Region Archives: Canada West

©David Moskowitz

Kootenay-based environmental group Wildsight is calling for an interim moratorium on logging and road building in core southern mountain caribou habitat. The moratorium should stay in place until permanent protections are in place, says Eddie Petryshen, Wildsight Conservation Specialist. Petryshen says that in an agreement signed in February 2020, the province of B.C. committed to actions to stabilize caribou populations. These actions included increasing protection of habitat. “With one year left before the agreement expires, almost no progress has been made, and caribou habitat continues to be logged,” he said. …B.C.’s overall caribou populations has dropped from an estimated 45,000 to 15,000 over the last century. The deep-snow herds have declined from 2,500 in the 1990s to approximately 1,250 today.

In recognition of the critical role wildland firefighters play in keeping the province safe, the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of BC (FNESS), BC Wildfire Service, and FireSmart BC are partnering to create the new BC Wildland Firefighter Awards. Four recipients will be recognized during a special ceremony led by the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation during the Wildfire Resiliency Training Summit in April 2024. If it applies to you please help support this important new award by nominating your fellow colleagues in wildfire response, including any agency, organization, or community. Nominations will be open until February 28.

KANANASKIS COUNTRY – A controversial plan to clearcut a forested area about the size of 2,000 football fields in the Upper Highwood of Kananaskis Country is temporarily halted. West Fraser Cochrane, formerly Spray Lake Sawmills, announced in a statement on the company’s website that it’s pausing its 1,100-hectare logging plan to allow time for consultation with stakeholders. “We want to take time to meet with local groups that have expressed an interest in our planned activities and to meet with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to discuss the bridge over the Highwood River,” it stated. “We are now in the process of meeting with local groups that are interested in sharing information regarding forestry operations in the region.” …The logging plan was met with criticism from recreational and environmental groups like Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Alberta Wilderness Association and Bragg Creek and Kananaskis Outdoor Recreation.

Additional coverage in the Narwhal by Drew Anderson: After community pushback, forestry company pauses clearcut of beloved Rocky Mountain valley

CHETWYND — The mayors of Hudson’s Hope and Tumbler Ridge are expressing concern over the relocation of the Northern Initial Fire Attack Crew from Chetwynd to Dawson Creek, saying it could double response times in the community and surrounding districts. In letters addressed to B.C.’s Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston, both Hudson’s Hope and Tumbler Ridge condemned the move that they say was made without consultation with stakeholders and local First Nations communities. The mayor of Hudson’s Hope Travous Quibell said the move to not consulate the districts is a breach of the Emergency and Disaster Management Act. “This requirement doesn’t seem to apply to the Ministry,” said Quibell in his letter. Quibell says that the relocation will delay response times from approximately one to two and half hours, and will not only impact or displace residents, but could cost millions to local businesses.

Jim Cooperman

Lee Creek resident Jim Cooperman travelled to Victoria last week, carrying a signed petition from North Shuswap community members calling for an investigation into the wildfire which devastated the area last summer. The documents, which included a press release and a briefing note, were delivered to Premier David Eby, cabinet ministers and government agencies on Feb. 12. In a press release, Cooperman said North Shuswap residents want answers. “Our community demands a full investigation into this disaster and the failed back burn that caused it,” Cooperman said. “No rural community should have to experience the massive damage and trauma that our North Shuswap endured last summer after the BC Wildfire Service allowed two wildfires to expand and then did an aerial ignition prior to a windstorm.”

Part of the Log Train Trail in the Alberni Valley will soon be open to motorized vehicles, but the City of Port Alberni wants to make sure their portion of the trail is for bikers and hikers only. The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) board voted last month to adopt a new management plan for the Log Train Trail, which will allow the use of motorized vehicles (including ATVs and dirt bikes) on the regional district-managed portion of the trail. The full trail stretches 25 kilometres along the foot of the Beaufort Range. It was originally part of railroad logging operations until logging trucks became the preferred method of transport and the railway was abandoned. Since then, it has been developed into a multipurpose trail and regional park. …Council is sending a letter to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and Mosaic Forest Management stating that the city does not support motorized vehicles on the Log Train Trail.

B.C.’s worst-ever wildfire season in 2023 appears to have carried over into 2024. The mild and dry fall and winter have created perfect conditions for a record number of so-called “zombie fires.” …John Davies, a senior wildfire management specialist with Forsite Consultants, said they are seeing a lot of these fires in northern B.C …“They have a very, very deep organic layer. That’s what makes it possible for these fires to burn underground is that they have lots of fuel, so this decomposing vegetative matter, and they have oxygen, and so they just burn subsurface.” …Dr. Lori Daniels, a professor and Koerner Chair in Wildlife Coexistence with the Faculty of Forestry at UBC said… “There’s a gap between when the snow melts and when the broadleaf trees produce their leaves and create shade and cooler temperatures in more humid conditions,” she said.

