Region Archives: Canada West

The BC Parks Foundation recently announced the acquisition of private land including a private portion of the road leading up to Mount Kobau near Oliver.  The land was acquire from Shawn Baenziger of HB Land Company Ltd. and covers over 80 hectares (over 200 acres) in the upper Fairview area of Oliver.  The road access will now be under the stewardship of the foundation, where previously it was Baenziger, Fortis and the BC Forest Service that managed access. Baenziger had worked with the others to install a gate to pro-actively reduce the risk of wildfires and protect a stand of old-growth trees. “I hope that the new owners will find effective ways to manage access to the area while ensuring its pristine condition is maintained for future generations,” said Baenziger.

If you’ve noticed smoke on days it hasn’t been snowing or raining recently, it’s likely from a prescribed burn. Local governments across the Okanagan including the Westbank First Nation are working to finish as many of their prescribed burn operations as possible before the weather gets too hot and dry. A prescribed burn, sometimes called a controlled burn, is a planned and intentional use of fire on a specific land area to reduce wildfire risk, improve wildlife habitat, or restore ecosystems… The McDougall Creek wildfire was one of the most destructive local wildfires in recent memory, destroying 303 structures in West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, Kelowna and the RDCO. The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimated the fire caused $480 million in insured damage.

A draft co-management framework and plan to manage North Cowichan’s 5,000-hectare municipal forest reserve likely won’t be presented until sometime in 2026. The municipality and the Quw’utsun Nation (which consists of Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, Lyackson First Nation, Penelakut Tribe, and Stz’uminus First Nation) agreed in April, 2024, that they would work together to establish a co-management framework and plan for the forest reserve, and that work is still ongoing. North Cowichan’s communications director Barb Floden said the municipality and the Quw’utsun Nation issued a joint request for proposals to support the development of the co-management plan in February, which will be closing soon, and it is expected that the draft framework and plan will be ready next year. “The public will be kept informed of the process through joint statements and updates at council meetings,” Floden said.

Old-growth forest advocates rallied outside the office of Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar March 26, hoping to send a message of change. “We’re gathering to show the minister of forests that people need to seek an investment in an Indigenous-led, just transition to sustainable jobs, instead of continuing to stand by as industry giants abandon communities and log dwindling old-growth forests,” said Tobyn Neame, forest campaigner for the Wilderness Committee. “In 2021, on average, 726 hockey-rink-sized swaths of old-growth were logged every single day, and there is no evidence that has dwindled,” Neame said… Awi’nakola Foundation, the Wilderness Committee and Stand.earth hosted the rally, which gathered upwards of 50 advocates. …“We are trying to directly engage with Minister Ravi Parmar. Unfortunately, the minister closed his office today – to not be here during the rally, and I think that’s a real missed opportunity for him,” said Tegan Hansen, senior forest campaigner at Stand.earth. 

BRITISH COLUMBIA — The District of Clearwater is taking a new approach to wildfire response and mitigation, recruiting residents to join a specialized initial attack crew that will be called out to tackle new fire starts. Along with launching the new initial attack team, the district, which is embedded in a dense forest, is also expanding its FireSmart Mitigation Crew to conduct fuel reduction projects throughout the community. …On Tuesday, March 18, district council approved the establishment of the Clearwater Fire Department Initial Attack Crew and the expansion of the FireSmart Fuel Mitigation Crew. …Funding for the initial attack crew’s initial setup will come from the Wells Grey Community Forest Reserve, while the expanded FireSmart team will be funded through 2027 by a combination of the district’s Local Government Climate Action Program reserves and annual FireSmart grant contributions.

Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar headed up Highway 5 on Friday, March 21 into the North Thompson. He visited with Clearwater’s mayor and council,  followed by a meeting hosted by Simpcw First Nation’s Kukpi7 George Lampreau and band council in the Village of Chu Chua near Barriere. The North Thompson Valley is predicted to be facing another critical wildfire season and according to an AI-driven data analytics company, AISIX Solutions Inc. Clearwater has been identified as one of the top ten Canadian “most at risk of wildfires given historical conditions”. …Minister Parmar had a number of stops scheduled in the Kamloops-North Thompson riding held by newly elected MLA Ward Stamer who is also the Opposition Forestry Critic in B.C. The ‘get stuff done tour’ also stopped in the Okanagan, Kamloops and Merritt on what is being labelled a ‘listen and learn tour’.

