Region Archives: Canada West

Special Feature

Time to talk about how Alberta’s forests are managed

By Jason Krips, president, Alberta Forest Products Association
Edmonton Journal
July 30, 2024
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jason Krips

Like everyone else in Alberta, the forest industry was saddened by what happened in Jasper. …There is a conversation to be had and a way forward. Our association penned an opinion piece in the Edmonton Journal in October 2017. It said: “If you ask a professional forester where the next devastating fire might happen, they’d probably point to Hinton and Jasper. That’s because a massive pine beetle epidemic has killed much of the pine in Jasper National Park and is surging towards Hinton.” The article proceeded to talk about the value of managing our forests sustainably. It offered constructive solutions, like identifying and harvesting at-risk pine stands and regenerating them with younger forests. This is a concrete step we can take to safeguard our communities and environment.

We know that Indigenous communities have lived on these lands from time immemorial and have knowledge that is highly valuable, but underutilized. We know that our foresters are on the land every day and supplement their practical experience with a strong scientific and educational foundation. …What we should not do is impose top-down solutions that apply to very different land bases. One frustration I hear frequently in our industry and communities is that federal policy on items like management of our national parks or protection of species at risk is top-down, hard to implement at the ground level. …We all share the same goal of healthy landscapes within parks and thriving wildlife species. If this is the goal, the way to get there inevitably leads through conversations at the community level and more active management. …As an industry that lives in forest communities and is deeply tied to the land base, we are ready to have this conversation. The future of communities we love depends on it.

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Business & Politics

San Group sues Port Alberni over ‘clandestine’ overnight search

By Carla Wilson
The Times Colonist
August 2, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

A forest company is suing the City of Port Alberni after a “clandestine” overnight search of its manufacturing plant last month, which the company said has harmed its reputation. The search relates to false claims that San Group was mistreating temporary foreign workers through substandard accommodation, the company says. While the almost seven-hour search was underway, the access road to the plant was blocked by two fire trucks and at least three police cruisers, says a notice of claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court. …“The mustering of substantial numbers of public servants… through the night foreseeably attracted substantial attention and became the source of rumours, that has been highly damaging to the plaintiffs’ business and reputation”. …The company’s goal is to see its name cleared, Bob Bortolin said. The false allegations have caused problems for the Langley-based company in purchasing raw materials and in sales, which are international, Bortolin said.

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The SAN Group is suing City of Port Alberni

By Bob Bortolin
The San Group
July 31, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The SAN Group have sued the City of Port Alberni on July 31st, 2024 citing a breach of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, trespass, invasion of privacy, abuse of process, and negligence arising from an unauthorized, secret, clandestine, and illegal search conducted over night on July 4th – 5th, 2024.  The Notice of Claim is attached. The SAN Group, an award-winning contributor to the Alberni Valley community, have other claims in process, which will be forthcoming

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Williams Lake First Nation, West Fraser sign forestry agreement

By Monica Lamb-Yorski
Clearwater Times
July 30, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

A B.C. Interior First Nation is one step closer to holding a woodland license in its traditional territory after signing an agreement with West Fraser. Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) has signed a joint development agreement with West Fraser to combine local tenure volumes into a single First Nations Woodland License. WLFN Chief Willie Sellars described the agreement as a positive step towards reconciliation. “This agreement allows WLFN to manage forestry activities in key areas of interest while keeping our stewardship priorities at the forefront,” Sellars said in a news release. …John Walker, stewardship forester for WLFN, told Black Press Media the license will be volume-based at the outset and will mostly focus on areas east of Williams Lake toward Horsefly and Crooked Lake, not the whole area, but portions of it. …Presently there are not many WLFN community members working in the forest industry and Walker said they are hoping to grow that number.

