Region Archives: Canada West

Proof that deer experienced elevated stress in response to wildfires in B.C.’s southern Interior can be found in their poop, although researchers say there’s still much to learn about what increasingly severe blazes mean for wildlife. …Adam Ford, Canada Research Chair in wildlife restoration ecology based at the University of B.C.’s Okanagan campus, said there are many unknowns and variables when it comes to understanding the impacts of wildfire on wildlife. The effects vary over the short and long term and across seasons and species, as well as different types of habitats and how animals use those areas, he said. Ford said the return of fire to the landscape after decades of aggressive suppression efforts could actually be a “net benefit” for most wildlife. But for that to happen it has to be the right kind of fire, he said.

Around 25,000 students have benefited from the free school programming offered at Gavin Lake Forest Education Society in the last 28 years. Located northeast of Williams Lake, the camp hosts students from school districts 27, 28 and sometimes 74. Manager Mike Tudor has been working there for 30 years. When he was first hired it was a summer camp run by the BC Forestry Association (BCFA) with a skeleton crew. …Today there is a fully-staffed outdoor education centre with Tudor, a cook, an assistant manager, who is also an instructor, and five other instructors. Typically the forester will discuss aspects of the forest such as tree aging, beetles, fungus, forked trees, woody debris, woodpecker damage, habitat for wildfire or riparian zones. Tudor said the basic costs of the program for the 28 years have been about $1 million, plus management, insurance, propane, electricity for another $1 million.

Two spotted owls have been released into protected habitat in the Fraser Canyon as part of ongoing work the Province is doing in partnership with Spuzzum First Nation to recover northern spotted owl populations in B.C.’s wild. The two male owls, named ‘sítist’ [te-syst] and ‘wíkcn’ [week-chin], were released after being assessed as healthy and ready to fend for themselves, and demonstrating that they could capture live prey and maintain a stable body weight. …This is the Spotted Owl Breeding and Release Program’s second release of captive-bred spotted owls into the wild. Sítist was originally released in August 2022 as part of the program’s first release. That autumn, sítist was found injured near train tracks in the Fraser Canyon. He was later rehabilitated by the Orphaned Wildlife Society and returned to the Captive Breeding Facility where he made a full recovery.

YOHO NATIONAL PARK – Parks Canada is creating a massive fireguard to protect Bow Valley communities and the village of Field from a future wildfire given the dense forest is prime to burn under the right conditions. The 49-hectare fireguard, about one kilometre long and 400 to 500 metres wide, will be heavily logged east of Lake O’Hara Road and northwest of Lake Louise, spanning from Ross Lake to Sink Lake along Highway 1A in Yoho National Park over winter, beginning in November. Fire experts say the containment line will help reduce the intensity and rate of spread of wildfires along the Kicking Horse Valley corridor and provide a safer area to fight forest fires on the ground. …While projects like Ross Lake and Protection Mountain are planned in advance and subject to environmental assessments, an emergency fireguard had to be bulldozed in Kootenay National Park in 2003 when the lightning-sparked Tokumm-Verendrye fire threatened the Bow Valley.

North Cowichan will take a look at just how much forested lands are in its Agricultural Land Reserve. The issue was discussed at the council table on Sept. 6. after concerns around the increasing amount of the land that is being used for commercial wineries in North Cowichan was raised in a letter to council. The letter, from community activist Peter Rusland, asked that the municipality lobby the Agricultural Land Commission, whose jurisdiction the ALR comes under, and the provincial government to exclude the clearing of forests for vineyards, which is seen as a farming use by the ALC and allowed in the ALR. Rusland also requested that council deny any permits for developing wineries on forested private land. “It’s ironic the ALC’s virtue is protecting precious farmland, yet forest lands can be lost in the mix.” Rusland was referring … rare coastal Douglas-fir zones that are only found on southeastern Vancouver Island…

Molly Hudson

From a tree planter nearly two decades ago to her new role as VP of Sustainability and Chief Forester at Mosaic Forest Management, Molly Hudson carved an uncharted path in an industry traditionally dominated by men. “Being the first woman chief forester in our organization’s history has some symbolism to it,” shares Molly, who graduated from BCIT’s Renewable Resources – Forest Ecosystem diploma program in 2008. …“Our success as an industry hinges on having different voices at the table,” emphasizes Molly, adding that the sector is changing for the better. …For Molly and her organization, giving back to BCIT students is fundamental to driving a strong, diverse workforce through high-quality education. Last year, Mosaic Forest Management was part of a combined $2.5 million donation through BCIT’s INSPIRE Campaign towards the new Trades and Technology Complex, which will provide trades students with next-generation training facilities.

