Region Archives: Canada West

Bruce Uzelman

British Columbia’s Eby government has vigorously addressed two of the top issues facing the country. It has gone further and faster than any other provincial government to stimulate housing construction, and has most aggressively incentivized primary care providers and addressed other healthcare issues. In that context, it is disappointing that the B.C. government has been so slow to proactively reduce wildfire risk, particularly given B.C.’s extreme susceptibility to and loss from such fires. Measures to minimize wildfire risks have been identified and urged on governments for two decades or longer. …It’s clear the provincial government is seriously underfunding risk reduction measures, and that is burdening the government and residents of B.C. with extensively more wildfire destruction and cost. Prescribed burns need to be expanded rapidly within the wildland-urban interface and beyond. …The B.C. government’s approach to wildfires and wildfire risk must fundamentally change, urgently, before more, expansive wildlands are irretrievably lost.

PRINCE ALBERT, SASKATCHEWAN — Members of several First Nations around the Prince Albert area are raising concerns about work the forestry plans to do near Historical Sites. The Ministry of Environment’s Island Forests 2022-2042 Forest Management Plan includes logging in areas around Holbien and Crutwell. The Lower Hudson House is located about 35 kilometers west of Prince Albert and was the first Hudson’s Bay trading post located on the North Saskatchewan River. The forestry plans on logging in areas close to the Lower Hudson House, which could potentially cause irreversible damage. “There’s so much to be learned yet, it was obviously a gathering place for First Nations long before Europeans showed up, so there’s a pre contact history there in and around the whole area,” explained Consultation Facilitator Dave Rondeau. The area where the forestry plans to build the access trail was once a path travelled by Indigenous Peoples, leading to multiple forts and posts associated with European fur traders.

The UBC Faculty of Forestry offers online micro-certificate programs taught by leading industry professionals designed specifically for flexible learning and career advancement. In nine weeks or less, participants develop specific skills and knowledge while earning digital badges that recognize your technical and professional expertise. All micro-certificates start February 5 and run for 8 weeks. They are flexible, online micro-certificates aimed at working professionals. Explore a range of programs in Natural Resource Management, Bioeconomy, and Mass Timber Building. We offer 16 certificates, including three new programs in our lineup: Engineered Bamboo for Sustainable Construction; Landscape Level Forest Modeling; and Forest Management Planning. 

VANCOUVER, BC – A recent survey reveals that 88% of B.C. lower mainland residents believe access to natural spaces is crucial to their quality of life. This sentiment is rooted in awareness, with 89% acknowledging the importance of pollinators in food production and 88% recognizing the role of natural areas in enhancing quality of life. Notably, the survey highlights that 95% of lower mainland residents agree that protecting wildlife habitat improves the overall quality of life in the region, emphasizing a positive attitude toward conservation efforts and the need for increased funding. Respondents expressed concerns about … damage to pollinator (91%), salmon (89%), and birdlife (87%) habitats. Additionally, nearly all residents (88%) share concerns about increasing water pollution and wildfires, underlining the community’s deep connection to their environment, and the desire to see it become and remain healthy and thriving, especially in the face of climate change as robust ecosystems are more resilient to impacts such as droughts and floods.

More than 100 wildfires are still listed as burning in British Columbia thanks to a combination of a busy wildfire season, extreme drought and generally warmer and drier conditions through December. Forrest Tower of the BC Wildfire Service said that while it’s not uncommon for some fires to burn through the winter, that number usually hovers around a couple dozen, not the 106 that were listed as active on New Year’s Day. …Some underground fires, often dubbed “zombie fires,” can flare up again in the spring if conditions are right. …Lori Daniels, a professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia, said the province should be prepared for more years with 100 or more fires burning in January. She said four of the last seven fire seasons have neared or surpassed one million hectares burned. 

MONTREAL — Conservationists are urging the Quebec government to finally publish its plan to protect caribou habitat, several years after it first promised a strategy to save the dwindling herds. The latest delays came last year, when the province’s Environment Department pushed back a scheduled June publication because of a record-setting wildfire season. The government said at the time it needed to consider the impact of the fires on the caribou — and on the logging industry, a lucrative sector that exploits the animals’ habitat. …The delays are a case of “history repeating itself,” says Henri Jacob, president of environmental advocacy group Action boreale. …While it has delayed the publication of the strategy, the province has relied on other measures to help save caribou, including its controversial decision to place three threatened herds in enclosures, and to kill wolves that get to close to caribou in the wild.