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Finance & Economics

Conifex Timber has a big upside if lumber prices continue to rebound

By Michael McCullough
BC Business Magazine
July 30, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada West

One subsector that may be coming off a bottom right now is the lumber industry. And if you’re looking for deep value, why not swing for the fences with a dirt-cheap, left-for-dead issue like Conifex Timber? High interest rates have served to choke off home building and thus demand for forest products since the industry’s last peak in 2021. Shrinking timber supply and high log costs have been an added burden for operators in B.C. like Conifex, which operates a sawmill and biomass power plant in Mackenzie. But while still in the red, the company’s financial picture is brightening. Revenue in the first quarter rose to $40.7 million while the net loss decreased to $4.5 million. Lumber volumes and prices and electrical output all increased. …Raymond James analyst Daryl Swetlishoff recently raised his targets on a number of forest companies—including Conifex.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Nanaimo Regional District approves UBCM resolution to create future for tiny home and RV living

By Jordan Davidson
Nanaimo News Now
August 1, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

NANAIMO, BC — The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) wants the province to make a plan to allow residents to build and live in moveable tiny homes and recreational vehicles (RVs) amidst the ongoing housing and affordability crisis. …and is sending the resolution to this year’s Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention for debate and consideration. …“There’s already a precedent in the RDN to take a similar approach with RVs and tiny homes while prioritizing issues that are addressed in the International Residential Code…this will help us acknowledge that lack of affordable housing in the region is itself a major community-wide environment and safety emergency.” Zoe Todd spoke about how RVs are already highly regulated, as well as provincial tiny home builders already being certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). …The 2024 UBCM runs from Sept. 16-20 in Vancouver.

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naturally:wood Newsletter

naturally:wood
July 31, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

In this newsletter you’ll find:

Meet the Exchange — Mass Timber Demonstration Program: The Exchange by Faction Projects is a four-storey building in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley, aiming to revitalize Kelowna’s north downtown. With its exposed mass timber structure, this mixed-use office and commercial project was designed to attract tenants with its sustainability and industrial vibe, while supporting local business through its construction.

Global Buyers Mission: This year, naturally:wood is sharing our booth with our friends at WoodWorks BC. Find us at booths 42+51 on Friday September 6th for the tradeshow! The Global Buyers Mission (GBM) is the largest and most important wood show for international buyers and Canadian sellers of value-added wood products. As BC Wood’s premier business development activity, the GBM helps value-added manufacturers connect with hundreds of qualified international buyers and specifiers of wood products. 

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UBC super-black wood can improve telescopes, optical devices and consumer goods

By Lou Bosshart
University of British Columbia
July 30, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Thanks to an accidental discovery, researchers at the University of British Columbia have created a new super-black material that absorbs almost all light, opening potential applications in fine jewelry, solar cells and precision optical devices. Professor Philip Evans and PhD student Kenny Cheng were experimenting with high-energy plasma to make wood more water-repellent. However, when they applied the technique to the cut ends of wood cells, the surfaces turned extremely black. Measurements by Texas A&M University’s department of physics and astronomy confirmed that the material reflected less than one per cent of visible light, absorbing almost all the light that struck it. Instead of discarding this accidental finding, the team decided to shift their focus to designing super-black materials, contributing a new approach to the search for the darkest materials on Earth.

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Forestry

Renewed Agreement a Major Milestone for Splatsin and Tolko Partnership

By Chris Downey, Communications Advisor
Tolko Industries Ltd.
August 1, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

SECWÉPEMC TERRITORY, BRITISH COLUMBIA — Splatsin te Secwépemculucw (Splatsin) and Tolko Industries Ltd. (Tolko) proudly announce the signing of a renewed relationship agreement — titled the “Mlkwátaka” (place where we come together) — which serves to support and advance this long-standing partnership built upon mutual trust and respect. The essence of the Mlkwátaka Agreement, evident in its name, lies in its mission to unite Splatsin and Tolko together on their continued journey of learning and growth. Splatsin and Tolko share a vision to advance innovative forest management practices while respecting and implementing Splatsin’s traditional laws, values and principles. Splatsin and Tolko have been collaborating on land management, forest management and business opportunities since 2008… “Our relationship with Tolko has been ongoing since the early 2000’s … how we work together is a model for co-management that we plan to implement throughout Splatsin area of caretaker responsibility,” says Kukpi7 Michael Christian.

