Region Archives: Canada West

Special Feature

When a forester celebrates his 100th Birthday – it’s party time!

By Sandy McKellar, Editor
Tree Frog Forestry News
September 13, 2023
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West

When you reach a milestone like your 100th Birthday, it’s worth having a party. In the case of renowned forester, Gerry Burch, it’s worth having 10!! Yesterday was one of those momentous events! Organized by his daughter, Brenda Burch, this party took place at the BC Forest Discovery Centre (known by locals as the Duncan Forestry Museum), and was attended by 101 of Gerry’s friends and colleagues. Many of them worked with Gerry at BC Forest Products throughout his career. It was lovely to see people reconnecting with old friends and mingling through the museum exhibits. After cake, we gathered in the “Train Room” where several of Gerry’s friends paid tribute to the birthday-boy! Gerry followed with his comments and thoughts and then the mic was opened up for anyone who wanted to contribute to the story. 

Here is a sampling of pictures from the event, and the beautiful video tribute that was created for the birthday party. We will have more on the event next week when we will be excited to share video coverage of the speeches. If you click the Read More, you can access the full gallery of pictures. More images will be added when the second event photographer adds his pictures, so stay tuned!

https://vimeo.com/863324288

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Coastland Wood Industries Wows International Order of Hoo-Hoo Delegation

By Kelly McCloskey
The Tree Frog News
September 11, 2023
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West

Nanaimo-based Coastland Wood Industries, a privately owned manufacturer of second-growth Douglas-fir veneer and other engineered wood products, hosted a mill and log-yard tour on Saturday, September 9th for the International Order of Hoo-Hoo, a fraternal service organization whose members are involved in forestry, logging and forest products industries.

Leading the mill tour on behalf of Coastland was Keith Hall, VP Fibre Supply and his colleague and log buyer Mark Lade. Hall—a member of the Vancouver Chapter of Hoo-Hoo—opened with a summary of Coastland’s establishment in 1988 and its growth from a single line veneer mill to a triple line mill with an offsite drying facility, two barge loading facilities and three log sorts. Coastland currently employs 280 people and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Speaking passionately about the heart of the operation, Hall noted the speed and efficiency of Coastland’s three veneer lathes, each of which generates between 800 and 1000 linear feet of veneer per minute (which equates to about 1.5 billion square feet of veneer, 1/8th basis annually). Currently, 75% of the veneer is dried at Coastland’s drying facility on Annacis Island in Delta, BC., and 25% is sold as green veneer.

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Former Central Interior Logging Association manager Roy Nagel has died at age 81

By Ted Clarke
Prince George Citizen
September 7, 2023
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West

Roy Nagel

A man of few enemies who made the people around him feel important and loved, Roy Nagel died suddenly of a medical condition on Aug. 23. He was 81. In his job as managing editor of the Prince George Citizen, Roy Nagel had his finger on the pulse of the city and found a way to wade through the politics of running a newspaper to present facts and opinions to the community without treading on too many toes. He later transitioned to a leadership role with the Central Interior Logging Association (CILA), fighting for worker safety and the rights of independent contractors who previously felt powerless taking on governments, regulatory agencies and the lumber giants.

In 1997 he moved from the Prince George Citizen to the CILA as general manager. “They needed a communicator and a negotiator and he was a great spear chucker for them,” said his wife Donna. ”He knew nothing about forestry, but he got in there and knew how to negotiate and found it really interesting how many really smart and successful contractors were out there that weren’t being treated fairly and he drew them all together to think as a group, not individually, so that they had a bigger voice.

After he retired from the loggers’ association in 2009 he took up golf and was part of regular foursome at Aspen Grove. He was fond of sipping good scotch or rum, and took an interest in classic cars, woodworking, gardening and antique clocks.

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Business & Politics

Former Manitoba premier Doer will take on Canada-U.S. trade adviser role if NDP win

CBC News
September 12, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Wab Kinew & Gary Doer

The Manitoba NDP promises to bring back a party all-star as an adviser if it forms the next provincial government. Leader Wab Kinew announced on Tuesday that former premier Gary Doer would work with a Manitoba NDP government as an adviser on Canada-U.S. trade, should the party win the Oct. 3 election. …Doer, 75, served as the 20th premier of Manitoba from 1999 to 2009, winning three provincial elections, with a larger majority each time. After retiring from politics, Doer served as Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. from 2009-16. He later worked for the Alberta government as an advocate in resolving the softwood lumber dispute with the Trump administration. He is currently the volunteer co-chair of the Woodrow Wilson Institute and is a member of the advisory board of the Canadian American Business Council. His gig with the NDP would also be on a volunteer basis.