EDMONTON — The Alberta government has declared an early start to the 2024 wildfire season in the face of low snowpacks and forecasts of dry weather to come. Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said Tuesday the season is now underway — 10 days earlier than the usual start of March 1. Loewen said his department is asking for enough extra funding in the budget to hire an extra 100 firefighters. If that request is approved, they will be in the field by May 15, he said. That’s in addition to the 900 firefighters the province fielded in 2023, who are expected to be ready by April 15, said Loewen. …Loewen also said a permit is now required for any burning in the forest protection area. Fire bans are likely to follow. “We’re going to be more proactive (on fire bans) than we were last year.

Alberta’s water reckoning has begun in earnest. Snowpack accumulations in the Oldman River basin, the Bow River basin and the North Saskatchewan River basin range from 33 to 62 per cent below normal. A reduced snowpack means less summer water for the fish and all water drinkers. …Fifty-one river basins from Milk River to Hay River report critical water shortages due to low rainfall and high temperatures. Groundwater levels in parts of Alberta have reached record lows. Wells in Rocky View County just outside of Calgary, for example, show steady declines and the lowest levels ever measured. Some 600,000 rural Albertans depend on groundwater. …With less water in the rivers and ground, the cottonwoods and willows that decorate the banks of prairie rivers are dying. …Yet the Alberta government has not declared an emergency. It says it is planning for extreme drought but hoping for snow and rain.

High populations of mountain pine beetles can overwhelm forests by killing trees and altering ecosystems. A University of Alberta study examined the role fungi may play in how trees defend themselves from these beetles. Rashaduz Zaman, a U of A PhD candidate in forest biology and management, led the study. According to the study, the fungus atropellis canker increases a tree’s production of compounds toxic to mountain pine beetles, thereby protecting the tree. The researchers collected inner-bark samples from lodgepole pines. Some of these trees were infected by western gall rust, atropellis canker, or other fungi pathogens. The researchers compared how different fungal species altered the chemistry of lodgepole pine trees and their ability to resist attacks from insects.

Todd Loewen & Christie Tucker

The Alberta government will hire an additional 100 firefighters to work this season but the opposition is concerned this won’t be enough in a year that could be worse for fire than 2023. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen announced the new staffing measures on Tuesday in a news conference at the Whitecourt fire base. “We are confident we are ready to tackle the upcoming wildfire season head on to better direct our resources to fight new and existing wildfires,” Loewen said. “We are declaring an early start to the 2024 wildfire season.” The 100 new firefighters will be added to the usual contingent of 900 personnel. Funding for this extra staff depends on the legislature passing the provincial budget, which will be introduced next week. …Heather Sweet, the NDP critic for forestry, is concerned about the province’s readiness for what could be another record-breaking season for fire.

TAYLOR, B.C. — Peace River North MLA Dan Davies believes the $7 million sale of Canfor’s pulp mill in Taylor is the latest example of the provincial government’s mismanagement of the forestry industry. Davies says it’s a tragedy the mill has closed down following months of curtailments and other closures within the province. Forestry is a massive industry in B.C., and according to Davies, when a large company such as Canfor starts curtailments or permanently shuts down mills — it’s “not a good sign.” The MLA says he’s glad there was a purchase and hopes to hear more details soon, including if the mill in Taylor will reopen. …Davies believes the province has poor forest management practices. “We don’t do enough prescribed burns, we don’t manage our forests, generally, as well as we should,” Davies said. “We need to look at other jurisdictions, [such as] Finland and Sweden.”

Todd Loewen

ALBERTA — After a tumultuous 2023 wildfire season and amid dry conditions, Forestry Minister Todd Loewen visited Whitecourt on Tuesday afternoon to declare the start of the 2024 wildfire season. Loewen underlined plans to add 100 new wildland firefighters to the Alberta Wildfire Team, bringing the total number of firefighters to approximately 1,000 by May 15. The wildfire season has started 10 days early this year. Loewen said this means permits are now required before burning in the Alberta Forest Protection Area, which includes the Whitecourt Forest Area. “Wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility,” Loewen said during a press conference at the Whitecourt Forestry Warehouse. …Loewen asserted that more than 60 per cent of Alberta’s wildfires in 2023 were caused by humans. …The addition of 100 firefighters is dependent on the approval of the 2024 provincial budget, according to Alberta Forestry. As for the possibility of budgeting for more than 100 new firefighters, Loewen deferred to “the budget process” in the Alberta legislature.