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Province responds to Chilcotin River landslide

By Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Government of British Columbia
July 31, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A flood warning, flood watches and an evacuation order have been issued due to a landslide over the Chilcotin River near Farwell Canyon as the Province takes action with partners to keep people safe. On Wednesday, July 31, 2024, a landslide blocked the Chilcotin River, near Farwell Canyon, which feeds into the Fraser River. A sudden release of the water behind the landslide dam may cause rapid rises in river levels downstream along the Fraser River south to Hope. The Cariboo Regional District has issued an evacuation order due to the landslide. …Several helicopters have been dispatched through BC Wildfire Service to assist with search and rescue of people in the area. The River Forecast Centre has issued a flood warning for the Chilcotin River upstream of the landslide in the vicinity of Farewell Canyon and a flood watch for the Chilcotin River downstream of the landslide in the vicinity of Farewell Canyon. 

Additional coverage by the Canadian Press: ‘Massive’ B.C. landslide blocking river may burst, sending a torrent of water, debris

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Canada and Alberta Announce Major Investment to Purchase More Wildfire Equipment

Natural Resources Canada
Cision Newswire
August 1, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

EDMONTON, Alberta — Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, with Todd Loewen, Minister of Forestry and Parks, announced a joint investment of over $57 million over five years under the Government of Canada’s Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program – Equipment Fund. This funding is already supporting Alberta’s efforts to purchase key wildland firefighting equipment as well as hire and train key personnel to enhance provincial readiness and capacity to prepare for and respond to wildland fires. So far, Alberta has purchased aircraft parts, general wildfire equipment including pumps and hoses, and telecommunications equipment. …The funding announced today will continue to enhance fire management efforts across Alberta by procuring and upgrading specialized wildland firefighting equipment and by hiring and training personnel to increase wildland fire preparedness and response efforts.

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Wildfire season now 4th worst on record in B.C.

By John Arendt
The Vernon Morning Star
August 1, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West
Bulk of wildfire activity has been in northeastern B.C. this year. British Columbia’s wildfire season is now the fourth-worst on record in terms of hectares burned. According to BC Wildfire Service, 1,072 wildfires have started since April 1, with 878,941 hectares burned. In 2023, wildfires destroyed 2,842,275 hectares across the province. The 2018 fire season destroyed 1,354,284 hectares while the 2017 season saw 1,216,053 hectares burned. Fire damage in British Columbia came to 869,300 hectares in 2021. …Of the wildfires in British Columbia this year, 66 per cent have been caused by lightning and 30 per cent have been human-caused. The remaining four per cent is undetermined.

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Forests have been decimated

Letter by Peter Rusland
Lake Cowichan Gazette
August 1, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Peter Rusland

Dear North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas and council, and Premier David Eby: We are glad our forest ministry is not following council’s recent request to expedite forest-harvesting permits. Details are found in the Cowichan Citizen’s online post July 29, 2024. Our forests have been legally yet tragically decimated by generations of mismanagement in the name of profits and employment. That’s arguably why fibre supply — also subject to international pricing and other factors — is now growing so scarce. Speeding permitting would simply fast-track the end of what mature forests we have left in B.C., while eroding ecological values plus tourism potential. Forest-dependent communities such as ours surely must see the looming end of our struggling timber-based economy. We advise folks employed in forestry to begin mulling alternate jobs.

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Seedpods and drones: The future of forest reclamation

By Thompson Rivers University
Castanet
August 1, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Lauchlan Fraser

Increased wildfire activity in BC has amplified the demand for safer, more effective recovery methods. Innovating approaches to tree planting and post-wildfire reclamation is vital for the future of BC’s landscape. “We’re trying to regrow forests quickly while also experiencing one of the greatest threats currently known, which is climate change,” says Dr. Lauchlan Fraser, core researcher at TRU’s Institute for Wildfire Science, Adaptation and Resiliency, professor in the department of Natural Resource Science and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in ecosystem reclamation. Fraser’s current research project focuses on optimizing tree seedpod performance to quickly restore ecosystems disturbed by wildfire. …The research is still underway, but the benefits of using drone technology in wildfire reclamation could be game changing with respect to recovery speed and safety. …Benefits also include gaining access to remote areas that otherwise may never be replanted.