While the discovery of a bear under the deck of a family near the Cowichan River recently was a shock, it’s not necessarily unusual according to one researcher. If there are fish in the river, bears might not hunker down for the winter right away, but they will eventually, says Helen Davis, a biologist with Duncan-based Artemis Wildlife Consultants. The problem is, there are fewer and fewer natural places for them to hibernate due to logging practices and that’s why we’re seeing them snuggled into more peculiar places. …Bears prefer to make use of large hollow tree trunks and stumps as their dens, but will make use of other spaces as well, she said. …Davis has been working to get changes to the Wildlife Act made to ensure that forestry companies are legally responsible to protect a den when one is found.

Ryan Senechal

The analysis mentioned in the Dec. 29 commentary “Density can mean more homes, more trees, more parks” highlights how simplistic urban forest measurements can lead us all astray. …For the 60 soccer field (111 acre) urban forest canopy area increase referenced to illustrate the sustainability of development in Victoria, the devil is in the details. …City of Victoria requested and received third-party technical reports that measured urban forest canopy change over two sample periods. …Those details include numerous measurements which should give an urban forest manager reason to pause pending the analysis of future sample periods. …The hyper-local distributional benefits delivered through urban trees are persuasively illustrated in research, so much so that in 2023 the Biden government signed into law $1.5 billion in funding for U.S. urban and community forestry initiatives that are equitably focused.

The BC NDP government is finally getting serious about protecting the province’s precious ecosystems, watersheds, and endangered species. A new policy framework proposed in November 2023 could radically shift the province’s approach to conservation and reconciliation with Indigenous Nations. …The government’s draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health framework offers the promise of a complete paradigm shift: putting long-term ecosystem health ahead of resource extraction and industry profits, protecting 30% of BC’s terrestrial ecosystems, and empowering Indigenous Nations. If properly implemented, the framework could spell the end of a long era of putting corporate interests ahead of conservation and biodiversity. …But to make a lasting impact, the legislation must have teeth – and there’s no doubt that industry lobbyists will be lining up to undermine its effectiveness. The real test of the government’s commitment will come when it’s time to implement the framework through the creation of enforceable laws and robust new institutions.

The McBride Community Forest Corporation was under the microscope recently due to the start of logging activities at the base of Lucille Mountain near McBride. Locals were concerned the logging would destroy a community trail through an old growth stand, referred to as “Lucy’s Lane,” and impact the Dominion Creek watershed. MCFC General Manager Craig Pryor confirmed that while logging activities have commenced, he says neither the trail nor the watershed will be affected. “We have left a 100-metre buffer on either side of the existing road, and the visual from the trails is minimal,” said Pryor. …The second concern expressed by members of the public was that the block is on the same bench as the village water system and will affect the watershed. Pryor showed that while the two are on the same bench, the drainage from both sides of the road continues to run downhill, not sideways.

Two grants from the Province for the First Nations Emergency Services Society (FNESS) will help support emergency management and land stewardship, as well as disaster- and climate-risk resilience in communities throughout B.C. “We are committed to working with First Nations partners to create stronger and more resilient forests and communities,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests. “These grants build on the incredible work already being done by First Nations communities and will help grow capacity for Nation-led wildfire and emergency management in the future.” A $5-million grant from the Ministry of Forests will go toward a broad range of fire-stewardship programs at the local level. …In addition, the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness has provided $960,000 to FNESS to help advance the Province’s collective understanding of disaster and climate risk throughout B.C. to support community resilience, planning and decision-making.

Dave Peterson

In a bid to highlight and address the challenges posed by escalating wildfire frequency in British Columbia, Dave Peterson, Board Chair of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), will be part of a panel at the Truck Loggers Association (TLA) Convention exploring the crucial question: “With B.C.’s escalating wildfire frequency in recent years, is it imperative to ask if we can be doing better at risk mitigating and identify the requirements to make that happen?” …Expressing his anticipation for the event, Peterson emphasized the urgency of reassessing and enhancing current wildfire management strategies. …“My focus will be on describing the unique role of FESBC in risk reduction.” …Peterson will also be highlighting FESBC’s ongoing efforts to navigate the intricate relationship between climate change, fire intensity, and the evolving human connection with forests.

