Region Archives: Canada West

Alberta says a provincial Community Fireguard Program is mitigating the risks of catastrophic wildfires in at-risk communities. It will increase wildfire resilience in Canmore and the Bow Valley, according to the province. By removing trees surrounding vulnerable communities that can act as fuel in wildfires, residents, homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure are better protected in the case of a blaze. Alberta says construction on the new Bow Valley Community Fireguard started in the late fall of 2024, after it got $750,000 in provincial funding from the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta. …Work on the fireguard will be ongoing, including a combination of mechanical tree removal and forest thinning. The entire fireguard will be finished over the next three to five years, and planning is underway for the next stage of construction… Ahead of the 2025 wildfire season, the province said it is working on other fireguard initiatives, including in Whitecourt and Hinton.

The current state and future plans of the West Boundary Community Forest was available at an annual public meeting held on Thursday at the McCarthur Centre in Greenwood. Forest Manager Peter Flett and Ally Macmaster, Communications and Outdoor Education Centre Coordinator led the talk that ranged from a general overview, finances, revenue, funding, harvesting, wildfire mitigation efforts and even the Outdoor Education Centre that officially opened last summer. The purpose of the meeting, said Flett, was to let the public know what’s been accomplished in the community forest, completed projects, planned cutting and wildfire mitigation and try to answer any questions people may have about the operation. …Revenue from lumber harvested from the Community Forest totalled $400,000, which was split evenly between Midway and Greenwood, as joint shareholder communities. The Community Forest supports grants and bursaries, which totalled $112,020 in grants to 41 different groups and organizations, explained Macmaster. 

The BC Forest Practices Board (BCFPB) found five significant non-compliances in the Valemount Community Forest (VCF) audit released on December 17th, including two non-compliances in wildfire prevention measures. VCF is taking steps to establish more thorough training and pre-work planning to avoid similar oversights in the future, according to General Manager Kalina Velez. …While forestry is a complex industry and any given operation may have a handful of issues, the number of non-compliances found in VCF’s operations were alarming, said BCFPB Chair Keith Atkinson. …“It’s a wake-up call for us,” Velez said of the audit. …Now that Velez is at the helm, she has turned her focus towards drafting and revising policies that will improve the VCF’s practices in the long term. …Velez hopes that providing more thorough training and inviting questions and feedback from contractors will improve their practices without having to turn to punitive measures.

The provincial government expects to plant nearly 50 million fewer trees this year — a 17 per cent drop from last year’s planting season at a time when the province has seen a major spike in wildfire activity. The projections come from presentation slides shown to the ­industry in September. …the government expects the number of trees planted to sink to 233 million in 2025, 47 million fewer than were planted in 2024. …About half of the anticipated drop in 2025 is due to declines in trees planted by logging companies. Drops are also expected in government programs designed to combat climate change, restore forest carbon stocks, and plant trees in the wake of wildfires, data show. The 2023 wildfires also prevented many replanting projects from occurring that year, and delays due to the time it takes to grow enough seedlings mean replanting won’t take place until 2026 and 2027, according to the ministry spokesperson. 

An aging volunteer base on top of climate change and deforestation concerns dominated the early returns of a probe into the state of B.C. salmon. Researchers provided some key findings on the project in December, based on Pacific salmon dialogues held across B.C. last year, led by the University of British Columbia and the Pacific Salmon Foundation, and partially funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). …They said stakeholders told them the compound effects of hotter, drier summers, combined with higher water levels in the winter should be looked at. Meeting attendees brought up the cumulative impacts of deforestation, due to both wildfire and forestry practices, on salmon spawning and rearing habitat. …The full report will be posted and shared out publicly on the project website once the project is completed, which is expected by March 2025.

The Kaska Dena people, who for thousands of years have lived on a vast swath of intact wilderness in northern B.C. on the Yukon border… They want to ensure it remains undeveloped… So the Kaska have come up with a plan for the province to protect an area, called the Dene K’éh Kusān — 40,000 square kilometres, an area larger than Vancouver Island, of land and water. …It would also boost B.C.’s pledge to protect 30 per cent of land and 30 per cent of water by 2030, say conservation experts. …With only five years to go, and just about 16 per cent of land protected in B.C. so far, the province must double its efforts if it intends to reach those ambitious targets…Randene Neill, B.C.’s minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said that she’s aware that some areas reported as conservation measures aren’t meeting their originally intended objectives. 

