Region Archives: Canada West

In a special episode of the YourForest Podcast released on June 19, 2024, Percy Guichon, executive director of Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) and Councillor of Tŝideldel First Nation, sat down with host Matthew Kristoff to delve into topics surrounding reconciliation in the forestry sector. Throughout the episode, Guichon shared details about his life, discussing his experiences attending residential school, ongoing challenges faced by Indigenous peoples due to inequitable opportunities, and the origins of CCR and its vision. YourForest Podcast, created in 2017, deals with diverse topics around environmental issues and forest management, discussing the challenges and triumphs of the pursuit of sustainability and providing insight to both the public and forest professionals alike. 

Dan Albas

Last year six forest firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty. The challenges of wildfire fighting are well-known, especially to those who live in or near forest interface areas. What isn’t well known is that forest firefighters are currently not included in the list of public safety occupations under the income tax regulations. What does this imply? Individuals listed in “public safety occupations” can retire early, at age 50, and contribute 2.33% annually to their pension. At present, forest firefighters are categorized as silviculture and forestry workers. For those workers, the minimum retirement age is set at 55 and the maximum pension accrual rate is capped at 2% per annum. Currently, firefighters in local and regional locations, at airports and in industrial and shipboard environments are included in the “priority occupation” list, as defined by the Government of Canada’s national occupational classification (NOC). However, forest firefighters are not included.

VICTORIA – The BC Forest Practices Board has published its comprehensive summary report detailing the audit findings from 2018 to 2022. This special report encapsulates the results of 43 audits conducted over the five-year period, highlighting trends, compliance levels, and areas needing improvement across British Columbia’s diverse forest and range management practices. Key Highlights from the 2018-2022 Audit Summary Report:

• Overall Compliance: Most licensees were found to comply with legislative requirements, with 86 percent of findings in full compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and the Wildfire Act.
• Audit Scope: The Board reviewed 675 recently harvested cutblocks, inspected 1,005 stream crossings, and evaluated 1,028 kilometres of road construction or deactivation across 20 natural resource districts.
• Non-Compliance: The report identifies several instances of significant non-compliance, particularly in bridge and road construction, fire hazard assessments, and silviculture reporting. These findings underscore the need for ongoing improvements in specific areas to ensure the sustainable management of forest resources.

For more than a century, the forests of Vancouver Island have been the economic backbone of the region. …In 2022, Mosaic Forest Management flipped that model on its head, saying it would defer logging on 40,000 hectares of its land throughout coastal B.C. for at least 25 years. Instead of logging those sites, Mosaic said, it would package the carbon stored in those trees into nature-based carbon credits. …But this past February, Renoster Systems, a carbon-credit-ratings agency assessed the project on measures such as “additionality” and transparency. …The agency gave the project a failing grade, saying it lacks additionality because most of the sites included in BigCoast are not actually at risk of being logged because they are on steep slopes or in other areas that are unlikely to be harvested. …Mosaic forcefully disputes the Renoster review. Mosaic accused Renoster of making “false, misleading and defamatory” statements. [to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]

Marking a pivotal moment for sustainable forestry practices and Indigenous stewardship of the land. We aim to unite Indigenous leaders, forestry professionals, environmentalists, and policymakers to explore the integration of traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern forestry management practices. We underscore the crucial role of collaboration and respect for Indigenous rights and territories in achieving ecological sustainability and unlocking economic opportunities for Indigenous communities. A significant focus will be on closing the economic gap, emphasizing the need for First Nations’ access to capital to participate meaningfully in the forest sector and creating opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs.

ALBERTA — When wolves are killed by bullets fired from helicopters during Alberta government culls, surviving members of the pack quickly learn to evade the threat, a new study has found. For nearly two decades, Alberta has killed off hundreds of grey wolves each year in an attempt to bolster dwindling caribou populations, a practice critics have described as a misguided measure to help herds on the brink recover from habitat loss. New research sheds light on how the practice alters the surviving wolves and warns of unintended consequences on threatened caribou and the broader boreal habitat. Researchers at the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia… found that culls alter the behaviour of survivors by pushing them deeper into the forest to new hunting grounds — changes that may help caribou in the short term but could ultimately help wolf populations quickly recover from a slaughter.

