Two new Coastal Forestry programs at North Island College have been teaching students how to put down roots in the forest industry, giving them entry-level skills for a wide range of positions within the forestry sector. …“Where they would have spent five to six days in the field, now that work is done in the office,” said Coleen MacLean-Marlow, the program coordinator. The college offers both a one-year certificate program and a two-year diploma program, which were developed in collaboration with the BC Forest Safety Council. Teachers in the program are professional foresters themselves. …Although the certificate program officially launched in 2020, it was piloted in 2019 out of Port Alberni with Huu-ay-aht First Nations [and] Western Forest Products had been a part of the program advisory team.

Drought and water scarcity continues to affect the west coast, south coast and northeastern areas of B.C. that have experienced little to no rainfall over the past five weeks with continued dry weather in the forecast. Areas under Drought Level 4 include the Fort Nelson basin, the Sunshine Coast basin, Lower Mainland basin, and the east and west Vancouver Island basins. At Drought Level 4, conditions are extremely dry and adverse effects to socio-economic or ecosystem values are likely. Drought is a recurring feature of climate that involves reduced precipitation, such as rain, during an extended period, resulting in a water shortage. …If conservation measures do not achieve sufficient results and drought conditions worsen, temporary protection orders under the Water Sustainability Act may be issued to water licensees to avoid significant or irreversible harm to aquatic ecosystems. Provincial staff are monitoring the situation and working to balance water use with environmental flow needs.

A pilot project to set up public access to privately-managed forest lands in the Alberni Valley has been going well, says Mosaic Forest Management. Representatives from Mosaic provided an update on their work in the area. Colin Koszman said the company has been working with the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, the Ministry of Forests and other groups to open up public opportunities for access within private-managed forest lands. A pilot project was started in 2021 on Ash Main to allow increased public access on a trial basis. Koszman says the goal is to open the road “basically 24/7” so the public can access these areas. …Details are still being worked out with the province …but in the meantime, a kiosk has been installed at the start of the line to communicate to the public that they need to yield to industrial traffic.

Every couple of years or so, FESBC publicly reports on our progress. The recent FESBC 2022 Accomplishments Report was an opportunity to take stock of the achievements and what we’ve learned since 2016. We have: reduced greenhouse gases equivalent to taking 1.1 million cars off the road for a year; reduced wildfire risk in over 120 communities; improved significant amounts of wildlife habitat; accelerated the growth of the bioeconomy in B.C.; increased Indigenous participation in the forest economy; and created over 2,100 full-time-equivalent jobs. We learned that forests are part of the solution for creating a great many social, economic and environmental benefits for British Columbians. The key to FESBC success is the enabling of local people to take action in their local forests, which then leads to powerful and long-lasting transformations with a multitude of multi-faceted benefits. .

Today is the final day for Early Bird Tickets! Visit our website to register. We are pleased to announce that the Minister of Forests, Katrine Conroy, will join us to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the BCCFA at the annual banquet on October 20th. Tickets for the banquet are included in the full ticket price and can also be purchased separately. Minister Conroy will also present the 2022 Robin Hood Memorial Award to a deserving community forest. The conference program has been updated with a new opportunity for a tour of the Downie Mill in Revelstoke. There is no fee for the pre conference field trips. Please note that the Continuing Professional Development workshop is not included in full ticket price, but must be purchased separately. We encourage all professionals and interested lay people to take advantage of this unique opportunity. Read more about it in the conference program.

Weyerhaeuser will be able to grow and harvest timber in the Grande Prairie area for another 20 years. The Alberta government confirmed Thursday it has renewed its forest management agreement, along with one for the Pembina Timberlands near Drayton Valley. Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development Nate Horner says, combined, these agreements are expected to maintain more than 1,250 full-time, contract, and seasonal positions. They will reportedly potentially contribute $12.2 million and $14.7 million in annual holding and protection charge payments, $313 million and $277 million in timber dues, and $3.2 billion and $3.5 billion to Alberta’s gross domestic product.

Representatives of Gitanyow First Nation, including Hereditary Chiefs, and the B.C. government are celebrating 10 years of a landmark land-use plan that has reduced land-based conflicts and guided sustainable development in Gitanyow’s territory. In 2012, under the Gitanyow Huwilp Recognition and Reconciliation Agreement, Gitanyow and the Province agreed to the Gitanyow Lax’yip Land Use Plan, which lays out the Nation’s vision for lands in their territory, including appropriate uses. The visionary plan led to a collaborative process between Gitanyow, neighbouring Nations, B.C. and stakeholders that put the plan into effect through the landscape-level Nass South and the Cranberry Sustainable Resource Management Plans. …“Skeena Sawmills endorsed the Gitanyow Lax’yip Land Use Plan in 2012, and it guides our forest management activities in Gitanyow Territory, including forest planning, road construction, timber harvesting and silviculture in Gitanyow Territory,” said Greg DeMille, vice-president of operations for Skeena Sawmills Ltd. and Skeena Bionergy. 

The Government of Alberta has renewed the forest management agreement (FMA) jointly held by Tolko Industries Ltd., Norbord Inc. and La Crete Sawmills Ltd. for the next 20 years in exchange for important stewardship responsibilities. This agreement establishes the companies’ right to grow and harvest Crown timber from a forest management unit in the northwestern corner of the province, surrounding High Level. Over its lifespan, this FMA is expected to maintain more than 1,700 full-time, contract and seasonal positions and will potentially contribute: $48.7 million in holding and protection charge payments, $433 million in timber dues payments, and $6.1 billion to Alberta’s gross domestic product. “The decision to renew this joint FMA helps maintain hundreds of good jobs for Albertans, provides our forest sector with sure footing for their long-term investments and ensures sustainable management practices for Alberta’s forests,” and Nate Horner, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development.

NANAIMO, BC — Environmentalists on Vancouver Island are celebrating a sizable land donation aimed at protecting a critical watershed near Nanaimo, BC. Chilliwack-based construction company the Emil Anderson Group donated 71 acres of ecologically sensitive land along the Englishman River Monday to the Nature Trust of B.C., a non-profit conservation group. “The Englishman river is the most important salmon spawning stream in the mid-Vancouver Island region,” Nature Trust of B.C. CEO Jasper Lament said. Lament described the donation as a “transformational gift” to conservation, explaining that the land is in the Coastal Douglas Fir bio-geoclimatic zone, an at-risk ecological area of conservation concern. Along with a multitude of wildlife species, the area is home to a number of keystone tree species including many individual trees over 100 years old.