VANCOUVER — Rogers Communications announced a new program aimed at early detection and prevention of remote wildfires in Northern British Columbia. The new technology, developed with the province’s wildfire service and the University of British Columbia, is “Canada’s first time deploying this type of technology,” said Neel Dayal, senior director of innovation and partnerships at Rogers. …Cameras capable of seeing wildfire smoke from 20 km away will be set up on wireless towers near Fort St. James, Smithers and Chetwynd and connected to the Rogers 5G network. Using artificial intelligence, the cameras — from wildfire-detection startup Pano AI — are expected to be able to pinpoint new fires within minutes of them starting. A Rogers system currently in place uses Swarm, SpaceX’s connectivity service for the so-called internet of things (or IoT), to get data from sensors that measure various nonvisual indicators of forest fire danger, such as soil conditions and wind.

Additional coverage in Business in Vancouver by Nelson Bennett: Rogers to tap Starlink satellites to help early detection of B.C. forest fires

Canada’s 2023 wildfires were the worst on record. Ed Trenchard, a wildfire manager in Alberta, notes first responders enlist traditional methods, such as the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System, when it comes to fire planning. The system uses several environmental factors, including weather and forest conditions, to rate the danger of fires. …But Alberta Wildfire, the Province’s forest firefighting agency, switched things up in 2022 to utilize an AI-powered tool to help responding officers strategically prepare for ensuing wildfires and resource use. …AltaML, an Edmonton, Alberta, organization focusing on AI solutions, built the tool with Microsoft’s Azure Machine Learning. AltaML can now forecast a new wildfire 80 percent of the time. …The model can help Alberta Wildfire save between $2 million and $5 million in yearly operating costs.

Twenty pumps are now working overtime to keep water flowing through the weir at Lake Cowichan into the Cowichan River. Brian Houle, the environmental manager with Catalyst Paper, says the pumps are necessary as the drought continues to impact the lake. “We’ll continue pumping until the lake is filled by Mother Nature. And optimistically next week, we have significant rain next week. And potentially a major system the week after,” Houle said. But even with the pumps working around the clock at the weir, no rain means water levels are dropping by almost a centimetre every day. And the lake is now at a historic low. …Overnight rains that soaked much of the south island bypassed Lake Cowichan. And that’s why Catalyst Paper has now installed its full fleet of pumps and pipes to keep water flowing into the Cowichan River.

September 24, B.C. Rivers Day highlights the decline of the province’s vital arteries. It is tempting to shrug off the latest catastrophic wildfire season as The New Normal and throw up our hands about the damage that incinerated forests do to B.C. rivers and fish habitat. Forest fires are normal, natural, and even rejuvenating for the landscape and wildlife. But the wildfires that have swept across the province this summer and over the past seven years are not normal, according to the B.C. Wildlife Federation. …B.C. government technical reports note that erosion, slides, flooding and sedimentation increase after severe wildfires. Severe wildfires also leave water-repellant soil in their wake, leading to fast-moving runoff, erosion and even landslides. That is very bad news for B.C. rivers and fish. …The B.C. Wildlife Federation doesn’t just talk the talk. We walk the walk …contributing thousands of hours each year to habitat and wetland restoration projects.

The province needs to step up wildfire mitigation efforts and help communities do the same, local government representatives said at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention on Tuesday. “We’ve been putting out fires for a century. … Now we’re at the point now we can’t put them out because of the fuel that is in the forest,” 100 Mile House city counsellor Dave Mingo told a panel on preparing for future wildfires. “I’d like call on everyone to look at mitigation as a very strong aspect, so that we can maybe reduce the effect on our communities in the future,” he said. …In another session at the convention, which goes until Friday in Vancouver, health and weather experts warned the smoke from wildfires will bring increasing health impacts. …B.C. United leader Kevin Falcon called for a full-time firefighting service with more front line personnel. The NDP government announced year-round wildfire service in 2022.

VICTORIA and the Traditional Territory of the Lekwungen Peoples – Coinciding with National Forest Week, the BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) has released its 2023 Indicators Report: Measuring the Benefits of Community Forestry in British Columbia. In BC, forest management is undergoing significant changes driven by a provincial shift in forest policy. This includes an increased focus on Indigenous-led initiatives, co-management, and ecosystem health and resiliency. Community forests have long been leaders in implementing these priorities on the land base, operating as long-term, area-based tenures held by local communities. Representing over 100 rural and Indigenous communities across our province, the BCCFA is a network of community forests that practice ecologically responsible forest management, fostering and supporting healthy and vibrant rural communities and economies. …“Through their dedication to sustainable practices, community forests have been pioneers in driving positive change within the forestry sector,” said Jennifer Gunter, BCCFA Executive Director.