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Logging, climate crisis killing once great Cedar forests on Vancouver Island

By Odette Auger
APTN News
August 1, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The majority of old growth Cedar forest on Vancouver Island is gone. Logging, the climate crisis and, some say, government policies are hampering its recovery. Here is the story of the Cedar and what it means to the Kwakwaka’wakw people. …The Ministry of Forests states,“Red Cedar is included in harvesting activities in Northern Vancouver Island, and as a result is replanted more than other species to ensure sustainable forestry practices of this iconic species into the future.” …another reason to be planting 85 per cent more Cedar than “original” hemlock – Cedar tops the price list at $1,375 per 1,000 board feet. … “What I’ve noticed in Kwakwaka’wakw territories is that the Cedars are dying, every summer the boughs get a little bit more brown. They are dying because they thrive in a rainforest and our climate is rapidly changing into something different,” says N’alag̱ a / Kaaw Kuuna, Avis O’Brien, a Kwakwaka’wakw and Haida cultural empowerment worker.

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Government of Alberta encourages residents to consider joining Wildfire Reservist Program

By Ethan Montague
My Grand Prairie Now
August 1, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

As wildfires continue to impact communities and forest areas across Alberta, the provincial government is encouraging residents to consider joining the Alberta Wildfire Reservist Program. According to the province, the reservist program hires emergency firefighters if needed or other support staff in a variety of positions, including non-fire line roles such as stevedores, data entry, camp supervisors, and others. Contractors are also a critical part of Alberta Wildfire’s response, and those with heavy equipment such as bulldozers, excavators, water trucks, and carriers are encouraged to complete a contract offer process which ensures the province has access to additional heavy equipment if needed.

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The Jasper fire is a five-alarm wake-up call for B.C.

By Jesse Zeman, Executive Director, B.C. Wildlife Federation
The Castlegar Source
July 31, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jesse Zeman

How many more Jaspers, how many more Lyttons, before we wake up? I am living with my family in a rental home provided by my insurance company after a fire swept through West Kelowna, destroying my home and property. …It is barely mid-summer and there are more than 360 wildfires burning in B.C. with dozens of evacuation alerts already issued. …Jasper is largely destroyed. This is a five-alarm wake-up call. …What happened to Jasper is happening over much of B.C. …Decades of fire suppression have resulted in huge amounts of fuel littering the forest floor, crowding out biodiversity and putting people at risk. …We need to pick up the pace. B.C. should commit to treating at least 10,000 hectares next year and 20,000 the year after that. It’s time to set bold goals and meet them, or we are doomed to sit in the smoke and choke while our homes and memories burn down.

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Thank the beetle and deadwood ‘fuel’ that should have been cleared

By Josh Andrus, Chairman Of The Advisory Board & Executive Director at Project Confederation
Western Standard
July 31, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

While Ottawa fixates on climate change rhetoric, their neglect of forest fire prevention has left Alberta’s landscapes vulnerable to devastation. Last week, a shining beacon of the beauty of our province was partially destroyed as a wildfire burned through the picturesque town of Jasper. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims. …But many people’s livelihoods have been wiped out. The question is how did this happen, and what could have been done to prevent it? Smokey Bear’s famous saying was: “Only you can prevent forest fires.” And, in this case, proactive measures certainly could have made a difference. Unfortunately, the entire federal government seems to have forgotten Smokey’s key point. Fire prevention on national park land is federal jurisdiction. …Ottawa needs to stay in its lane and focus on its own jurisdiction, and they need to stop blaming climate change for their own ineptitude.

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Campfire ban to be rescinded in northern B.C. Aug 1

By Marisca Bakker
Pentiction Western News
July 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Category 1 (campfires) open burning prohibition will be rescinded in the Prince George and Northwest Fire Centres as of noon on Aug. 1. According to the BC Wildfire Service, fire danger is constantly being measured and campfire prohibitions may return in either region if conditions change. The current prohibition for any Category 2 and Category 3 open fires remains in effect. Although fire danger ratings have dropped due to recent rainfall and cooler temperatures, the BC Wildfire Service is reminding the public to still exercise caution.

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Animals, like those in Jasper, know how to dodge wildfires, say biologists

Canadian Press in Kelowna Daily Courier
July 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

JASPER – Parks Canada wants everyone to know that despite the wildfire scorching Jasper National Park, Bear 222 is OK. …The bear, fitted with a radio tracking collar, has been followed since the blaze began last week. …Despite the loss of about a third of the Jasper townsite, including homes and buildings, as well as the sorrow over the destruction of a beloved piece of Canadian landscape, experts say animals know how to protect themselves in a wildfire. “Fire is a natural process and we expect animals to find new places to live,” said James McCormick, Jasper’s human-wildlife coexistence specialist. Mark Boyce, a wildlife biologist at the University of Alberta, said Jasper’s animals know what to do when their home is on fire. “Most of the critters get out of the way,” he said. “The number of animals (killed) is usually pretty small. In general, it’s not a major source of mortality.”