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After a decade in politics, NDP MP Richard Cannings announces he will not seek re-election

By Richard Cannings, MP South Okanagan – West Kootenay
NDP
September 13, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Richard Cannings

Penticton, BC – On Tuesday, NDP MP for South Okanagan – West Kootenay, Richard Cannings, announced that he will not be seeking re-election in the next federal election. For over a decade, Cannings has fought for everyday people as a Member of Parliament. …During his time in Parliament and as the NDP Small Business Critic, Cannings successfully passed legislation to help local industry and small businesses, including; the Use of Wood in Federal Infrastructure bill that supports the local timber industry, the excise tax exemption in support of local beverage producers, and his work to tackle climate change with accelerated measures for emission reductions, just transition legislation and action to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. …With his time left in Parliament, Cannings will fight to make sure a national pharmacare plan is adopted, his Environmental Bill of Rights passed and for more investments in housing and affordability measures.

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B.C. launches task force to deal with climate emergencies

By Wolf Depner
Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle
September 11, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Premier David Eby used his second visit this summer to wildfire-stricken areas in the southern Interior Sept. 11 to announce an expert task force on climate-related emergencies. While the current focus remains on fighting existing wildfires as well as helping communities deal with drought conditions, government must also enhance its responses to the “near-constant series of emergencies” caused by climate change, Eby said, pointing to the possibility of landslides and severe flooding later in the fall. Eby said the task force will look at how government can simultaneously support front line crews and apply lessons from their experiences in preparing for future emergencies. …The task force announcement comes amidst calls for a third-party review of the 2023 wildfire season and before promised updates to provincial emergency legislation. …Eby pointed to Australia as place of study for lessons, where authorities have been incorporating experienced volunteers into frontline firefighting efforts.

Government of BC Press Release: Premier’s statement on launch of expert task force on emergencies

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Town of Port McNeill receives land donation from Western Forest Products

Black Press Media
September 11, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Port McNeill city council reported that Western Forest Products Inc. made a substantial land donation for public usage opportunities as directed by the Town of Port McNeill. The donation is for three parcels of forested land, specifically 347, 363, and 389 Cedar Street. The area is part of the popular trail known locally as the “Nature Trail.” …In addition to being an “active transportation” route, the trail is also unfortunately known for underage smoking, litter, and graffiti. The staff report notes “the purpose and intent of the land is for public use and parks which will support outdoor recreation and community gathering. This donation is the result of the long standing, collaborative working relationship between the town and Western. Signage acknowledging the donation, along with a public event celebrating this donation, will be scheduled in the near future.

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Skeena Sawmills in Terrace lays off its staff amid operational challenges

By Viktor Elias
The Terrace Standard
September 7, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

TERRACE, BC — Skeena Sawmills has laid off most of its Terrace workforce as of Sept. 6, citing a shutdown due to continuing financial and operating difficulties. It’s the latest blow to workers who have gone through intermittent openings and closures stretching back into 2021, but this time the company has issued official lay notices in line with its collective agreement with the United Steelworkers Union. In a letter exclusively obtained by The Terrace Standard, Skeena Sawmills General Manager Lionel Chabot thanked workers for their understanding and wished them well. …Up to 150 people are affected by this latest closure. It is not immediately known how the adjacent sister pellet plant, Skeena Bioenergy, will be affected. The last extended closure took place in late 2022 and ended earlier this year when logs once more began to be delivered to the mill.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

He built his family cabin to be fire resilient. It burned down anyway

By Maryse Zeidler
CBC News
September 10, 2023
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

A builder who spent three years constructing his family’s legacy cabin in the B.C. Interior says it burned down despite adhering to federal and provincial guidelines meant to protect homes from wildfires.  Murray Frank, owner and operator of Building It Right, an award-winning, certified continuing education provider, says he hopes to learn from the experience.  “This is an amazing opportunity for us to know more and to perhaps be able to make even greater resistance [to wildfires],” Frank told Chris Walker, the host of CBC’s Daybreak South.  Frank said he has hired a fire investigation team from Calgary to examine the cabin once evacuation orders have been lifted “to learn everything we can about what more needs to be considered in wildfire resiliency provisions.”  …Frank told CBC’s Daybreak South that, despite sticking to federal fire-resilient building codes set out for places like wildfire-ravaged Lytton, the Crater Creek wildfire burned the cabin down anyway.

