Region Archives: Canada West

A group of protesters gathered at a controversial Spray Lake Sawmills bridge in Kananaskis Saturday to highlight their demand for an immediate pause in plans to clearcut over 2,700 acres in the Upper Highwood drainage. They say extreme drought and water shortage conditions are expected to continue, necessitating a pause in logging. Their call represented a new rationale for clearcutting opponents in Alberta and also highlighted the addition of significant new members to the list of those seeking a pause to the impending logging operation, which could start as soon as Dec. 1. In addition to opponents like environmental and recreational groups and wildlife advocates, Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn sent a letter dated Nov. 24 to Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz requesting a moratorium on logging in southern Alberta, and High River Mayor Craig Snodgrass has sent a letter to the Calgary Climate Hub supporting their call as well. 

Island First Nations are looking forward to finalizing a deal with Western Forest Products that will give them more say over logging activities in their territories. Earlier this year the Nanwakolas Council, which represents nations from the Comox Valley to Campbell River and north, signed an historic deal with the forestry company to gain a 34% interest in a new partnership. It will create and oversee a new tree farm licence in the Campbell River-Sayward region, providing annual production of more than 900,000 cubic metres of wood. Ted Nash with Nanwakolas says the new deal will benefit everyone. “We’re in a partnership on both sides: developing the future forest management regime, and benefitting economic development in the area,” he said. “We think through doing that we’re going to create significant stability on a go-forward basis.” Nash told the Strathcona Regional District board that the new partnership will be finalized sometime next spring.

Researchers are working on ways to make life easier for anyone facing a wildfire evacuation. University of Alberta Civil Engineering Assistant professor Stephen Wong along with two other researchers are collecting data from five communities in BC and Alberta that includes Quesnel. “We are mostly first interested in identifying communities that have high fire exposure.” Wong said, Finding places that you would have that high level of risk but then would also have risk related to it’s transportation system.” Wong said when it comes to the transportation system they were interested in places that had limited ways of egress or ways to get out of a city in the event of an evacuation. …Wong said the primary need of this research is that wildfire evacuations unfold in a very dynamic interaction between forest, roadway infrastructure as well as people.

People in B.C. are invited to provide input to help inform the next stage of the Sunshine Coast Forest Landscape Plan (FLP). The FLP is being co-developed with First Nations, with input from communities, subject-matter experts and forest licensees. FLPs are a new approach to forest stewardship that establish clear direction for the management of old growth, biodiversity, ecosystem health, climate change, watershed health, wildfire risk and other forest-related values. The FLP area includes the Sunshine Coast Timber Supply Area and portions of the Pacific Timber Supply Area, encompassing roughly 1.25 million hectares of land from Howe Sound in the south to the summit of Mount Waddington (B.C.’s highest peak) in the north. The area features some of the most biologically diverse forests in British Columbia and overlaps the territories of 15 First Nations.

Parks Canada has resumed its seasonal program of making Jasper National Park safer from the possibility of wildfires. This means that crews will be removing forest fuels by hand in strategic areas and burning the vegetation debris onsite, conditions permitting. This is one measure that Parks Canada uses to not only reduce the risk of wildfire but also manage the impacts of the mountain pine beetle. The work is based on a larger wildfire risk evaluation and has undergone both environmental and cultural impact assessments. As a result, there will be visible smoke in the air over the coming months. There is no need to call emergency services to report this smoke.

Jonathan Seinen

Woodlots are a thriving business with the emphasis on longer term thinking, says the Houston woodlot licensee who is the recipient of a provincial award. “The ownership doesn’t change very often over the generations and there are successful operations that will be producing quality fibre indefinitely,” says Jon Seinen who was presented with the Minister’s Award for Innovation and Excellence in Wood Management for 2023 from forests ministry officials the end of October. …The licence is made up of mixed species and Seinen buys his seedling stock from Woodmere Nursery in Telkwa. An average of four hectares a year are harvested and planted. “The majority of the wood has gone to local Canfor mill. Although I do occasionally sell a small portion to a the local pellet plant and few smaller mill operators,” Seinen said.