Smithers, BC – Situated in the heart of the Bulkley Valley and surrounded by the Town of Smithers, the Village of Telkwa, and the Village of Witset, the Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation (WCFC) has taken on two key roles: as a steward of the land and as a provider of outdoor recreational opportunities for surrounding communities. This significance is underscored by the recent allocation of funds from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) toward a wildfire risk reduction project. With the funding, the WCFC aims to expand a crucial shaded fuel break (where some trees are removed to reduce fuel and some are left standing to create shade) along the Hudson Bay Mountain Road (which is used to access recreational areas). This treatment is a proactive measure against the ever-present risk of wildfire. The project also showcases the community forest’s commitment to integrating the management of natural spaces with the safety and enjoyment of the local residents in mind.

Conservation North is bringing David Suzuki to Prince George for a fundraising event…. doing a keynote address at the House of Ancestors in Lheidli T’enneh territory on Oct. 7. …“We’re honoured that Dr. Suzuki offered his time for free to help us raise money to continue our work protecting precious primary forests,” explains Michelle Connolly, director of the volunteer-based group. …“We need more people to join the movement they’ve created in northern BC to protect what’s left of nature,” Suzuki said in a statement. Conservation North’s latest work includes exposing the logging of primary forests for pellets. The group will be using the proceeds to continue their work towards protecting the last three intact valleys in the Upper Fraser from roads and logging – the Walker, Goat and Raush.

A group of people passionate about protecting animals is calling for an end to beaver trapping in British Columbia. The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals is sounding the alarm on people trapping beavers and the licensing regime of the B.C. government. Ahead of the 2023 trapping season, it’s asking for the province to announce protections for beavers. Their press release states: “According to government data, 1,684 beavers were killed by licensed trappers in the 2022/2023 trapping seasons. The B.C. government receives a $.46 royalty for each beaver killed, amounting to $774.64 in beaver royalties last year.” Aaron Hofman, director of advocacy and privacy at Fur-Bearers, says it’s critical that beavers remain on the landscape to restore habitats and help mitigate future crises. “The province needs to embrace beavers in its fight against climate change and shed an outdated view of these animals for their pelts,” says Hofman.

In recent years, we have watched wildfires become an increasing threat to communities in B.C. and across Canada, inflicting dire social and economic hardships on thousands of residents. But while reducing the number of wildfires may be difficult to achieve in the short term, it is possible to mitigate their intensity and the destruction they cause to homes, buildings, and vital resources such as watersheds. Twenty years ago, a B.C. government report titled Firestorm 2003 outlined crucial steps needed to reduce wildfire intensity. …Certainly there are challenges to executing the recommendations, including the estimated $6 billion pricetag and the vast scale of territory to be covered — 11,000 square kilometres. …The provincial government should create incentives that encourage local businesses to engage in forest management for wildfire mitigation. …There is commercial value in the materials removed, such as low-diameter trees and branches and even ground-level organic debris that is cleared. 

Having access to nature and green spaces has been shown to improve mental well-being. A new tool developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia used to identify which neighbourhoods are in need of more green space has found disparity between western and eastern neighbourhoods in the city. “There is a bit of a gradient in terms of how restorative nature is distributed in the city,” researcher Tahia Devisscher said. The local restorative nature index (LRN) was designed to assess healing qualities of green spaces. It looks at three areas that promote mental well-being: refuge, wild nature and diversity. …The higher a space scores across those three categories, the more revitalizing it is, according to Devisscher. When applying the index to Vancouver, researchers found that more affluent neighbourhoods had higher LRN scores. …the index found that more vulnerable areas scored lower.

Registration for the 2023 CIF-IFC National Conference and 115th Annual General Meeting (AGM) has been extended to Friday, September 22! Hosted in collaboration with the CIF-IFC Vancouver Island Section, this year’s event takes place in-person from September 24-27, 2023, at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre in Nanaimo, BC. The Conference theme, “Forestry for All”, will explore forest management ideologies among groups with differing values. It will also feature technical presentations on the leading edge of forestry innovation and field tours showcasing local culture and history, silviculture, wood product manufacturing, and of course the majestic trees of the area. Throughout the duration of the Conference, there will also be a variety of social events and networking opportunities, including the National Awards Ceremony, Student Quiz Bowl, Poster Symposium, evening social event, and a Silent Auction to benefit Forests without Borders.