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Forestry

Local solutions possible without promising over-committed timber supply

Letter by Anne Hetherington
The Interior News
September 14, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

HOUSTON, BC — I read with concern that Canfor is asking its employees and the public to lobby politicians and ministers to guarantee long-term, economic fibre to support the replacement of its closed mill in Houston. This replacement mill would produce less-finished goods, provide fewer jobs and already has a share of the timber supply. Timber supply should not be a political decision influenced by Canfor public relations lobbying. …I support investing in sustainable forest jobs. I have worked with foresters, ecologists, researchers and the public to develop sustainable plan options which maintain local forestry jobs and our economy while maintaining a healthy forest ecosystem. …I disagree with political guarantees of economic fibre based on lobbying and I am for corporations making their own economic decisions.

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BC Wildfire Service has lost its way

By Bruce Morrow, BC forester and wildfire specialist
Kamloops This Week
September 13, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Bruce Morrow

As a lifelong resident and a professional forester in B.C. for more than three decades, with a 40-year wildfire suppression background, and previously recognized by the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) as a wildfire specialist, I am angered by the present state of wildfire management in our province. The people of British Columbia deserve an independent review of how the BCWS manages wildfires. We need an in-depth analysis of the operations on the fireline, not another high-level report with a laundry list of recommendations that are largely ignored. The present model has proven itself totally inadequate. It has failed to effectively respond to the growing threat of wildfires. A wildfire management model that does not communicate with, organize or utilize First Nations and experienced local forest professionals is guaranteed to fail. …We will only be successful if our entire forest industry is organized and involved in wildfire management.

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Learning to live with wildfire

By UBC Okanagan News
The University of British Columbia
September 13, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Mathieu Bourbonnais

In 2023, Canada experienced one of its worst fire seasons in modern history, with more than 25 million acres burned and hazardous smoke covering large swaths of the country at any given time. In response, Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais and a team of researchers at UBC Okanagan are advocating for a specific approach to help prevent these fires in the first place. Start more fires. While it sounds unorthodox, carefully planned, small-scale controlled burns in strategic areas can yield a variety of benefits, says Dr. Bourbonnais. They remove accumulated dry fuel for future fires, make breaks in massive expanses of forest and even help regenerate entire ecosystems that can restart and thrive in burned-out areas. It’s an idea the general public may be hesitant to embrace. …He and his colleagues have established the Living with Wildfire Research Cluster—a multi-disciplinary team of experts from across the university.

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B.C. government hasn’t fulfilled promise to revise forestry practices, conservationists say

CBC News
September 12, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In September 2020, the B.C. NDP released a report that made 14 recommendations to overhaul forestry management in the province and promised to implement those changes within a three-year timeline.  This week marks the third anniversary of that announcement, and while the government says it is making good on its promise, critics say the deadline has passed and not enough has been done.  …Torrance Coste, national campaign director for the Wilderness Committee, was hopeful when the report first came out, but he says its recommendations have yet to become reality and his optimism is waning.  …Forests Minister Bruce Ralston, also speaking to On The Island, said his ministry remains “fully committed” to acting on the report’s recommendations and has already deferred logging on 2.25 million hectares (22,500 square kilometres) of old growth and is currently engaging with over 200 First Nations.

