Region Archives: Canada West

John Horgan

VICTORIA — During the long standoff over old-growth logging at Fairy Creek, Premier John Horgan often reminded protesters that the local First Nation had asked them to leave. He quoted a statement from the Pacheedaht First Nation discouraging “third party activism” on its traditional territory and asking to be “left in peace.” …Horgan’s office had advance knowledge of the Pacheedaht statement on the Fairy Creek protests. The premier’s staff may even have had a hand in strengthening the wording of the statement, judging from the recent release of a document obtained under freedom of information laws. One reason for suspecting the premier’s office is because the New Democrats fought long and hard against the release of the document. The full story of the long-delayed release is set out in an article in this month’s issue of the Walrus magazine by B.C.-based freelance reporter Jimmy Thomson.

The province’s worst wildfire season on record in terms of area burned was recorded in 2023, a destructive season that stretched from early spring all the way into fall, and now winter. Now, the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says it’s stepping up preparations ahead of the spring to deal with holdover fires — colloquially called “zombie fires” that lay dormant under the ground before re-igniting in hotter conditions. …Pedro Roldan-Delgado, a fire information officer for the Prince George Fire Centre, says holdover fires tend to penetrate deep into the root systems of trees… and active suppression is often not the first choice given many contracted firefighters have returned to university. …Pete Laing, superintendent of fuel management for the BCWS, said giant fires in the north will require careful fuel management and monitoring to ensure resources are on hand if and when they spark again.

Peter Rusland

Dear North Cowichan mayor and councillors: We respectfully request council follow Qualicum Beach council’s wise lead and take steps toward a UNESCO biosphere designation for our eco-rare Six Mountains and publicly owned municipal forest reserve. …We submit our Six Mountains and precious forest reserve are great candidates for UNESCO designation due to their provably rare ecology, plus priceless cultural, educational and recreational qualities. …Coupled with looming completion of our biodiversity study, sturdy environmental bylaws, plus pending membership in the Coastal Douglas Fir Conservation Partnership, we anticipate council’s due diligence toward Cowichan’s first, exemplary UNESCO designation.

PRINCE GEORGE – The provincial government has bestowed protected area status on a stand of old growth forest west of Ancient Forest-Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park. The 83-hectare site was previously part of a reserve for the Ministry of Transportation’s Driscoll Creek gravel quarry but with the designation, quietly approved in July via an order in council, it should remain untouched by industrial activity in perpetuity. The step was taken largely in answer to the work of Darwyn Coxson, a biology professor at the University of Northern B.C., and Nowell Senior, a noted member of the Prince George hiking community who was instrumental in the creation of the neighbouring provincial park. …Coxson is also seeking protected area status for a 986-hectare corridor connecting Ancient Forest-Chun T’oh Whudujut and Sugarbowl-Grizzly Den provincial parks. As a result of a previous complaint to the Forest Practices Board, the corridor has been designated as a “candidate” old-growth management area.

Register for a new Forest Professionals British Columbia (FPBC) webinar, Range Practices Act (FRPA) Improvement Initiative: 2023 Updates on Regulatory Changes to Bill 21. The free webinar will provide an overview of regulatory changes brought in last year and how they affect activities governed by FRPA. As part of an improvement initiative, the provincial government introduced changes in 2019 to FRPA with Bill 21: Forest and Range Practices Amendment Act. The changes were a response to a broad engagement campaign with the public, industry, and other interested parties. They are designed to align FRPA with new environmental and socio-economic challenges. Presenters Julius Huhs, RPF, RFT; Sean Muise, RPF; and Aaren Ritchie-Bonar, RPF; are with the Sustainable Forest Management team in the Forest Science, Planning and Practices Branch at the Office of the Chief Forester. January 11, 2024 from 9:00 to 10:30am.

LYTTON, BC — More than two years after a behemoth fire devastated Lytton and the neighbouring Lytton First Nation, cement has finally been poured on the village’s first home rebuild. Mayor Denise O’Connor said the first residential rebuild permit was issued in the fall. …The length of time it has taken for shovels to get into the ground has enraged many Lytton residents, with various archeological, debris removal and remediation delays prompting protest and dominating B.C. headlines. …The Village of Lytton is suing Canada’s two national railways and Transport Canada, alleging they were negligent in letting trains pass through the town during the deadly 2021 heat dome. …A 2022 report from the Transportation Safety Board, however, stated investigators could find no evidence that the wildfire was started from a spark from a train.

ALBERTA — The longer, hotter, drier fire seasons recently experienced in Alberta means that wildfire risk management is top of mind. Sustainable forest management is beneficial in the context of the conditions Alberta is facing. While not a stand-alone solution, forest management strategies complement traditional fire-suppression methods. By focusing on reducing the amount of combustible material and creating strategic fuel breaks and access routes, these practices contribute to mitigating the spread of wildfires. That’s just one component of the 200-year sustainable forest management plans developed and followed by the forest industry and members of Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA). “These plans take forest companies about six years to prepare and consider a number of forest values, including biodiversity, wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, traditional values and more,” says Aspen Dudzic, director of communications at AFPA. …Bob Mason, chief forester at Canfor Alberta emphasizes fire impact mitigation in his harvesting plans.