Foster, Wayne and Britton Coulson

PORT ALBERNI – Coulson Aviation has been awarded a three-year firefighting contract with Corporation Nacional Forestal of Chile for a C-130H Hercules Large AirTanker and a Citation 550 air attack lead plane with its partner BRYSA. Coulson Aviation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coulson Aircrane Ltd., a privately-owned family company has been in the aviation business for over 36 years, operating a diverse fleet of both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. The company’s operations have included helicopter logging, forest fire suppression, power-line construction, airliner passenger, transport and many other industrial heavy lift operations. “We have been successfully fighting fires in Chile for the past three years. This new contract solidifies Coulson’s presence with the largest airtanker in the country. It also recognizes the value our C-130 and Citation 550 working together to provide an efficient and productive aerial firefighting response,” said Britton Coulson, President and COO, Coulson Aviation.

SOOKE, BC — Initiatives aimed at preventing forest fires from burning homes are getting a boost in Sooke, which has received a $198,000 grant to reduce wildfire risk and prepare the community for any fires that do break out. The funds will go toward community-based programs such as free FireSmart home assessments, and initiatives like disposal events for yard waste. …The funding comes from the Union of B.C. Municipalities FireSmart Community Funding and Supports Grant. “Basically it’s about getting the information out there and educating people,” Ruiter said. “The goal is to work with community groups to provide them with the tools they need to mitigate the threat of wildfire.” Sooke Mayor Maja Tait said a community like Sooke, which is surrounded by forests, is more vulnerable to wildfires than areas like Victoria or Oak Bay.

CLEARWATER – The Wells Gray Community Forest Corporation (WGCFC) will be holding a Community Forest Input Session November 20. The goal is to share updates with the public regarding current and upcoming forestry projects, as well as get a better understanding of the community’s perception. “We are given the opportunity to share some of the goals we have as a community forest, while also giving community members lots of time to ask questions and provide their feedback and ideas,” shared George Brcko, General Manager of the WGCFC. “We then will take this input from community, and together with the best practices for good forest management, we will develop a forest management plan and our operational objectives.” Joel Steinberg, President of the WGCFC Board of Directors, believes this is a great opportunity to get member of the community more involved.

The BC Forest Discovery Centre in North Cowichan is receiving $222,000 in federal funding to develop an online exhibit on sustainable forestry from pre-colonization to modern day. Question is: will the exhibit take a biased approach to logging — like the centre’s industry-funded Forests Forever exhibit — or explore a full range of management options, including potentially no logging? …Despite being located in North Cowichan, the centre makes no mention of the fact the municipality’s forest reserve overlaps the coastal Douglas-fir forest, the rarest forest type in B.C. — described as “imperilled” by the watchdog Forest Practices Board. Private land development and logging are contributing factors. …It’s time for the BC Forest Discovery Centre to recognize the value of protecting the forest in its own backyard and to portray logging with fairness and balance. The expenditure of almost a quarter million in federal taxpayers’ dollars on the centre’s newest exhibit only emphasizes the point.

It has been a satisfying 50-year journey for Pioneer Log Homes of B.C. founder Bryan Reid Sr. “I did not regret one day,” he said while sitting in his home in Lac La Hache that was originally built as a show home. “I worked with the most wonderful people on earth – our employees and our clients.” Reid has loved log homes since he was a child. …A pivotal moment emerged for Reid when someone from the coast wanted to retire and asked Reid to build them a log home. …He got his brothers André Chevigny and David Chevigny to build with him, as well as his son Bryan Jr., who started when he was as young as 7 or 8. …While the company had been building homes for people all over the world, in 2014 Pioneer Log Homes became even more well-known with the launch of Timber Kings, a TV series on HGTV.

Isla Myers-Smith

The Faculty of Forestry wishes to congratulate Professor Isla Myers-Smith and the project team and collaborators on being awarded the Canada Excellence Research Chair in global change ecology. The position comes with an $8 million grant towards Isla’s research in Arctic greening. As Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in global change ecology, Isla and her team will study the impacts of global change on northern ecosystems. The research program will focus on tundra and boreal ecosystems in the Western Canadian North, which face threats to sustainable food systems, wildlife populations and their habitats, which together challenge the resilience of communities. …Additionally, this CERC program aims to provide international leadership in Arctic research and will integrate long-term monitoring, remote sensing, drone technology, and traditional knowledge from Indigenous partners in the Yukon and Northwest Territories.