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After a summer of near-record drought across B.C., flood risk will follow

By Derrick Penner and Tiffany Crawford
Victoria Times Colonist
September 12, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Near-record drought conditions across the province created conditions for B.C.’s worst wildfire season on record, but winter rains may not bring replenishing relief. The soils in drought-shrivelled landscapes become “hydrophobic” — so dried and packed down that rainfall runs off before soaking in — which increases the risk of flash flooding in atmospheric-river storm events. “It depends on when they come,” said University of B.C. hydrologist John Richardson. “If we get sort of gentle rains for a few weeks, that will reduce some of the risks, but there’s nothing that can really guard us against a storm like we had in November 2021.” Climate change stacks the deck in favour of the likelihood for atmospheric-river events to occur, said Richardson, a professor of forest and conservation science at UBC’s faculty of forestry. “It’s a storm’s intensity, not the total amount of rainfall, that will be most important,” Richardson said.

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Catalyst workers to pump water into Cowichan River amid drought

By Brendan Strain
iHeartRadio
September 11, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A crew from Catalyst Paper is installing 18 pumps along the company’s weir on the Cowichan River. The weir’s floodgates are fully open and that has some water flowing into the river but with no substantial rain in the forecast, that won’t be the case for long. Currently water is flowing at 4.3 cubic metres per second, below the minimum ideal number of 4.5 cubic metres. …Lake Cowichan Mayor Tim McGonigle the river is in a dire situation as a prolonged drought is stretching into the critical salmon-migration season. “The big concern there is usually with the weir, they will send a pulse to get the fish from Cowichan Bay up into the upper tributaries, and without that storage that would probably not occur this year unless we get significant rainfall,” said McGonigle.

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Central Canada Resource Expo returns this week

By Doug Diaczuk
Thunder Bay News Watch
September 12, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

THUNDER BAY — Natural resource industry leaders and those looking to enter the field will have a unique opportunity to meet and discuss the latest developments and opportunities in mining, forestry, and energy. The second annual Central Canada Resource Expo, or Cen-Can, is returning to Thunder Bay this week, showcasing some of the technological advancements in the resource sector. “It’s a convergence of exhibitors and manufactures connected to the resource industry, both forestry and mining and a bit of energy,” said Rory Dredhart, with Canadian TradeEx market development. “It’s a networking event that allows manufactures to connect with suppliers and discover latest technologies.” …The Ontario Minister of Mines, George Pirie, will also be attending Thursday and will give an address at the Elk’s Lodge during the lunch hour.

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Burned logs getting second life as pulp and hog fuel

By Michael Reeve
CFJC Today Kamloops
September 12, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

KAMLOOPS — Earlier this year, the province of B.C. announced $50 million in funding for the Forest Enhancement Society of BC. The money was for forest enhancement through fibre utilization and wildfire risk reduction. Tuesday in Kamloops, the society announced that 42 new projects have been funded to help with the delivery of economic forest fibre to pulp and pellet mills. “The logs behind us, as of about a year ago they wouldn’t have been used. They would have been burned in the bush and left behind,” said Regional Manager with Arrow, Kevin Gayfer. …“We are ensuring the long-term sustainability of our forests. We are ensuring long-term jobs and really generating a long-term economy and that is going to be sustainable,” said Paul Donald, CEO Simpcw Resources Group.

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On third anniversary of B.C’s promise to protect old-growth, ancient trees still falling

By Rochelle Baker
The National Observer
September 11, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Conservation groups are alarmed that endangered old-growth forests continue to fall three years after B.C. promised to protect the ancient ecosystems and transform the province’s approach to forestry. The province hasn’t fully met any of the 14 recommendations of the 2020 Old Growth Strategic Review (OGSR), said Torrance Coste for the Wilderness Committee. The OGSR recommendations urged the immediate deferral of logging in the most biologically diverse at-risk areas, protecting more massive trees while working with and involving First Nations and communities in forestry decisions, and improving public transparency and reporting in the industry. …Most egregiously, the government has failed to fully defer logging in the key old-growth areas most immediately at risk of being cut down, Coste said. …There’s an appalling lack of transparency, Coste said. …Communities across the province are mobilizing for a day of action on Sept. 28 to demand politicians uphold the NDP’s old growth pledge, Coste said.