Advocates for Saskatchewan’s boreal forest are raising awareness about the impacts of clear-cut logging. An event was held Saturday at St. George’s Senior’s Centre in Saskatoon to raise awareness and funds to support a legal action to stop clearcut logging. Cathy Sproule, a representative for Big River Forest Advocates said the clear-cut logging interferes with Indigenous peoples who exercise their inherent treaty right to hunt. “There are better ways to log in these heavily populated and well-loved and widely used areas,” she said. …“The ministry and also the government of Saskatchewan is not upholding the provision of the Forest Resources Management Act, which requires a balance between industry and all kinds of other activity and values,” Sproule said. “So we’re going to see what a judge says about it.”

The B.C. government is consulting the public on reforms to the Land Act to facilitate shared decision-making under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). The Land Act deals with how public land is used and covers tens of thousands of tenures on public land. …As we approach the five-year anniversary of DRIPA, there are now several examples of mechanisms for shared decision-making with Indigenous governments on land and resource use in B.C.  …The debate and public reaction to the reforms under the Land Act point to the larger question of how the province is approaching shared decision-making in British Columbia, whether under DRIPA or otherwise. …Reconciliation also requires transparency for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples alike, to advance mutual prosperity. By providing structure and clarity for shared decision-making agreements, the province could advance these two important objectives. 

An interesting story has been emerging about two Merritt residents who have created a hybrid (diesel/electric) logging truck prototype that displays innovations and dedication to sustainability. It has taken them two years and over a million dollars (of crowd-source funds mostly from other truckers) to build their first two prototypes. Eric Little and Chace Barber (Edison Motors’ co-founders) were inspired to create their own electric truck since Tesla was so slow at releasing their electric truck as promised in 2016. The hybrid truck is a specially designed heavy-duty vehicle intended to replace traditional diesel-powered logging trucks. Their inspiration came from their mission to protect the environment. …While we wait for the delivery of these hybrid trucks we might start seeing electric motors on the logging trailers. FPInnovations is currently developing a hybrid trailer for forestry operations, with plans to replace a conventional trailer axle with an electrically powered drive axle.

Laura Jones

The BC government is conducting an intensive series of meetings with industry and outdoor recreation groups this month, in an attempt to assuage concerns about its proposed changes to the law that governs Crown land. The province plans to amend the Land Act in the spring legislative session to pave the way for joint decision-making with Indigenous communities about public land, bringing it into line with the intent of B.C.’s 2019 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). But the little-advertised process with its hasty timeline alarmed stakeholders who rely on Crown tenures, stirring up uncertainty about future access. Minister Nathan Cullen is now leading a “reset” of the consultation process. …One of Mr. Cullen’s meetings drew 90 corporate leaders for a two-hour session, with a follow-up promised. Laura Jones of the Business Council of B.C. said, “I wouldn’t say that all of their questions have been answered.”

New research at the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest in Maple Ridge could lead to healthier forests that take more carbon out of the atmosphere, say researchers. Dr. Suzanne Simard and Dr. Dominik Roeser are leading field-based experiments looking at silviculture practices by the B.C. lumber industry in the 1960s and 1970s, and how those 60-year-old forests could now be much improved. The view back then was to grow and harvest stands of Douglas-fir, like a Saskatchewan farmer might raise fields of wheat. The result is plantations that are not as biodiverse, nor as productive as they should be, said Simard. …Selective logging and cutting-edge equipment will be used to address biodiversity and carbon deficits in industrialized conifer plantations. The project involves transitioning monoculture stands to healthier forests, with greater species diversity, and testing various retention levels and harvesting techniques.

Groups concerned about increased logging on the edges of Saskatchewan’s boreal forest are raising money to challenge the province’s forestry policy in court. The Saskatchewan Forest Protection Network and the Big River Forest Advocates are teaming up for a “teach-in” event on Saturday. Spokeswoman Cathy Sproule said the fundraising drive comes after years of meetings and advocacy with industry and government have secured only “minor concessions. …While she said provincial officials and industry representatives have been willing to come to meetings, many conversations have left her feeling frustrated and dispirited as concerns remain unaddressed, with a court challenge now seen as a necessary step. …Sproule said she’s hopeful an application can be filed this spring after the government releases its annual forestry plan. …Saturday’s event will feature a talk from Halifax-based journalist Joan Baxter.

• BC Forest Safety Council safety tip.
• Fibre utilization projects in the Thompson-Okanagan.
• Skeetchestn Natural Resources Corporation leading the charge in sustainable forestry practices.
• Osoyoos Indian Band and Mercer Celgar increase fibre utilization of residual wood.
• Faces of Forestry features FESBC’s Board Chair, Dave Peterson.
• FESBC is hiring an Operations Manager. 

SLOCAN VALLEY, BC — A full environmental impact assessment of the proposed Zincton all-season resort is being called for by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the Sinixt Confederacy. Currently before the Mountain Resorts Branch of the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, the back country ski development proposed for the Selkirk Mountains in the Slocan Valley needs a deeper view, said Jarred-Michael Erickson, chairman of the Confederated Tribes. “This proposed project is going to be built on high quality wildlife habitat within a critical wildlife corridor between two major parks,” he said in a Feb. 8 letter to the Province. “Our preliminary internal review has raised a number of concerns, including potential impacts to blue-listed species such as wolverine and grizzly bear.” …His view was supported by the West Kootenay EcoSociety website, arguing that the entire proposed development would disrupt a wildlife corridor between two provincial parks.