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Port Renfrew’s Avatar Grove closure drags on with no end in sight

By Rick Stiebel
Victoria News
July 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Avatar Grove and recreational site was temporarily closed by Recreation Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC) in 2022, and trail maintenance has been disallowed since 2018 because the RSTBC had determined that safety and sustainability concerns must be addressed before reopening public access. In 2020, the RSTBC commissioned a Sustainable Forest Management Plan and Trail Redesign Plan to identify issues, provide solutions, and address safety and sustainability concerns. “Although I have never seen the Sustainable Forest Management Plan, I have heard it noted concerns about impacts from the high volume of recreational users and the need for a more robust trail system at Avatar,” Dan Quigley, a long-time resident of a summer property in Port Renfrew stated in a recent letter to various entities at RSTBC, Juan de Fuca Electoral Area director Al Wickheim, Langford-Juan de Fuca MLA Ravi Parmar, and BC Premier David Eby.

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Did Poor Forest Management Contribute to Jasper’s Fires?

Letter by Stuart Taylor, RPF(ret’d)
Jasper Fitzhugh
July 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Did the Federal Government and local authorities in Jasper fail to apply established forest management techniques diligently in the past to keep the town’s inhabitants and their property safe? Past pronouncements from Government officials seem complacent… But they shouldn’t be. In 2017 and 2018, I expressed concerns on this topic in two letters to local papers. …in 2017 I attended a mountain pine beetle seminar in Jasper and … was stunned that nobody attended who had anything to do with Jasper National Park. …In 2018, I was told that control work at Jasper was limited due to sensitive soils… It seemed incredible that the administration the possibility of damaged soils higher than the town’s safety. …Now they’re blaming the fire on climate change. But as Jamie Sarkonak recently wrote in the National Post, it’s bad management forest management that’s behind it. And yes, some of us did try to raise the alarm years ago.

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Political Spin: Irresponsible forest management spawns catastrophic fires

By Bruce Uzelman
The Chilliwack Progress
July 31, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jasper, Alberta is the latest community to experience catastrophic wildfire. …Climate change is not going to go away.  Wildfires will only increase in quantity and severity in the future.  It is folly for governments to continue to manage forests as they have over the last century.  That management has contributed to catastrophic fire becoming normal. …B.C.’s Forest Practices Board recommends “landscape forest management,” to provide protection against aggressive wildfire.  Tools available include prescribed burns, removal or chipping of dead wood, thinning of forests and restoration of heterogeneous landscapes and varied tree species. As climate change ramps up, Alberta and B.C. are particularly vulnerable to wildfire, but the other  provinces and territories are at risk as well.  The recent Jasper fire will not be the last catastrophic wildfire in Alberta or B.C.  Rather, without extensive reform, Jasper is the first of many catastrophic wildfires that will befall Canada’s west in 2024 and beyond. 

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The feds didn’t listen. Jasper burned

By Jen Gerson
The Line
July 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

When Ken Hodges heard about the devastating wildfire that took out part of the historic mountain town of Jasper this week, he said he was “frustrated.” “All I could say is that we tried to warn them that it was coming. We told them constantly. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.” The retired forester, along with his colleague Emile Begin, spent years repeatedly warning the parks service, the federal and provincial government, city council, and residents, that mis-management of the forests around Jasper had created a tinderbox that would inevitably spark a massive wildfire. “I just feel so badly for the people who have lost their homes and their businesses. Could it have been prevented? I don’t know. If they had done everything they could have? Maybe. Something was going to happen over time, so it’s so frustrating and devastating.” 