Urban foresters managing green spaces in our communities respond to public demand for this vital infrastructure in settings under increased pressure from the effects of climate change and population growth. Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park recently captured headlines following plans to remove looper moth-killed trees from the forest. Water scarcity and extreme heat are adding layers of complexity to urban landscape management. What can urban foresters tell us about this valuable community resource, along with present and emerging best practices in the field? What role do residents play in decisions surrounding living infrastructure in their neighbourhoods? Join us for an engaging expert panel discussion to answer these questions and more, including audience-generated queries. Moderated by UBC’s Richard Hamelin, with speakers Bruce Blackwell and Joe McLeod. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm PT | ONLINE

The Government of Yukon provided an update on the wildfire weather outlook at a briefing on June 13. In summary: For the past month, the Yukon has had mixed weather. Conditions are dry through central Yukon (from Destruction Bay through Carmacks, Faro and Ross River). The rest of the territory, in the north and the south, is not very dry due to last fall’s rain and winter snowpack. This means the wildfires so far this year are not burning as deeply or intensely as last year’s wildfires. This past weekend and continuing through midweek, warmer dry conditions will escalate fire danger across the territory. Fire danger can be expected to rise gradually through the week, with more lightning-started wildfires. …This summer the Yukon has 24 wildfire crews in regional bases across the territory, comprising 10 Government of Yukon and 14 Yukon First Nations crews. 

Old-growth forests that were environmental and Indigenous rights battlegrounds over clearcut logging in the 1980s and 1990s during BCV’s “war in the woods” are set to receive permanent protections. The B.C. government says an agreement Tuesday with two Vancouver Island First Nations will protect about 760 square kilometres of Crown land in Clayoquot Sound by establishing 10 new conservancies in areas that include old-growth forests and unique ecosystems. The partnership involves reconfiguring the tree farm licence in the Clayoquot Sound area to protect the old-growth zones while supporting other forest industry tenures held by area First Nations, said Forests Minister Bruce Ralston. Clayoquot Sound’s Ahoushat and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations say the conservancies will preserve old-growth forests on Meares Island and the Kennedy Lake area, sites of protests that led to hundreds of arrests. …The agreement is supported by more than $40 million raised by the environmental group Nature United.

Related coverage by:

• BC Government: Clayoquot Sound conservancies help protect BC’s oldest forests
• Nature United: First Nations’ visions and BC tenure change advance protections

ALBERTA — The bar was low for a better wildfire season in Alberta this year after a record-shattering season in 2023, persistent drought conditions and expectations of high temperatures. But the province weathered the crucial spring period, emerging in far better shape than it had at this point last year. …Brian Proctor, a meteorologist said the expectations for this season were influenced by a multi-year drought and a warm winter. …With no strong climate feature such as the warming El Niño, or the cooling La Niña, Alberta’s temperatures should be closer to average than last year, Proctor said. But precipitation is harder to predict. …”I don’t have a ton of confidence in our precipitation forecast other than to suggest it should be fairly normal conditions,” he said. Drought conditions in much of Alberta have relented due to more precipitation, but the far northwest region is still quite dry.

Two new studies are highlighting what researchers say is the harmful effect of log booms — floating structures that contain logs before processing — on fish habitats in B.C. rivers. A report from the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the B.C. Conservation Foundation (BCCF), led by the Cowichan Tribes, finds the presence of log booms at the mouth of the Cowichan River caused a 20 per cent reduction in survival rates for adult chinook salmon. Meanwhile, the lead author of a soon-to-be-published study from the University of B.C. and the Musqueam First Nation says that log booms in the Fraser River have a significant effect on nearby habitat, causing more soil to fall onto the riverbed and fewer invertebrates, which could be food for fish, to spawn. …The researchers say climate change and the changing river patterns that have come with drought conditions could prove challenging when it comes to mitigating the impact of log booms.

Those who commit offences that harm wildlife and fish, including illegal hunting and angling, will soon face higher fines. The new fine amounts better reflect the serious nature of these offences and recognize the importance of wildlife to everyone living in British Columbia. Fines under the Wildlife Act and its regulations have not been substantially updated in more than two decades. Effective June 18, 2024, the new fines for violation tickets range from $345 to $1,495, a significant increase from the current range of $115 to $575. …Violations of the Wildlife Act can have negative impacts on fish and wildlife and the habitats they rely on to survive and thrive. Other offences include: unlawful trapping, hunting and angling; hunting without a licence; operating a motor vehicle in an area where motor vehicles are prohibited; damage to wildlife habitat; and illegal trafficking of wildlife.

Kimberley, B.C. – The City of Kimberley, with funding support from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, is making significant strides in wildfire risk reduction through a targeted project in the Wildland-Urban Interface southwest of the community. This initiative, important to help better protect the community, the wildlife habitats and community infrastructure…, began in the summer of 2023, and the City’s efforts on the project are ongoing. …The City of Kimberley continues to build upon its wildfire risk reduction work and drafted a five-year landscape fire risk and impact reduction plan to identify logical treatment areas and required budgets to do the work. …The City will further benefit from a large-scale fire risk and impacts assessment being conducted by the First Nations Emergency Services Society of BC (an arm of the BC First Nations Forestry Council) and the local Ktunaxa Nation.

The Chinook Community Forest is being recognized by the province for its excellence in forest management. They were presented with the 2024 Robin Hood Memorial Award in Mackenzie on Wednesday. “The people who manage and operate the Chinook Community Forest provide a great example of how community-based forestry enriches rural towns and economies,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests. The forest group was chosen for their sustainable forest management and wildfire mitigation last year. “Despite their land base being severely impacted by beetles and wildfires, they are committed to resilience in their forest management and governance,” said Randy Spyksma, president, BC Community Forest Association. The group has also provided $600,000 in donations in the past five years to various projects and groups in the Burns Lake area.