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BC First Nations Forestry Council Newsletter

BC First Nations Forestry Council
September 11, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Message from the CEO, Lennard Joe: I want to take the time to acknowledge Chief Bill Williams, who has recently announced his retirement from the FNFC Board of Directors. Chief Williams has served on our Board for over 19 years and through his  commitment and guidance we have developed the platform that allows for effective collaboration with the province of BC and our First Nations and supporting organizations. …The annual First Nations Forestry Forum takes place in Kamloops from October 11-13, along with the virtual “prep” session that we will host on September 13 via Zoom. You should have already received an invitation, but if you are a First Nation interested in attending either event please register. …We are actively working with our Nations at many tables within the provincial government including: Silviculture Matrix, Old Growth, Wildfire Recovery, Cultural and Prescribed fire, Value Added Accelerators, FRPA and legislative Review, BCTS, and Tenures. 

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B.C. Premier David Eby to visit Kamloops, Salmon Arm amid devastating wildfires

The Canadian Press in the Vancouver Sun
September 11, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

David EbyB.C. Premier David Eby and Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma are set to visit the province’s southern Interior today to meet with those affected by this season’s devastating wildfires. The provincial government says Eby and Ma will meet with residents, local authorities, volunteers, and members of the B.C. Wildfire Service. There are more than 400 wildfires currently burning in the province and more than 22,500 square kilometres of land have burned so far in a record-breaking fire season. In the Kamloops Fire Centre where provincial officials are visiting, more than 1,900 square kilometres have burned this season after lightening sparked blazes across the region. Officials in the Okanagan said Sunday that they don’t are expecting to lift any evacuation orders or alerts related to the out-of-control McDougall Creek wildfire. In an update Sunday, Central Okanagan Emergency Operations said hundreds of properties remain evacuated, including 122 in the hard-hit city of West Kelowna.

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‘Frustrating as hell’: Advocates say BC old-growth still being cut years after protections promised

By Ainslie Cruickshank
The Narwal
September 11, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Three years after the BC government released a review which called for an overhaul in the way it manages forests, conservation groups say logging continues to threaten old-growth ecosystems. The old-growth strategic review urged a “paradigm shift,” offering 14 recommendations. …Garry Merkel, a member of the panel, said …“I don’t see a lack of intent, what I see is a whole bunch of things that have caused this to be implemented slower than we needed to.” …In the midst of global biodiversity and climate crises, which have seen unprecedented declines in nature, Indigenous leaders and conservation groups are demanding the government do more. ….Forest Minister Bruce Ralston said the province has updated laws and regulations to adopt an ecosystem health approach to forestry and created an innovation program to increase alternatives to clear-cutting….The TLA’s Bob Brash said, “our concern today is the total lack of any real transition plan for the forest sector.” 

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Scorching summer has held Edmonton’s feet to the fire as an evacuation hub

By Keith Gerein
The Edmonton Journal
September 11, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

EDMONTON — This year’s summer of fire in Western Canada has been a real test on many fronts… leaving a lot of people with the wrong kind of memories. …The fires and accompanying evacuations have also created a lot of pressure on Edmonton, and in particular for our emergency reception facility at the Expo Centre. The venue was stood up in response to three major evacuations — Drayton Valley, Edson and Yellowknife. …The centre has so far been active for 55 days and has assisted more than 12,300 evacuees. …With Edmonton situated on the edge of huge swaths of boreal forest to the west and north, and with climate change ready to serve up bigger, longer and more severe wildfire seasons, our city is going to have an increasingly common role as an evacuation hub.

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B.C. drought brings increased flood risks, far-reaching damage, experts warn

CBC News
September 11, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

As severe drought conditions have helped usher in BC’s most devastating wildfire season on record, experts and elected officials are warning of increased flooding risks and lingering damage even after wetter weather returns. More than 80 per cent of B.C.’s water basins are experiencing Level 4 or 5 drought conditions, meaning ecological and economic damage are likely or almost certain, according to the province and environmental experts. …The concurrent drought and unprecedented fire season are exacerbating one another and leaving the province increasingly vulnerable to severe flooding, according to experts. Drought kills vegetation and leaves soil exposed and hardened, said Tom Pypker (Thompson rivers University), with no root systems to help the soil absorb water when rain does fall. Those trees and vegetation are easily uprooted, said Pypker, adding that they can be carried away by heavy rains, turning into debris that can clog water systems and cause unexpected flooding. 

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When an Ecosystem Burns, How Do We Tally the Loss?