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‘This is a success’: Jasper mayor defends Parks Canada over wildfire management

By Stephanie Taylor
The National Post
July 29, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

OTTAWA — Jasper’s mayor said Monday he rejects any suggestion that Parks Canada failed in its management of Jasper National Park against the risk of wildfire, saying their efforts resulted in 70 per cent of the town remaining intact. Richard Ireland—whose own home was burned— said he’s heard criticism against the federal department. …“For anyone who might see this as a failure, I reject that premise. This is a success.” He said people are asking why more of the forest was not cleared, particularly of pine-beetle dead trees. While officials say they played a factor, Ireland said it is simply not feasible to have cleared the area. “We’re talking about a stretch of land, a valley that’s kilometres wide and 30 kilometres long,” said Ireland. …Over the past decade, he says Parks Canada has lit 15 prescribed burns in Jasper burning “thousands of hectares” in the park alone. No injuries or fatalities were reported from the blaze. 

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BC Community Forest Association Newsletter

BC Community Forest Association
July 29, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

This months headlines include:

  • The season of wildfires is here
  • Wildfire Resources:
    • New BC Wildfire Service Best Management Practices for fuel treatments
    • Fire Weather
    • Smoke Forecast Map
    • The Wildfire Reduction Equipment Support Trust
    • Wildfire Risk Reduction on Community Forests
  • 2024 BCCFA Conference Reporting and Feedback
  • Silviculture Innovation Program: Innovative Silviculture Survey

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Jasper town fires extinguished, Canadian officials defend forest management practices

By Nia Williams
Reuters
July 29, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Parks Canada rejected criticism that it left the town of Jasper vulnerable to wildfires by not removing more mountain pine beetle killed trees. Nearly a third of Jasper’s structures were destroyed by wildfire last week. …all fires in the town are now extinguished, but blazes continue to burn throughout Jasper National Park and there is no timeline for when residents can return home. …the park has been ravaged by mountain pine beetle… Some forestry experts have criticized Parks Canada for being too focused on preserving natural forest ecosystems and not doing more to remove beetle-affected trees around Jasper. Head of the agency Ron Hallman said pine beetle was a factor in the wildfire, but Parks Canada had done everything it reasonably could to reduce the risk over many decades. …Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said … the reason 70% of structures had not burned was because of steps taken by Parks Canada to protect the community.

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Parks Canada, Guilbeault defend wildfire preparation policies after Jasper blaze

By Bob Weber
Canadian Press in Lakeland Today
July 29, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

JASPER, ALTA. — Parks Canada officials and politicians angrily denied Monday that forest management policies in Jasper National Park contributed to a catastrophic wildfire that damaged one-third of the townsite. Ron Hallman, CEO of the federal agency, said it was “ridiculous” to assert his organization puts a higher value on nature than people. “That is offensive, frankly,” he said. “There is nothing that is more important to Parks Canada than the safety of our employees, our guests and the people that we work with.” …Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland called the response to the Jasper wildfire a success. He said the town and Parks Canada were aware of the risk and took steps to prepare the town against them, such as becoming one of Canada’s first FireSmart communities. …Steve Carr, executive director with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, said exercises were done six weeks ago in anticipation of such an event.

Additional coverage in the Edmonton Journal by David Staples: What did we expect to happen with the dangerous, dry and dying Jasper forest?

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Jasper fires show public policy shouldn’t be solely driven by public sentiment

By Gary Mar, Canada West Foundation
The Globe and Mail
July 29, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Gary Mar

Since the horrific fire swept through Jasper National Park last week, I’ve been reflecting on my time in government. …this terrible fire caused me to think about whether governments did enough to avoid this outcome. I also think about lessons that all governments should take about public policy, effective leadership and the role of science when there is controversy. In 1999, I was environment minister in Alberta. …After devastating forests in B.C. the mountain pine beetle migrated with prevailing winds into Alberta, including Jasper National Park. …Unfortunately, the right thing to do appeared to many people to be overly drastic. …scientists were advising to remove huge swaths of forest through logging and prescribed fires. …This is a case study that reveals that good public policy is not always popular and what is popular is not always good public policy. …We need to listen to the science and act with long-term intentions. [Access to the full story requires a Globe and Mail subscription]

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Slocan Valley water users group protests proposal for logging in sensitive watershed

By Timothy Schafer
The Nelson Daily
July 29, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A plan to log part of a community watershed in the Slocan Valley despite a study pointing to low water flows has the users on that system in protest. The Dumont Creek Water Users Group began a petition and obtained 35 names of residents opposed to a proposal by Slocan Integral Forestry Cooperative (SIFCO) to log part of 598-hectare Winlaw Woodlot 1832. …spokesperson John Wittmayer said 300 of those hectares are where the headwaters of the Dumont Creek Watershed are located. SIFCO hired a consultant to supply a prescription to the Selkirk Natural Resource District — part of the Ministry of Forests — to commercially log and build haul roads through the most sensitive parts of the Dumont Creek watershed. The consultant is not a Professional Registered Forester, yet he’s been conducting himself as if he were, Wittmayer contended …the consultant has been supplying cutting and road building proposals to the Ministry of Forests, he added.