The newly appointed BC Forests Minister was visiting the Northwest this week and says the forests industry is looking hopeful in the region. BC Forests Minister Ravi Parmar has been meeting with local workers, community leaders and first nations leaders in the leadup to the BC Natural Resources Forum, to talk about the future of forestry. “And I think, it was perfect to see the light, the sun shining because, I’m feeling optimistic, as is the community about the future of forestry for, for this community in particular, but also for the region as well.” Parmar’s very first decision he made as Minister of Forests was to approve a tenure license tied to the Skeena sawmills for the Kitsumkalum First Nation.

In related news: Bulkley Valley community invited for foresting planning open house

A $33.3-million agreement to purchase the Kapoor Lumber Company lands next to the Sooke Lake Reservoir and the Sooke Lake Watershed will provide a buffer to help make the region’s main water supply more secure, says the Capital Regional District’s board chair. Sidney Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith said the CRD has identified acquiring the lands as a priority for years, but the 4,875-acre (1.973-hectare) parcel only recently became available. The purchase was recommended by the Regional Water Supply Commission, and will be funded through long-term debt to be repaid by water users over many years… Under its agreement with the CRD, the Kapoor Lumber Company, which began in the 1920s, will continue to use sustainable logging practices in the parcel until September, when the CRD assumes ownership.

A group of Shuswap farmers in Turtle Valley near Chase have filed lawsuits against BC Timber Sales (BCTS) in an effort to protect their drinking water. The Upper Chum Creek Water Users Association, as well as impacted farmers Christine and Scott Adderson and Hillary and John McNolty, have filed a judicial review petition and notices of civil claim in supreme court to try and stop the BCTS’ planned auction of four cut blocks in the Skimikin and Ptarmigan Hills… Bids close on Jan. 15, but impacted water users hope to halt the process through legal action after trying for over a year to have BCTS complete a hydrologic assessment of the proposed logging.

Jason Fisher is a registered professional forester who also went to law school and practiced law for a couple of years. He has a stunning resume working in both private and public service sectors. He’s now the executive director of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC as well as the instructor for the FSTY408 – Forestry Policy course at UNBC. UNBC Forestry Club Podcast is a fully student-run project focusing on bringing professionals from different fields to chat about Forestry, nature, and experiences at UNBC.

The Halalt First Nation on Vancouver Island has filed a class-action suit with the Supreme Court of British Columbia, asserting that negligent forestry practices and infrastructure failures have caused significant harm to their lands and community. The plaintiffs claim the defendants are responsible for ongoing flooding and water damage. …The federal government is accused of constructing the Esquimalt and Nanaimo (E&N) Railway through the reserve with inadequate drainage capacity. …The provincial government is accused of failing to manage watershed impacts from forestry, construct effective flood protection, and maintain the Trans-Canada Highway. …The forestry defendants (Mosaic Forest Management, TimberWest, Island Timberlands, and North Cowichan) are accused of overharvesting. …The Municipality of North Cowichan is accused of engaging in forestry operations in a manner that contributed to increased surface runoff. …None of the defendants have yet filed a response with the court.

1. Decision looms on Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline. 
2. Ksi Lisims: a big LNG export facility decision is at hand 
3. Will Fairy Creek get permanent protection in 2025? …last fall, the NDP promised to continue work to fulfill the recommendations from its 2020 old-growth forest strategic review, which called for a major shift in how B.C. manages its forests. According to a May update, only two of the old-growth review’s 14 recommendations were at an advanced stage of implementation, while nearly half  were still in the “initial action” stage. 
4. Changes to B.C.’s mineral claim staking system are pending 
5. Will BC Hydro be allowed to dodge a transmission line  environmental assessment? 
6. What about the BC NDP’s promise to protect nature? 
7. Wheels to start turning on a review of B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Act

Canada’s northern regions have seen increasingly longer wildfire seasons in recent decades, with the number of days conducive to severe burning rising most steeply in B.C.’s far north, according to a recent study. The findings, published last week in Science, are from a University of British Columbia study led by Weiwei Wang, a research scientist with Natural Resources Canada’s Northern Forestry Centre. Wang’s research used data and modelling in 10 ecozones across Canada to determine the driving forces behind the ecological impact of a wildfire, also known as “burn severity.” …The study examined wildfire severity over a 40-year period, splitting the time frame into two periods, from 1981 to 2000 and from 2001 to 2020. …While elevation and slope were shown to have some influence on fire severity, topography “showed no foremost influence.” The researchers emphasized the “pressing need for proactive strategies to mitigate the increasing threat posed by climate change.”