By David Robinson (Oxford) and Michael Tennican (Harvard)
The Tyee
September 11, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

This season of record-breaking wildfires in Alberta and across Canada makes clear the urgent need to develop integrated wildland fire and forest management plans to limit the destruction of priceless ecosystems. In pursuing this vital aim, Indigenous knowledge and modern science can work as complementary tools. We take as an example the devastating fires that have affected Indigenous treaty right holders of northern Alberta, the Wood Buffalo National Park and the Wabasca wood buffalo herd. There is an opportunity to develop a regional plan that draws on the knowledge base of the local Indigenous knowledge keepers and the head start of a local Indigenous organization, the ShagowAskee foundation. The result might serve as a base and stimulus for thinking and the development of regional plans elsewhere in Canada.

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$1M worth of equipment damaged in Prince George logging-site arson: RCMP

By Lauren Collins
Terrace Standard
September 8, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Prince George RCMP is investigating an arson at a logging site that damaged approximately $1 million worth of equipment. Police say when employees returned to the site Tuesday (Sept. 5) after the long weekend, they found three of their machines burned beyond repair. They had last been at the site on the Mackenzie Lookout Forest Service Road on the Friday before. Prince George RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said the area where the machines are stores is “fairly remote and not visibly” from the forest service road. RCMP is now looking to speak with anyone who was in the area over the weekend and “may have noticed some unusual activity or anything suspicious.”

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Huu-ay-aht First Nations Announces Old-Growth Interim Report

Huu-ay-aht First Nations
September 7, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Port Alberni – Huu-ay-aht First Nations announces completion of an Old-Growth Interim Report that outlines the work completed to date on an Indigenous-led integrated stewardship approach to ecosystem health and biodiversity, including old-growth forests. In partnership with Huu-ay-aht Forestry Limited Partnership, C̓awak ʔqin Forestry, Mosaic Forest Management, the Old-Growth Interim Report is a step towards finalizing the Hišuk ma c̓awak Integrated Resource Management Plan (HIRMP). The HIRMP integrates a full range of values and stewardship measures across the entire Huu-ay-aht Ḥahuułi (Traditional Territory). As part of the HIRMP, the partners developed a draft design of the M̓aƛasap (to take a bite out of) Network that integrates old forests, riparian habitat, rare ecosystems, wildlife habitat and features, and cultural and traditional use areas to maintain connectivity across the Ḥahuułi. 

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B.C. has tools to protect at-risk species from logging. Why isn’t it using them?

By Ainslie Cruickshank
The Narwhal
September 8, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

For years the B.C. government has faced criticism over significant gaps in legislation and policy that leave nature vulnerable to exploitation. Now, in the midst of a global biodiversity crisis, the province is developing new ways to protect species. But B.C.’s forestry watchdog says the province should make better use of the tools it already has under the Forest and Range Practices Act to stem the habitat losses driving species decline. “Although government has a range of flexible and adaptive tools, its overall approach has not achieved a reduction in the number of species at risk. Instead, many species like the northern goshawk have become more imperiled as threats to habitat availability increase,” the Forest Practices Board wrote in a recent report. The Ministry of Forests said the “government is working on a variety of initiatives related to managing habitat for species at risk.”

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‘Spectacular’ centuries-old Douglas fir found in Whistler is ‘in a different league’

By Brandon Barrett
Pique News Magazine
September 8, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

This summer, ecologist and Whistler Naturalists co-founder Bob Brett cored a sturdy Douglas fir near Loggers Lake, in the Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF), that initially indicated it was about 750 years old. However, Brett said he only got about halfway in before hitting rot. “I’m still planning to go back and core from another angle with less rot, and hoping to get more rings,” he said. “I’m guessing it’s upwards of 900 years old, or even closer to 1,000.” …“This tree … is in a different league,” Brett said. “The bark is unbelievable. This is a really spectacular tree. It’s not even that big. It’s less than two metres in diameter.” The area had been slated for logging by CCF foresters, but with the moratorium on old-growth logging first implemented in 2021 still in place indefinitely, the tree is protected for now. 