28 students from Burnaby-based British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), all clad in hiking boots and high-vis vests, listen intently to the Squamish River Watershed Society’s Edith Tobe. Squamish’s Justin Perry stands nearby. He is an instructor with BCIT’s Forest and Natural Areas Management program. On this day, Squamish is their classroom. …These 28 students are about to graduate from the two-year diploma program that focuses on forestry, vegetation management and arboriculture to support sustainable community development. …Squamish isn’t the only stop for the students. They were in the Sea to Sky Corridor all week. …Julia Allards-Tomalin, BCIT program head in Forest and Natural Areas Management, notes that forestry attracts a diverse group of students. The program is usually half women and half men, she said.

Conservationists want BC’s forestry industry to be modernized amid ongoing US tariff threats. On Friday, the Ancient Forest Alliance and Endangered Ecosystems Alliance called on the BC Government to not only modernize the industry, but to also protect old-growth forests. The aim is to bring a more sustainable second-growth forest industry to respond to tariff threats, with hopes it can lead to endangered ecosystems being protected and a more diverse economy. Executive Director of the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance Ken Wu says the government can go in two routes in response to US tariffs. …“This should include financial incentives for new industry investments in value-added and engineered wood products made from second-growth wood,” said the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance. …Other changes they recommend include bringing a Conservation Economy Strategy to support economic opportunities, developing a Protected Areas Strategy to protect old-growth forests, and to implement a Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework.

Randy Moody — based in Kimberly, BC — is co-founder of the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada (WPEFC), is a leading provincial expert in whitebark and limber pine ecosystems and the recovery of these endangered species. …About 16 years ago, Randy started the WPEFC as a sister agency to the original Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation based in Montana. The Canadian chapter works in BC and Alberta coordinating projects promoting recovery work, engaging public and private partners, supporting research, and conducting educational programs to further knowledge, expertise, and management of these ecosystems. …Both whitebark pine and limber pine are endangered species, with whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) being the only Species at Risk Act-listed endangered tree species in Western Canada. …Whitebark pine communities are provide critical ecosystem services including protecting watersheds, reducing erosion, and being an important food source for Clark’s nutcrackers and other birds, as well as mammals such as grizzly bears and rodents. 

A Canfor operation in Prince George and three area First Nations have received federal funding to boost innovation in forestry. The $293,500 in local funding is part of more than $20 million the Canadian government is investing in 67 projects province-wide. The funds are part of a broader effort to enhance the competitiveness and resiliency of Canada’s forest industry, which has faced increasing trade barriers, particularly from the US. Among the recipients is Canadian Forest Products, or Canfor, which will receive up to $121,500 for a project aimed at producing innovative, formaldehyde-free and isocyanate-free wood adhesives. The company will explore extracting kraft lignin from black liquor at its Northwood mill in Prince George, converting it into a new, sustainable bioproduct. The project aims to determine the commercial viability of this process, which could open up new revenue streams and reduce reliance on harmful chemicals.

At UBC’s Faculty of Forestry, we are shaping a sustainable, biodiverse, and inclusive future by advancing the stewardship of forests and the environment. The Faculty is Canada’s largest forestry school, welcoming over 1,600 students annually. Our innovative research, hands-on education, and community engagement are addressing some of the most pressing global challenges. This Giving Day, we’re proud to feature the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest (MKRF) Renewal Project. This project will transform MKRF’s gateway entrance into a vibrant centre where the public, professionals, and students can explore science-in-action and discover the future of forest and ecosystem management. Your gift to this project will help MKRF grow into a leading hub for forestry, conservation, and climate change research, education, and community outreach. Donations will also expand MKRF’s reach, inspiring visitors and informing decision-making to move the forestry profession forward. 

The Cariboo forest sector is getting a $317,256 boost from the federal government’s Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) program. The funding announcement was made on March 19 by Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of energy and natural resources, as part of a total of $20 million destined for 67 projects across British Columbia. Five projects within the Cariboo are included in this funding which aims to support the competitiveness and resiliency of the province’s forest sector by using innovative technologies in projects which will reduce emissions. The Cariboo recipients are the Tŝilhqot’in National Government, the Tl’etinqox Government, Tŝideldel First Nation, Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation and the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation Government. Each recipient will put funding towards their proposed project, ranging from forestry development strategies to building the nations’ active participation in the region’s forest landscape plan.