Kamloops council has agreed to send the province’s minister of forests a letter advocating for measures that pulp mill representatives say would increase fibre supply while cleaning up forest fuels and preventing fires. Thomas Hoffman, fibre manager for Kruger Kamloops Pulp told council the mill brought value to nearly 1.4 million cubic metres of fire-affected wood in 2023. …Hoffman said the industry is looking for the province to expedite timber salvaging permits, ensure full access to allowable annual cut for licensees, and develop “an aggressive forest fuel risk reduction program” to mitigate wildfire damage. …Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson said last year he spoke with Forests Minister Bruce Ralston about “getting burned wood out of the bush.” …“He assured me that they had a plan,” Hamer-Jackson said. Hamer-Jackson put forward a motion to send a “follow up” letter to Ralston.

Hillary Wait, Stuart Adkins & Aileen Sturges

HIGH PRAIRIE, Alberta — Harvesting plans for three forestry companies operating in the High Prairie and Slave Lake regions were presented May 30 at a joint open house at the High Prairie Legion Hall. Plans were displayed by West Fraser Timber that operates High Prairie Forest Products, Tolko and by Millar Western Forest Products. Plans for harvesting trees are getting back on track for the three companies after extensive wildfires in the spring and summer 2023 destroyed countless trees. Tolko northwest regional forestry superintendent Hillary Wait says the company plans to return to its harvesting plans. …Harvesting plans are on track for High Prairie Forest Products. “We’re looking to a regular harvest this year,” planning forester Aileen Sturges says. …Millar Western plans to start with salvage, says forestry superintendent Stuart Adkins. …All proposed harvesting plans must be approved by Alberta Forestry and Parks.

A major provincial park expansion will create a protection zone of almost 2,000 square kilometres for caribou and other species in northeastern British Columbia. The Ministry of Environment says in a statement that the addition to the Klinse-za Park will make it the largest provincial park established in the province in a decade. The park addition is the result of a partnership in 2020 between the province and the Saulteau and West Moberly First Nations, where they agreed to help stabilize and protect the threatened southern mountain caribou. Klinse-za Park is located just west of Chetwynd, B.C., almost 1,100 kilometres north of Vancouver. The province says the number of caribou in B.C. fell by more than 55 per cent in the last century, mostly due to human-caused habitat disturbance, and there are fewer than 4,000 of the southern mountain species left.

A B.C. man is awaiting a new hearing after successfully appealing a $100,000-fine for starting a wildfire in the Kispiox Valley. Supreme Court of B.C. Judge Michael Tammen allowed Eldon Whalen’s appeal of the May 16, 2023 decision that upheld a B.C. government’s fine for the costs of fire control. Whalen was fined under the Wildfire Act after a burn pile on his property became a wildfire in May 2019, according to a June 12 decision. Whalen is appealing the contravention order that included a $3,000 administrative penalty and $100,688 for costs of recovery for failing to ensure a Category 2 open fire started by him did not spread. The penalty and contravention fine were initially ordered on May 2, 2022. …Whalen has maintained that he returned to the burn site several times from April 1 to 8, 2019, “at all times believing it was extinguished.” …On May 10, 2019, he discovered the fire had spread and become a wildfire.

CANMORE – Planning is underway for large-scale fireguards to protect Canmore and neighbouring communities like Harvie Heights and Dead Man’s Flats from a future wildfire. Town of Canmore officials say the threat of wildfire in the Bow Valley is extreme due to increasing development and aging forests that are becoming unhealthy. “Large-scale fireguards are required to provide wildfire responders with wildfire containment options and to reduce wildfire intensity approaching developed areas,” said Caitlin Miller, protective services manager and director of emergency management for the Town of Canmore. The Town of Canmore was successful in getting $192,000 through the $19 million provincial community fireguard program for high-risk communities, which is being administered by the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA).

Samuel Bartels

University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) researchers will explore local solutions that could have global impacts with $2 million in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Eleven UNBC researchers, including seven in the early stages of their careers, received funding through the NSERC Discovery Grant program. Among the UNBC projects to receive funding:

• Ecosystem Science and Management Prof. Chris Johnson into the development of a new concept for studying how animals in B.C. adapt in a changing climate.
• Ecosystem Science and Management assistant Prof. Samuel Bartels is examining how land use and climate change are impacting forest biodiversity… with the aim of developing conservation approaches that create resistance and resilience.
• Environmental Science Prof. Phil Owens is studying the impact of wildfires on water flow and soil erosion. 
• Ecosystem Science and Management assistant Prof. Jonathan Cale is helping to manage future beetle populations by clarifying the role of fungal communities in beetle outbreaks.