ALBERTA — The mountain pine beetle is the most destructive pine insect pest in Alberta. However, cold winters paired with Alberta’s aggressive control program have led to striking progress in preserving the health and resilience of the province’s forests. Mountain pine beetle populations in Alberta have declined 98% since their peak in 2019. To mitigate wildfire risk and negative impacts to the forest industry, watersheds and endangered species, the province has been actively managing mountain pine beetle for more than 15 years. Alberta will continue to invest in the mountain pine beetle control program to ensure its continued success. …“I am proud of the progress we have made in controlling the spread of mountain pine beetles throughout Alberta,” said Todd Loewen, Minister of Forestry and Parks. … Alberta uses management measures like population monitoring, risk assessments, cutting and burning infested trees, and harvesting highly vulnerable pine.

Well before a record-setting deluge of smoke had come and gone from Alberta’s capital city this summer, a new provincial precedent had already been set. By June, officials noted that wildfires had burned through more than one million hectares. …By the end of the official wildfire season, the 2.2 million hectares burned surpassed the benchmark set in 1981, when 1.3 million hectares were left charred. …The forestry and parks ministry said the scope and severity of this year’s wildfire season cannot be attributed solely to an increase in arson, even though it said the proportion of fires determined to be set on purpose has nudged upwards. …This year, 8.4 per cent of all wildfires were categorized as arson, which is slightly above the previous five-year average of 7.8 per cent, according to the forestry ministry.

QUESNEL, BC — Local forestry professionals had their knowledge base grow in forests half a world away. Thirty-one people travelled from B.C. to Finland, this fall, to get ground truth from their Scandinavian counterparts. B.C. and Finland are both world leaders in forest use and forest husbandry, but have widely different localized practices. This visit included Quesnel’s forestry initiatives manager, Erin Robinson, who reported back to mayor and council on the experience. …This junket was led by the University of B.C. and dovetailed with Finnish delegations that have been to Quesnel during the past year for knowledge exchanges here in our forestry settings. …Opportunities were presented like district heating systems, which, in a limited way, are already in use around here in settings like the downtown Prince George buildings connected to the Lakeland Mills biomass burner.

2023 has been a great year for FESBC. In January Premier Eby announced another $50 million for FESBC to help workers and communities use more waste wood from the forest and reduce wildfire risk. FESBC started approving new projects right away and now most of the funding is allocated. Some projects are already completed on the ground, many more are currently underway, and all will have been completed by March 31 2025. In this newsletter: Minister of Forests, Bruce Ralston’s statement. Learn more about how Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. is focusing on forest rehabilitation through wildfire risk reduction and fibre utilization. Read how the Fort Nelson Community Forest is working to enhance wildfire resilience. Learn about how funding will help the Chinook Community Forest to undertake vital wildfire risk reduction work. Meet our Faces of Forestry featured person, Klay Tindall.

I watched as Guujaaw, former president of the Council of the Haida Nation, testified at the B.C. Supreme Court. The legendary Haida chief was the Crown’s star witness in a $75 million lawsuit brought by Teal Cedar Products Ltd. against the province of B.C. and the Haida Gwaii Management Council. The suit has been going on for months, but not until Guujaaw arrived did the judge hear an Indigenous perspective on what the forest industry has done to the landscape, and people, of Haida Gwaii. …The matter of sovereignty over Haida Gwaii remains a point of conflict between the Haida Nation and the province of B.C., and that conflict goes much deeper than Teal’s current fight with the province.  …Whether the judge concludes that reconciliation did indeed cost Teal $75 million, and that taxpayers should reimburse them, is something we won’t know until the second half of 2024, when the decision is expected.

…Forests, wildlife and waterways are core to what makes [BC] so special. And with biodiversity declining worldwide at an alarming rate, including here in B.C., action to protect nature has reached a critical turning point. 2023 was a transformative year for commitments to protect nature. Not only are these promises answering the urgent call for change, they recognize the leadership of First Nations as equal partners and decision-makers. We have much to celebrate, and to do to make a difference on the ground. …Next year is a leap year. We urge the B.C. government to take a leap for nature — to bring the words on paper to life and make progress on important conservation targets. Only then can we ensure that nature in all its diversity — the big trees and the straggly ones, the caribou and the salmon, the bugs and the birds — is preserved for generations to come.