Additional coverage in the Langley Advance Times, by Bill Metcalfe: U.S. group wants formal assessment of massive B.C. back country ski resort

As many as 150 British Columbia lumber industry companies and their workers are getting a massive shock as they begin to sell their companies, retire, and start collecting pension benefits they have been paying into for decades. Some who are already collecting benefits from the Interior Lumberman’s Pension Plan have had their payments reduced by as much as 40 per cent due to a solvency deficit within the fund that the pensioners and their lawyer allege is a result of mismanagement. …The ILPP was started back in 1978 and covered independent, non-unionized forestry sector companies and their employees working in the B.C. Interior. According to David Wotherspoon of Wotherspoon Law, the plan was designed to provide independent contractors with medical and pension benefits. …A letter sent to the Minister of Finance by the Interior Logging Association’s Todd Chamberlain in January 2023 called on the province to step in and take some action on the issue. 

The Province is taking action to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season by upgrading and expanding B.C.’s firefighting aviation and ground fleet, as well as equipment for ground crews. …Drawing on feedback from the Premier’s expert task force on emergencies, the Province is strengthening its response to wildfire emergencies by expanding the amount of firefighting tools available to crews to provide broader response capabilities and keep people and communities as safe as possible. Upgrades are being made to firefighting equipment and fire camp infrastructure, which are critical to the safety and well-being of wildland firefighters. Nearly $16 million has been invested ahead of April 2024 to expand BC Wildfire Service’s on-the-ground firefighting equipment, including pumps, fire camp equipment, safety gear, and medical and hygiene equipment.

Three Manitoba First Nations are calling on the provincial government to reject a forest management plan for the Duck Mountain and Kettle Hills area. On Wednesday, Minegoziibe Anishinabe, Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation (WSFN), and Sapotaweyak Cree Nation (SCN) released a statement, saying that the government needs to take action to protect their land and Treaty rights. According to the statement, the province has allowed a U.S.-based logging company to harvest timber in First Nation territories without an approved forest management plan for nearly two decades. This commercial logging is taking place in Duck Mountain Provincial Park, as well as the Kettle Kills Area. Now, the province is set to approve a 20-year forest management plan. However, the First Nations are saying that studies show there are deficiencies in this plan. 

Nathan Cullen

The B.C. New Democrats face an uphill selling job with the public judging from an opinion poll on their plan to allow co-management of Crown Land with First Nations. Almost half of those polled said they had “heard nothing” about the government’s plan. …Only 13% considered themselves “familiar” with the proposed changes… [and] once informed of the basic outline of the NDP plan, 94% considered it a major change. The pollster found support for “reconciliation” with First Nations, but heard concerns that the changes could “hurt the economy.” Almost 75% of those surveyed supported a provincial referendum on the issue. The New Democrats say they will stay the course and pass the legislation this spring. …The government further insists that “the changes will have no effect on tenures, renewals, private properties, or access to Crown land.” …First Nations and some legal experts do maintain that the proposed changes are no big deal. Others disagree.

Anyone reading about proposed amendments to B.C.’s Land Act might believe there are major changes afoot. Private property is at risk. Outdoor recreation is threatened. Water access, mining, forestry and agriculture all now hang in the balance as the BC NDP threatens to quietly take away every land-use right that British Columbians currently enjoy. The government, the analysis goes, is about to quietly pass control over the vast majority of its land base to the First Nations who stewarded it for millennia….Except the changes wouldn’t do that — they are less radical, and more creeping bureaucracy. …They would “allow the government to enter into agreements with First Nations on what is likely very specific, large-scale projects,” Lands Minister Nathan Cullen said. …What the changes also wouldn’t do is affect the province’s 40,000 existing land tenures or the 2,500 renewals it issues on an annual basis, Cullen added.

The federal government, the last chance for species at risk, has told the province to produce and deliver on a plan to ensure caribou don’t go the way of the passenger pigeon. A recently released report, years late, shows little or no progress. Caribou task forces were formed of concerned conservation groups and Indigenous peoples plus the usual foot-draggers of industry. In particular, the timber and energy industries are the ultimate gatekeepers, trying to run out the clock for caribou, as they maximize economic opportunity. They are abetted by timorous provincial politicians, who hide in plain sight, behind the smokescreen of these committees. Caribou are running out of time. This species depends on mature to old growth forests. …Doing nothing is not a course of action. Instead, it is a flight from responsibility and accountability. It may be high time for the federal government to step in.