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Health & Safety

People advised to be prepared for wildfires over the long weekend

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
August 1, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

While out enjoying the B.C. Day long weekend, people are strongly urged to be prepared and remain vigilant as many parts of the province are experiencing increased temperatures and wildfire risk. Residents and travellers should use caution and take steps to reduce the risk of wildfire by staying up to date on current conditions, following fire bans and restrictions, and having an emergency plan that is shared with friends and family. Despite recent cooler weather and precipitation in many regions of B.C., Environment and Climate Change Canada is forecasting hotter temperatures for many parts of the province this weekend, particularly in the southern Interior. Combined with the record-breaking temperatures in July 2024 and ongoing drought, people in B.C. are encouraged to be prepared for the continued higher risk of wildfire in the province. All open burning, including campfires, continues to be prohibited in southern B.C. 

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Forest Fires

Crews holding Jasper wildfire but warmer weekend weather looms

By Matthew Black
Edmonton Journal
August 1, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Crews in Jasper continue to battle hot spots Thursday as the massive fire nearby continues to rage out of control, with temperatures forecast to steadily rise into the weekend. “Fire activity is anticipated to increase during the peak burning period in the afternoon,” an update from Parks Canada reads, listing the size of the fire as 32,500 hectares. “We are entering a period of hotter drier weather, and the fire is anticipated to become more dynamic.” Midday temperatures in Jasper were around 21 C though those were expected to rise throughout the day to a high of 30 C, with a high of 32 C forecast for Friday by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The department expects temperatures to remain near 30 C through Saturday and Sunday, with showers forecast for late Sunday and throughout Monday.

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Rocky Forest Area dealing with multiple wildfires

By Darin Clark
Central Alberta Online
August 1, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Smoke in Central Alberta is coming from one of five wildfires in the Rocky Mountain House area. One of those fires is still being classified as out of control. This fire is located approximately 5 km west of the Forestry Trunk Road (highway 734), 19 km northwest of the Ram Falls Provincial Park boundary and 30 km south of Nordegg. This fire is estimated to be 1,400 ha in size. Due to high temperatures, strong winds and dry conditions, the fire experienced growth to the east and north perimeter yesterday. Due to intense fire behaviour and safety concerns for our firefighters, crews could not work on this fire yesterday afternoon. Heavy equipment operated through the night while the fire behaviour was low, along the southwest perimeter with the goal of heading southeast.

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‘A moving monster’: How did the Jasper fire get so bad, so fast?

By Jordan Omstead
Canadian Press in Lethbridge News Now
July 31, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The fast-moving Jasper, Alta., wildfire was fuelled by a web of extreme conditions that converged into what experts described as a monstrous fire, serving as a disastrous example of what’s become increasingly common across Canada’s boreal forest. What has happened in Jasper National Park is a “microcosm of what we’re seeing across Western Canada,” said wildfire risk expert and former Parks Canada wildland firefighter Mathieu Bourbonnais. More than 20,000 people in and around the Rocky Mountain townsite were ordered to evacuate last Monday. …Questions and accusations have followed, including from critics who argue Parks Canada and other government agencies did not do enough to protect Jasper. …Wildfire expert Mike Flannigan says the major drivers of the fire were a confluence of several extreme conditions. Drought in Western Canada combined with a roughly three-week stretch of hot temperatures to dry out the vegetation in the forest.