Williams Lake, B.C. – Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR), a First Nations-owned and operated company, has been making significant strides in the forest industry through their participation in wildfire risk reduction, stand rehabilitation and fibre utilization projects. CCR is a joint venture between the Tŝideldel First Nation and Tl’etinqox Government, both Tsilhqot’in Nation communities, dedicated to safeguarding the land through traditional Indigenous practices. Over the past few years, CCR has received support from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, including recently announced funding for three fibre utilization and wildfire risk reduction projects. …One of the projects CCR allows for the full utilization of trees and harvesting debris including tree tops originating from stands of dead trees killed by the mountain pine beetle years ago. …The recovered fibre will help support the Cariboo pulp mill in Quesnel and the Drax pellet plant and Atlantic Power facility in Williams Lake.

Salmon researchers from BC are embarking on a three-year study to understand and help mitigate the cumulative threats affecting the vulnerable species in the province’s watersheds. The Watershed Futures Initiative, which includes researchers from Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia and University of Montana, has received $1.25 million from the federal and provincial governments to tackle the combined impacts of logging, mining, urban development, agriculture, climate change and other factors on salmon. ….While the devastating effect of these risks are studied in isolation, there is an urgent need to improve both the science and management of cumulative effects in BC,” according to project lead Jonathan Moore. …Researchers will explore ongoing changes in salmon watersheds using remote sensing, synthesize scientific information to inform benchmarks and management targets, help identify potential paths forward, and connect groups working to improve the climate resilience of B.C.’s salmon watersheds.

ALBERTA — In addition to the environmental and aesthetic opposition, and the mayors of now three communities writing letters to the provincial government asking for a moratorium on clearcutting in Kananaskis, a third group has added a new perspective in the fight to have Spray Lake Sawmills reconsider their plans this winter. …SLS maintains they broke no rules and were not required by any legislation to get pre-approvals. An investigation into SLS’s actions was launched by the DFO, but to date, they have not explained why they did so. (West Fraser Timber which now owns SLS).  …CPAWS reached out to West Fraser, inviting them to meet to discuss their concerns. …Communications director Joyce Wagenaar said…“We have begun to set up meetings with stakeholder groups to better understand perspectives, interests and issues pertaining to these important forest lands.”

Richard Hamelin

The CBC Radio Early Edition with Stephen Quinn: A looper moth outbreak in Vancouver’s Stanley Park means thousands of trees will have to be cut down. We’re joined by Richard Hamelin from UBC’s Department of Forest Conservation Sciences for more. —Please click the Read More to listen to this radio interview. 

The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is making progress in implementing the 32 recommendations outlined in the Community Wildfire Resiliency Program (CWRP), according to a report by staff to the Dec. 5 Committee of the Whole (COW). The CWRP, which was updated in 2022, identifies issues and suggests solutions to make the community safer in the face of “an ever-increasing threat of wildfire,” according to the CWRP itself. According to the staff report put before the COW, the RMOW has made progress in education, legislation and community planning, interagency cooperation, training (of staff and between agencies and stakeholders), emergency planning, and vegetation management—all of which are six recommended areas of focus of the CWRP.

Dan McMaster

A forester from the Boundary Region is in Japan to highlight the innovation of B.C.’s wood products. Minister of Forests, Bruce Ralston, is leading a delegation from British Columbia’s forestry sector on a mission to Japan that started on Dec. 10, according to a news release. Among the representatives, Dan Macmaster, head of Forestry with the Osoyoos Indian Band (Nk’Mip Forestry), has a significant role representing both the First Nations Forestry Council as a Director and the Osoyoos Indian Band. …One of the key objectives is to showcase the exceptional quality of B.C.’s materials and their potential applications in Japan, ranging from low-carbon homes to mass-timber commercial buildings. …“I am very excited about this opportunity to travel with other forestry sector leaders and senior government officials to Japan,” stated Macmaster.

A group of Shuswap residents are calling for a five year deferral from logging activity in an area southeast of Chase. Residents living in Skimikin, Ptarmigan Hills, Chase and outlying areas have sent a letter to B.C. Premier David Eby laying out their case for a logging deferral for the Skimikin and Ptarmigan Hills range. “The goal of this request is to allow for these updated regulations to become integrated into Forest Management. This area is currently under the jurisdiction of BC Timber Sales, and is at an extreme risk of being irreversibly altered by existing forestry practices, just steps behind the implementation of change,” the letter said. …The letter goes on to list five endangered or at-risk species that reside in the area as well. The at-risk species listed are the fisher, long-tailed weasel, flammulated owl, western painted turtle and the pine grosbeak subspecies carlottae.

I recently came across a paper entitled The Perpetual Forest – Using lessons from the past to sustain Canada’s forests in the future. The authors decided to collaborate on a joint submission to the 1999 Canadian Institute of Forestry’s annual meeting. Authors Mike Apsey, Don Laishley, Vidar Nordin and Gilbert Paille have a wide variety of government , public and private forestry experience. Since it has been 24 years since the publication, I thought it would be valuable to see what changes may have resulted from the papers proposals. …As I suspected, the main emphasis was on the industrial aspect of forestry but it became obvious that increasing public pressure was going to mean more non timber values would need to be considered as indicated in the following statement.