James Steidle

Last week, the politicians were tripping over each other to celebrate Canfor’s “investment” in a new “state of the art” sawmill in Houston, which will utilize artificial intelligence and who knows what other expensive offshore automated equipment. The CBC called it a “rare piece of good news,” even though Houston will have at least 100 fewer jobs at the end of all of this, including a two or three year period with no mill jobs other than the mill demolition and construction. The implication of all this is that we now owe Canfor big time. There better not be anymore pesky old-growth protections, we better not ban glyphosate spraying, we better not do anything that gets in the way of Canfor’s fire-trap landscapes of moose-starving pine plantations. Any time big city money rolls into a small town to replace the rural workforce with urban capital, you better believe we owe them.

MACKENZIE – The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices on non-replaceable forest licence (NRFL) A89836, starting Sept. 25, 2023. NRFL A89836 is held by Nak’al Koh Timber Limited with an annual allowable cut of 50,000 cubic metres. The NRFL is within the Mackenzie timber supply area (TSA) within the Mackenzie Natural Resource District in northeast-central B.C. It overlaps the territories of the Doig River First Nation, Halfway River First Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Nak’azdli Whut’en’, Takla First Nation, Tsay Keh Dene First Nation, and West Moberly First Nations. Mackenzie, Germansen Landing, Manson Creek, Tsay Keh, and Kwadacha are some of the towns and settlements in the TSA. Auditors will examine whether timber harvesting, roads, bridges, silviculture, wildfire protection, and associated planning from Jan. 1, 2020, until Sept. 25, 2023, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.

The Alberni Valley Community Forest is not just a place for people to recreate outdoors… It is a working forest: timber sales from logging activity provide dividends to the city; timber too small to sell is repurposed as a source for firewood; trees are planted to replace those that are cut down every year. Drought, heat waves and threat of wildfire have affected all aspects of the forest over the past couple of summers. “We shut down earlier than most people. We’ve been shut down since May,” forest manager Chris Law said. “It’s not worth the risk.” …Law says it’s time the province takes a hard look at its forest practices. “For the past 50 years the province’s focus has been on fibre production. That’s coniferous trees for fibre production. In that process they have had government-funded programs to eliminate any deciduous competition.” 

The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed September 17 to 23 as National Forest Week, with the theme, Canada’s Forests: Supporting Biological Diversity. The week will highlight the important role Saskatchewan’s forestry sector plays in the provincial economy and environment. “Since the Government of Saskatchewan launched its Growth Plan four years ago, the province’s forestry sector has grown by more than $700 million in sales over four years,” Energy and Resources Minister Jim Reiter said. “That keeps us well on track to reach $2.2 billion in sales by the end of the decade.” Saskatchewan’s forests are a key renewable resource. They are helping the province meet its 2030 Growth Plan targets, while supporting nearly 8,000 jobs, with significant Indigenous participation. “Saskatchewan’s forestry sector is not only essential to our economy, but also to our identity and the quality of life we enjoy in the province,” Environment Minister Christine Tell said. 

A new scholarship program is open to First Nations, Inuit, or Métis-decent students interested in attending full-time forestry-related studies in a designated post-secondary institution.  Supports from the BC First Nations Forestry Council’s (BCFNFC) Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program (IFSP) include tuition and living expenses scholarships, paid summer work-term experience, one-on-one mentorship with a program partner, and support from a local Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program centre.  “The program is designed to grow and connect Indigenous talent to BC Forest Sector Workforce opportunities,” said the BCFNFC in a release announcing the program.  …For more information on the Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program, visit the BCFNFC website at www.forestrycouncil.ca.

Students from at least two schools in Port Alberni will learn about the biodiversity of forests during a BC National Forest Week event on Thursday, Sept. 21.  Forest Week takes place in Canada during the third week in September In B.C. the week will be observed from Sept. 17–23, 2023.   …Sarah Williams, who teaches a Grade 5/6 class at Tsuma-as Elementary School, will be bringing her class back again. Diana Bouchard’s Grade 4/5 class from John Howitt Elementary will also participate this year.  “This year’s theme is biodiversity,” says Dave Robinson, resource manager at South Island Natural Resource District. Students will be planting seedlings at McLean Mill, taking tree measurements of trees already on site and learning how to measure the height of a tree. The seedlings were donated this year by Woodmore Nursery Inc. of Nanoose Bay.