It is too early to tell whether 2024 will be a worse year than 2023 when it comes to drought conditions in B.C. But early signs are not encouraging after the provincial government released the first Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin for 2024. Jonathan Boyd, river forecast hydrologist with the River Forecast Centre, said last year’s drought with its accompanying record wildfire season was “probably” B.C.’s worst drought in recent memory. While not enough evidence is available yet, “certainly, it’s not looking in our favour right now,” he said, when asked whether 2024 will be worse. Boyd made that comment against the backdrop of figures that show the provincial snow pack as “extremely low”, 44 per cent below normal as of Jan. 1, 2024. Twelve months ago, the overall provincial snow pack was 18 per cent below normal. …“The low snow pack could significantly affect ongoing drought concerns into summer 2024”.

Nicolas Feau and Joey Tanney

A decades old maple in Victoria has been cut down after it was dying from Sooty Bark Disease, which scientists say will impact more trees as heat waves and droughts worsen with climate change. The fungal disease impacts maple species and was discovered in Victoria in 2022 after it was first detected in B.C. a year after the 2021 heat dome. Members of the Pacific Forestry Centre were present when the tree was felled by crews on January 11. Sooty Bark Disease infects the trees with a fungus that grows within the wood and can be identified by what looks like masses of dark soot on the bark. “What’s really interesting about this fungus is it produces the most spores I’ve ever seen,” said Joey Tanney, a Pacific Forestry Centre research scientist. …Nicolas Feau, another research scientist from the centre, said they’ve found 30 trees showing signs of the disease in Victoria this year.

In Glen Ridgway’s letter he writes about an idea or concept of logging he refers to as, “logging/recreation”. It is hard to believe how far archaic minded pro-logging ex-councillors will go. The very idea that Ridgway compares himself and his ideas equal to the scientists of UBC, who have demonstrated that carbon sequestration in other forests is a form of sustainable revenue and can be used here. Even Mosaic, the large logging company, has closed off logging to thousands of hectares of forest land they control in favour of carbon sequestration. …When will these egotistical, status quo, pro-logging, pulp wood cutting believers finally realize that our Six Municipal Mountains are worth more to the people of this valley left alone and standing?

In 2023, British Columbia FireSmart awarded the first ever Lynn Orstad Award, recognizing women working in wildfire resiliency. We are now accepting nominations for the 2024 award! Lynn was a community leader and a driving force for better wildfire risk management. This award was created to continually appreciate and elevate the female leaders who work so hard to make our communities safer—and our fire management better. If you know a woman who shares the same values that Lynn embodied as a female trailblazer in wildfire risk mitigation, click below to nominate them. Nominations will be open until February 27.

Four popular Pemberton trails will close this month to allow for fuel thinning around One Mile Lake. Spel’kúmtn Community Forest and Líl’wat Forestry Ventures will start the work on Monday, Jan. 8. Incorporated in 2019 as a limited partnership between the Lil’wat Nation and Village of Pemberton (VOP), the Spel’kúmtn Community Forest is a community-led forest located on 17,727 hectares of unceded, traditional Lil’wat land that is designed to promote reconciliation and increase benefits to the respective communities. …The project is part of ongoing work to reduce forest fire risk to Pemberton and its residents. It encompasses high-hazard forest land. The group aims to reduce the rate of spread and intensity of possible fires in the area, while maintaining ecological and cultural values. They also want to enhance public safety and firefighters’ ability to control possible fires.

After years of shoveling money of the back of the truck along with the turnips, governments including Justin [Trudeau], David [Eby] and North Cowichan are, at least for radio, TV and newspaper purposes, expressing concern about costs. …So local government should look to other revenue streams. One suggestion would be to accumulate some forest land. Start a sustainable logging/recreation program to provide revenue for the municipality and some jobs and fibre for local industry. In addition to covering the cost of the day to day operation perhaps some money could be set aside … in a reserve fund rising to say $5 to $6 million dollars. Taxes paid by those employed could fund UBC forestry studies into carbon credits or fund heat pumps in Nova Scotia. … Kingsview viewscapes may be impacted but it will help reduce property taxes. Give it some thought but please don’t get those UBC guys to study it.

70 Mile, B.C. – In light of the ongoing challenges facing the forest industry … Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR), has recognized the necessity of creating new opportunities within the sector. …Daniel Persson, CCR’s Forestry Superintendent explained that CCR identified the need for wood fibre utilization and rehabilitation work on the vast areas of land devastated after wildfires. …Extracting 7-year-old burned fiber poses significant challenges owing to the brittleness of standing dead trees and complexities in management. Nonetheless, CCR remains confident that it can be achieved, enabling the utilization of fibre for job creation and cost-effective production of biomass products. …The purpose of this pilot project is to help reduce wildfire risk and rehabilitate fire-damaged forests while producing a premium wood chip that will help offset the cost of the operations.