The Province is ramping up wildfire preparedness for 2025 by welcoming back experienced wildland firefighters and training a new wave of recruits, following a record number of applicants. Since October 2024, the BC Wildfire Service received more than 2,200 applications, the highest recorded number of applications ever received. This includes 578 in January alone, the largest number ever received in a single month. “I’m proud of everyone who put their name forward to join our team and grateful to all the wildland firefighters who continue to keep us safe year after year,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. …a series of enhancements were made in 2024 to strengthen pathways for participation in wildfire response, specifically for applicants in rural and remote communities. …A dedicated training and recruitment model for First Nations communities is expanding this spring…

More than $2.3 million in funding is coming to Vancouver Island to help First Nations and forestry businesses. Federal natural resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced the funding this week, saying it shows a commitment to defending and strengthening BC’s forestry sector. In total the federal government is funding 67 projects with $20 million across BC.

• Gwa’sala ‘Nakwaxda’xw Strategic Forestry Development Project – Port Hardy: $100,000
• Nuchatlaht Hahouthle Forestry Plan – Zeballos, BC: $50,000
• Large Cultural Cedar Xwax’wana (Canoe) Carving and Forest Stewardship Revitalization project – Campbell River: $300,000
• Homalco Jeh Jeh Tenures Management Leadership and Development Project – Campbell River: $382,100
• The Use of Drones in Forestry – Port Alberni, BC: $413,960
• Toquaht Forest Products Eco-Industrial Park – Phase I: Facilities Update and Integration – Ucluelet: $410,000
• Cowichan Tribes Waste Fibre Recovery Business Planning – Duncan: $25,000
• Freegro Tree Shelters – KDC – Dunan: $250,000
• KFT Expansion and Launch of New Drought Mitigation Product Line – Duncan: $347,570

Mission’s forestry department nearly doubled its forecasted net profit for 2024. However, challenges could be on the horizon. Forestry director Chris Gruenwald presented a quarterly report to council on Monday (March 17) that also reviewed last year as a whole. Gruenwald’s report says the warmer winter weather and lack of snowfall are concerning as wildfire season approaches on April 1. “The department will work closely with our partners, including Mission Fire Rescue Service and BC Wildfire Service, to ensure we are well prepared for the 2025 wildfire season,” the report reads. Uncertainty around tariffs on softwood lumber that could negatively impact timber markets is also a major concern.

VANCOUVER – A study has found nearly half of the landslides, debris flows and washouts that occurred during British Columbia’s atmospheric river disaster in November 2021 originated in areas that had been logged or burned by wildfire. …The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, covered about 70,000 square kilometres in the region, examining 1,360 debris flows, landslides and bank erosion triggered by the storm. It found 17 per cent of those hazards originated within burned areas, while 14 per cent occurred at or below roads used by resource industries and an additional 15 per cent stemmed from logging cut blocks, for a total of 46 per cent. Representatives of B.C.’s Forest Ministry and Transportation Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the study’s findings.

Sustainability and cultural exchange will be the cornerstones of a new community hub in the heart of Vancouver Island’s Clayoquot Sound biosphere region. The Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre, rooted in Nuu-chah-nulth Nations’ values, will address ecosystem threats and promote a sustainable future, diversified economy and strong cultural traditions, said Rebecca Hurwitz, executive director of the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust. The centre — based around the nuučaanuł (Nuu-chah-nulth) principle of “Hishuk ish ts’awalk” meaning “we are all one and interconnected” — will be a three-story building that includes an Elders room, a kitchen, offices, shared community areas, research and education spaces, and an archives library, Hurwitz said. It will be built with low carbon techniques and materials and feature geothermal energy and rainwater collection, she added. The idea for the Tofino facility originated in 2014 when the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht Nation) invited the trust to locate the biosphere centre in their territory, Hurwitz said.

As B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar continues his tour of forest-dependent communities in southern B.C., he promised changes to the program that manages 20 per cent of the province’s allowable annual cut. The government announced in February a review of B.C. Timber Sales… “We are going to get the most value out of our timber, out of our logs, create more job opportunities and we are going to diversify as well,” Parmar said, speaking from Vernon March 17. Parmar had earlier visited the Gorman Brothers’ facilities in West Kelowna. …Parmar is also scheduled to stop in Kamloops, Barriere, Merritt and Clearwater. Parmar’s tour takes him through parts of the province largely held by MLAs part of the Conservative Party of B.C., including the riding of Ward Stamer, MLA for Kamloops – North Thompson. A logging contractor and former mayor of Barriere following his election to Victoria, Stamer currently shadows Parmar’s portfolio for his party.