There are many times when I’ve been frustrated by the headlines sensationalizing protests about forest management in BC. The relentlessness of the attacks on our forest sector becomes, right or wrong, numbing. …I’m not talking about the legal and passionate protests and dialogue about the future of forest management in BC. This is about those that flout the law, discourage real discussion, discourage democracy, and have a new brand of colonialism. One protest group dumped a pile of manure at the front door of Premier Horgan’s constituency office. Wow, that is really mature. Next, Minister Conroy’s home phone number was published online and both she and her family members received threatening messages. Wow, what kind of person does that?
The TLA has attempted to present some facts on the debate including three billboards on Vancouver Island, which have been vandalized or destroyed on three separate occasions. I guess facts, dialogue, and democracy are unwelcomed in some circles. …In all the debate I’ve heard from preservationists, I have yet to hear a real option for how construction of new homes and buildings will be built, or what the substitutes are for the myriad of products originating from wood fibre. …Additionally, from a purely pragmatic perspective, the forest sector needs more than a few months to transition to the utopian vision many would have for our sector. Over the past decades of sustainably managing our forests, we can take pride in our ability to innovate and change with society’s expectations. But new products cannot be created overnight, retooling and recapitalizing cannot be done overnight, and new customers for new products cannot be found overnight.
The Alberta Forest Products Association released an economic report for the province’s forestry sector in 2020. It says $13.6 billion in economic output, $2.7 billion in labour income, and more than 31,500 jobs were contributed by the forestry sector in Alberta in 2020 according to the report done by 
Quatsino First Nation and Western Forest Products Inc. have entered into an agreement that provides for a joint vision and approach to share opportunities related to forest resources in unceded Quatsino traditional territory. This agreement allows for a “bridging period” of increased stability for forestry workers and North Island communities as Quatsino, Western and the Province continue to pursue longer term reconciliation arrangements that respect and recognize Quatsino’s rights within its territory, and provide for North Island economic stability. The Quatsino / Western “Bridging Agreement” builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Quatsino, Western and the Provincial government in 2020. This milestone agreement recognizes and respects Quatsino’s rights within its territory and creates a foundation to achieve Quatsino and Western’s shared goals around sustainability and predictability for forest resources.
Western Forest Products announced capital investments totaling $29 million towards its B.C. operations. The investments are part of the Company’s commitment to support value-added manufacturing on the Coast and grow its value-added wood products business, all while continuing to improve Western’s long-term competitiveness.
VERNON, B.C. — The Board of Directors of Southeastern Timber Products LLC, an STP-Tolko Partnership (STP) are pleased to announce a $150 million USD capital investment in the STP lumber mill in Ackerman, Mississippi. The partnership is a joint venture between Tolko Industries (U.S.) Ltd. and STP Holdings, LLC. This investment is the next step in an expansion project that will upgrade the mill from 120MMFBM to 250MMFBM annual capacity. … “This investment is tremendous news for Choctaw County and Mississippi,” says Governor Tate Reeves. “It further expands the economic strength of this community and solidifies our state as a timber source for the world.” …“We’re excited to be moving to the next stage of this expansion,” says Tolko CEO Brad Thorlakson. “We first announced our partnership with STP in November 2018 and are happy to reinvest in the community as well as help strengthen and expand the local job market.”
The Province is releasing the third annual report on efforts to ensure B.C. is a place where the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples are respected, and First Nations, Métis and Inuit people can thrive. The 2021-2022 Declaration Act Annual Report highlights progress made in implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) and advancing reconciliation in B.C. Highlights include:
Between June 22, 2022 and June 27th, 2022, a meeting on challenges to our future tree seed supply was held in British Columbia. The purpose of this tree seed meeting was to address a key bottleneck in the highly ambitious global reforestation goals – the sustained availability of high-quality and adapted tree seed. Challenges to our future tree seed supply are real and begin with a lack of educational coverage, research funding and interest, and continued infrastructure investment. The tree seed supply system is taken for granted and unsustainable in its current form. One of the meeting goals was to build strong relationships between organizations involved in this field: IUFRO 2.09.03: Seed Physiology and Technology; International Seed Testing Association Forest Tree and Shrub Committee, International Seed Federation Tree and Shrub group and our Canadian Tree Seed Working Group. Prioritization of efforts needs to consider the whole spectrum of activities from tree seed science to production and processing and ultimately the provision of the best seeds and information to the global tree seed market.
VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices of Interfor Corporation on tree farm licence (TFL) 18, located near Clearwater, during the week of July 11, 2022. Auditors will examine whether harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire protection and associated planning carried out between July 1, 2020, and July 15, 2022, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act. The audit area is located in the Thompson Rivers Natural Resource District, northwest of Clearwater and south of Wells Gray Provincial Park. The TFL overlaps the territories of the Adams Lake Indian Band, Canim Lake Indian Band, Neskonlith Indian Band and the Simpcw First Nation. The TFL was transferred to Interfor Corporation from Canadian Forest Products Ltd. in March 2020, including harvesting rights, road maintenance and silviculture obligations and commitments to First Nations, as well as stakeholders.
The bylaws governing the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) have been amended to reflect operational business needs and changes in authorities, terminology, and other provisions in the Professional Governance Act (PGA) contained in 
In 1964, Bob Dylan released a song called The Times They Are A-Changin’. It’s now 2022, and as it relates to woodlots (WL), truer words were never spoken …er sung. These days, nary a meeting goes by without a discussion about the new vision for BC’s forest sector and modernizing BC forest policy. Buzz words like ‘transformational change’ and ‘paradigm shift’ abound. In the spring 2022 Almanac, I highlighted a few of the government initiatives that are underway, notably old growth deferrals, Forest Act changes, and FRPA changes. But there are many others including the redistribution of tenures (which includes identifying crown land in WLs as special purpose areas), cumulative effects assessments, wildlife strategy, species-at-risk, and the Ministry of Environment’s watershed security strategy. Individually and collectively, these initiatives are going to materially change Woodlot Licences and the way they must be managed. …The good news is that WLs are held in high regard by the provincial government.
After a 2-year hiatus, the Fraser Valley Woodlot Association is proud to host the Federation of BC Woodlot Associations-Woodlot Product Development Council Annual General Meeting and Conference! The event will be held at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Centre in Abbotsford, BC from October 14 – 16, 2022. The Fraser Valley is home to world-class hiking, fishing, food, breweries, wineries and more. The theme of the conference is Woodlots: Rooted in Learning, with panel presentations on First Nations engagement and Forestry Learning and Education along with field trips to the BCIT Woodlot and a guided tour through the rich Aboriginal history of the eastern Fraser Valley. Early bird registrants will be entered into a Sturgeon Fishing draw presented by Sturgeon Bay Resources in partnership with Double Header Sport Fishing.
For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples lived in and around the forests of BC. …When taking from the forest, they held ceremonies to ask permission and only took what was needed, being careful to cause as little damage as possible. With this care and respect, they acted as an integral part of nature and the ecosystem thrived indefinitely. …There’s a strong backlash due to fear that climate action will threaten existing socioeconomic systems and those who benefit from them. Forestry corporations and their workers are aggressively fighting any change that results in restrictions on their harvests of high-value timber. They threaten layoffs, loss of government resource revenues and play down the future financial risks of continuing with the current method of forest management. …The time has come to adopt a more Indigenous worldview where our connection to nature is of greater importance than our connection to consumer products.
Wildfires are breaking out across Yukon as lightning pummels the territory and a heat wave wears on, a fire information officer says. Mike Fancie of Yukon Wildland Fire Management says about 20 fires a day have been sparked beginning on the long weekend, bringing the total this year to 155 wildfires that have burned 45,000 hectares. Fancie described the proportion of fires caused by lightning as “stupendously high” at 97 per cent, compared with about 70 per cent in a typical year with the remainder being caused by humans. On Monday alone, there were more than 3,000 lightning strikes, 484 of which were positive strikes that carry with them increased fire danger, he said. “The sheer volume of lightning activity and new fires over the past few days have totally obliterated that statistic,” he said. The fires come as Environment Canada issued a heat warning for much of the territory…