WILLIAMS LAKE, BC – The Community Forest grant has been approved for 15 organizations for 2023. A total of 18 organizations applied to receive some of the grant money, which the total amount requested was $91,285. However, Williams Lake Community Forest Granting Program Coordinator, Mary Thurow says they were only able to provide $68,067 for the 15 chosen. “Grants are reviewed by a group of volunteers called the Standing Committee.” says Thurow. …Typically max asks are around the $5,000 range, but are able to reach up to $10,000 in rare situations. As for how much is able to be provided each year, it’s determined by five percent of Williams Lake Community Forest’s profits, which are set aside. For 2023, a total of $65,000 was able to be provided, with 2024 being increased to $75,000. The grant window is open for 2024, which closes on November 17th, 2023, for registered charities, non-profit-and or community organizations

Conservationists are welcoming a years-in-the-making strategic plan that would prioritize the health and biodiversity of ecosystems in B.C. in provincial legislation. On Wednesday, the province publicly announced its draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework, which, once finalized, would provide direction to ensure the province delivers on a promise made in 2021 to maintain and enhance biodiversity and ecological integrity. The strategy will also help the province meet its reconciliation goals it enshrined in law in 2019 to legally implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). A biodiversity plan was part of 14 recommendations… from the so-called Old Growth Strategic Report. …Ministers of Forests Bruce Ralston said, “This new framework is another step to enhance our forests and natural systems for the generations to come.” The province will now consult with First Nations, industry and other stakeholders over the draft to complete a final version in early 2024.

BC’s government is trying to implement further steps to protect and preserve the province’s at-risk environment through a new biodiversity and ecosystem health framework (BEHF). Right now the BEHF is just a draft proposal, but Nathan Cullen, the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, is hopeful that it will become legislation and allow for the preservation of BC’s well-known natural landscapes. “People in BC share a deep connection to nature, from our ancient forests and diverse wildlife, to our coastal waters and mountain ranges,” said Cullen. “Together, we are charting the next steps for conserving BC’s rich biodiversity and healthy ecosystems that support us all.” …Although the BEHF is vague in its current stages, conservation activists are applauding the government’s steps towards preservation and protection of BC’s old-growth. However, these groups warn that “the devil will be in the details.”

B.C. Christmas tree farmers plant, prune and tend to trees in various stages of growth, ensuring that every tree chopped the previous Christmas is replaced with another evergreen that will be ready for trimming in five to 10 years. But successive summers marked by heat and drought are making the job tougher. The head of the B.C. Christmas Tree Association estimates more than 5,000 seedlings were lost due to drought this summer, with about 250 B.C. growers leaving the business over the last decade. While seedling loss is unlikely to impact tree availability this year, the overall trend is concerning, said Larry Whitehead, owner of Red Truck Trees in South Surrey. …It’s unclear if hot, dry weather and drought over the last few years have caused the trees to decline, or if lack of moisture has made them more susceptible to pests or fungus. But the result is the same.

Todd Loewen, the Alberta Minister of Forestry and Parks, has weighed in on the logging concerns in Kananaskis Country. There are many issues that have been brought up including allowing the logging trucks and equipment the use of Highway 40 during the winter. Minister Loewen explains why Spray Lake Sawmills is allowed to use 12 kilometres of Highway 40. “The forest harvest happens during the winter months when the ground is frozen and that’s to protect the landscape so that there’s no heavy ruts and things like that. And that road being closed is basically closed for recreational use.” …”The mountain slopes and valleys beyond these gates are critical to wintering wildlife. Restricting traffic through this area protects wildlife.” …When asked about how and why Spray Lake Sawmills were allowed to build a bridge over the Highwood River during spawning season, Minister Loewen said that falls under federal jurisdiction.

A local fire ecologist says more prescribed burns are needed to reduce the devastating impacts of wildfires in the region. Bob Gray of R.W. Gray Consulting Ltd has over 35 years of experience in the research and application of fire science and has been instrumental in some of the region’s burns. “We can expect what just happened and worse in the future,” he said. “Most of the modelling suggests that we could see a doubling or tripling of area burned in the future. The best way to mitigate impacts is to limit the potential size and severity of these fires. Part of that is mimicking the stewardship practices of indigenous peoples. The landscape they stewarded didn’t support these kinds of fires.” A recent burn he was a part of was the airport burn done in the spring. …He says we need to learn from this and start getting these burns done quickly.