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Sitkum Creek wildfire remains 1,993 hectares as crews continue working on guard

By Chelsey Mutter
Castanet
July 31, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

CHERRYVILLE, BC – The Sitkum Creek wildfire burning near Sugar Lake remains much the same, Wednesday. BC Wildfire Service still has the fire classified as out of control, meaning it is expected to spread beyond its current boundary. The fire has been mapped at 1,993 hectares since Thursday July 25. BCWS says heavy equipment is continuing to support 34 personnel to build a machine guard along the west flank, closest to structures. On Monday, the Regional District of North Okanagan eased some evacuation orders and alerts for the area. Evacuation orders remain in place for lands east of Sugar Lake, though 1616, 1622 and 1630 Sugar Lake Road have been downgraded to an evacuation alert. [END]

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Some wildfire evacuation orders rescinded near Slocan Lake, B.C.

CBC News
July 30, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Hundreds of British Columbians were able to return home as some wildfire-related evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday, but B.C. fire officials warn that rain will soon be replaced by more heat going into midweek. The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says rain and cooler temperatures the past week have made it easier to quell fires, though firefighters remain wary of wind and thunderstorms. “While cooler weather and rain has given us an advantage in many parts of the province, we’re urging people to stay prepared,” B.C. Forests Minister Bruce Ralston said at a news conference Tuesday. “Hot weather will return this summer.” More showers and cooler weather were in the forecast for some parts of the province throughout Monday, giving relief from recent hotter and drier conditions that drove up fire intensity across B.C. But a hot, dry spell is expected to return later this week. 

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Wildfire east of Penticton sees no growth, mapped at 223 hectares

By Logan Lockhart
Vernon Morning Star
July 30, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Lower Campbell Creek wildfire east of Penticton saw no growth overnight and remains 223 hectares in size, as of July 30. BC Wildfire Service says the blaze — located between Penticton and the communities of Carmi and Beaverdell — is still categorized as out of control. Seven pieces of heavy equipment will continue to support the 48 personnel on-site, BCWS said Tuesday. That’s up from the 24 firefighters who responded to the blaze over the weekend. One helicopter is currently assigned to the wildfire, the provincial service team added. …BCWS says it has established a machine guard along the south and east flanks of the blaze, while crews on Tuesday work on a hose lay for the east flank. Structure protection crews are also on-scene.

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Rain helped but fire near Sooke continues to burn out of control

By Carla Wilson
The Times Colonist
July 30, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER ISLAND — Despite recent rain, the 230-hectare Old Man Lake fire near Sooke is still classified as out of control, although showers overnight Sunday and into Monday reduced the fire’s intensity, a wildfire official said Monday. “This isn’t a significant amount of rain,” Coastal Fire Centre information officer Kimberly Kelly said Monday, noting warming and drying weather is anticipated later this week, which means the fire-danger rating will remain high. The good news is that the wildfire has not grown since the weekend, she said — it remains 230 hectares, or just over two square kilometres. “It’s not that it is burning vigorously. It’s just that the terrain is so steep and challenging for our crews.”

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Progress made against wildfires in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo area

By Vincent McDermott
Fort McMurray Today
July 29, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Heavy rains, cool weather, hundreds of wildland firefighters and heavy equipment operators have made strong progress against all major wildfires complexes in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region, with many wildfires now classified as held, under control or extinguished. Progress has been made against wildfires still burning out of control. Alberta Wildfire says the wildfire that caused the evacuation of the Chipewyan Prairie First Nation and put Janvier on evacuation notice is now held and no longer spreading. The First Nation ended their evacuation on July 26. The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) ended their evacuation warning for Janvier on the same day. An out of control wildfire burning 12 kilometres north of Conklin and south of Highway 881 has not moved towards the community. The complex did not trigger an evacuation warning or order for Conklin. These wildfires are part of the Kettle River Complex. 

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Hundreds under evacuation order in B.C. as wildfires grow

CBC News
July 29, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Hundreds of British Columbians remain on evacuation order Monday morning as around 360 wildfires burn throughout the province. They include all residents of the village of Slocan, a community of about 380 people in a part of southeastern B.C. where several out-of-control wildfires are burning, including two wildfires of note — fires that are highly visible or are threatening public safety. DriveBC says Highway 6 along Slocan Lake remains closed for a nearly 40-kilometre stretch from south of Slocan to just beyond New Denver to the north. Dan Seguin with the Regional District of Central Kootenay’s Emergency Operations Centre said Monday morning it was a busy weekend for his team, having issued an evacuation alert for Slocan on Saturday that was upgraded to an evacuation order Sunday morning. By the time the order was in place, more than half of Slocan residents had already left, Seguin said. 

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