…British Columbia’s forests are … a foundation of the province’s identity and a bedrock of its economy. Both past and present, the industry has been one of the province’s largest employers, providing tens of thousands of well-paying jobs, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities where opportunities can be scarce. These jobs are vital for maintaining economic stability in smaller towns, where forestry often serves as the main driver of local economies. …By managing forests, BC can enhance their role as carbon sinks, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate-driven concerns such as wildfires. …Concurrently, BC’s forestry practices need to keep pace with evolving environmental and social expectations. …Global markets and decision-makers are increasingly demanding environmentally responsible products and wood clearly delivers those needs. However, two things need to happen. First, a clear, cohesive strategy is needed to ensure we do not fall behind international competitors. Secondly, you actually have to cut a tree down.

By revitalizing the forest sector, the Province can address pressing affordability challenges while fostering an era of prosperity for the sector. Achieving this vision will require bold action, innovative thinking, and a real commitment to collaboration.

Human recreation on mountain trails is displacing grizzly bears and wolves from their natural habitats, even when the trails are hundreds of metres away, according to a new study from the University of Alberta. The research underscores the need for more effective planning to ensure that recreationists and wildlife can coexist, particularly in the busy Bow River Valley, which has long served as a natural corridor connecting the prairies to the Continental Divide… Though trails that never receive any use from humans have little to no effect on wildlife, only half of grizzlies studied would venture within 300 metres of trails with the highest human use. This effect was more pronounced in wary wolves, whose radius of comfort extended to 600 metres from the busiest trails. “We initially thought bears might use hiking trails as efficient routes when humans weren’t around, but they actually avoid these areas altogether,” says the author.

British Columbia — “If you could imagine fire as a creature or a force, how would you describe it?” asked filmmakers Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper while filming their documentary Incandescence. Fire is like a pig, someone answered, because it eats everything in sight; fire is like a grizzly bear, another responded, running to stay alive. These unconventional characterizations of fire weren’t the only thing that surprised Ami and Ripper while shooting their film. While fire is often described as a force of unrelenting destruction, they learned fire can also breathe life into the forest if treated with respect.

…Although not record breaking, the more than 10,800 square kilometres burned in 1,688 fires during 2024 comes in as the fourth-largest wildfire season in B.C. More than 70 per cent of wildfires this past season were caused by lightning, while almost all others were attributed to human activity. A small percentage remains undetermined. …In 2024, about $621 million was spent fighting fires, down from $1.09 billion in 2023. While there were no mass evacuations such as there were in 2023 in the Okanagan and Shuswap regions, in 2024 there were 51 evacuation orders, which affected more than 4,100 properties. Another 112 evacuation alerts affected more than 11,600 properties. …New research published this week shows the public should expect an increasing number of more severe fire seasons in the future. …Researchers found the greatest drivers of change were dry fuels, including the moisture level of the upper level of the forest floor.

A BC program that keeps an eye on threatened populations of coastal BC birds is getting another year of funding from the province. Marbled Murrelets are coastal birds that nest in old-growth forests, laying a single egg in the mossy branches of old trees. They can travel up to 100 kilometres per day to forage for food and bring it back to their nests. They are listed as threatened in BC because of ongoing habitat loss. The province has radar monitoring stations along the coastline to track population trends for the birds, with the hopes of learning more to help their numbers recover. Documents posted on BC Bid show the province has allocated $15,000 towards the program this year. [END]

For over 20 years, the BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) has championed the community forest program, highlighting its ability to foster social, economic, ecological, and cultural resilience. …Community forests are long-term, area-based tenures managed by local communities to reflect local priorities and values. With 61 community forests currently operating across the province, and growing interest in local resource management, the program is gaining broad recognition and support. …According to the December BCCFA Newsletter, the city of Quesnel along with five First Nations, have come to an agreement on the establishment of the Three Rivers Community Forest (TRCF). …Farther south, the BCCFA provided Nakusp and Area Community Forest (NACFOR) with funding through the province’s Economic Recovery Initiative under the Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction program. …There were 14 other community forests across the province supported by this initiative.

Lil’wat Forestry Ventures (LFV) is leading a data-collection project to assess old-growth areas within the First Nation’s traditional territory. The Old Growth Stewardship Data Collection Project will give the Nation a snapshot of the forest to help promote wildfire management, wildlife habitats and the growth of traditional plants. The key to the project is old-growth forest management. Decades of fire suppression policies preventing forest fires have led to unnaturally dense forests that don’t leave enough space for native plants and wildlife to thrive. “I’m sure if you live in the Sea to Sky, you see how thick some of the forests are,” said Klay Tindall, general manager at LFV. “That’s not normal.”