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Amateur mycologists invited to discover a Forest of Fungi in Campbell River

Campbell River Mirror
September 8, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The upcoming Forest of Fungi event being held in the Beaver Lodge Lands on Sept. 23 will help demystify the various species of mushrooms growing amongst the trees. The event will be part of National Forest Week, a public outreach and education week held across the country to help expand people’s knowledge about forests. “This year’s theme is supporting biological diversity,” said Heather Soo from the Canadian Institute of Forestry. That theme fits nicely with Soo’s other interest: mushrooms. …Soo will also be taking part in the Cumberland Fungus Festival, which will be the week after the Campbell River event.

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Three years after B.C.’s old-growth review, Talk-and-Log remains intact

By Torrance Coste, Wilderness Committee
Victoria Times Colonist
September 9, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Terrence Coste

In the long battle over old-growth forests in B.C., September 2020 was a moment of hope. After promising to deliver solutions on the contentious issue of logging in threatened ancient forests, the NDP government finally released the results of its Old Growth Strategic Review panel: a comprehensive report based on the largest public review on forest policy ever done in the province. It showed status quo forest management was broken and prescribed a paradigm shift. This was seen as vindication for conservationists who had been saying the same for decades. …Talk-and-log has been the norm in B.C. for decades, with governments vowing to answer the public desire to protect old-growth, … then continuing to permit the destruction of irreplaceable forests. Unfortunately, the NDP has proven itself loyal to the broken status quo. So far, the B.C. government has not shown the will or the courage to deliver the paradigm shift it promised three years ago.

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Controversial logging could go ahead in North Okanagan, more public consultation needed

By Brendan Shykora
The Revelstoke Review
September 9, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Controversial logging on Spallumcheen’s Rose Swanson Mountain is set to go ahead after an appeal of a decision to allow the logging was denied by the Forest Practices Board. Before any logging happens, the board says more consultation with the public would benefit the harvesting plans. Rose Swanson Mountain was designated as a sensitive area in 1996, and recent plans by BC Timber Sales to harvest in the area have been met by pushback from the community, as the mountain is a well used recreational site. …In July, the Forest Practices Board reviewed a request from a member of the public to appeal the approval of amendments to BC Timber Sales’ forest stewardship plan. The board decided not to appeal amendments to the forest stewardship plan. However, … the board is encouraging public consultation to take place before any logging is done.

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B.C.’s wildfire crisis was forecast, but it arrived decades sooner than expected

By Brenna Owen
Canadian Press in the Vancouver Sun
September 10, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The onset of large, severe wildfires that threaten communities year after year has occurred earlier in B.C. than previous research projected, and experts say the record-shattering 2023 season must serve as a springboard for action. The surge stems from a combination of climate change and entrenched forest management practices, which have together created a landscape more conducive to large, high-intensity blazes, says Lori Daniels, a professor in the department of forest and conservation sciences at the University of B.C. “Society is already paying a huge cost for these climate change-fuelled fires,” she says. “The thing we can control in the short term is the vulnerability of the landscape.” Reducing that vulnerability means transforming how B.C.’s diverse landscape is managed. Shifting away from a timber-focused approach that prioritizes conifers over less-flammable broadleaf trees and ramping up prescribed burning are key steps toward protecting communities by supporting healthy, resilient forests, Daniels says.

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Invasive earthworms are changing the soil in Canada’s boreal forests

By Bev Betkowski
University of Alberta
September 11, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Invasive earthworms are changing the makeup of soil in Canada’s boreal forests, new University of Alberta research shows. The study highlights how non-native earthworms are directly altering the soil microbial community in the country’s boreal forests. The wrigglers are inducing shifts in the community composition of bacteria and fungi that live in the soil, which is potentially concerning, says Justine Lejoly, who conducted the research at the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences. “That means the functioning of the microbial communities is likely changing as well,” affecting vital services the soil performs, she notes. As the main drivers of carbon and nutrient cycling, these microbes can help plants access important nutrients and also participate in soil carbon storage. “As earthworm invasion progresses in these boreal systems, these changes in the soil microbial communities may have an impact on forests at a large scale,” adds Lejoly.

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Government policies are not doing the forest industry any favours

By Alistair Taylor
The Campbell River Mirror
September 7, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Bob Brash

CAMPBELL RIVER, BC — The executive director of the Truck Loggers Association’s message that senior government policies are not doing the forest industry any favours fell on sympathetic ears Tuesday. Bob Brash delivered that message as a delegation to Campbell River City Council’s Committee of the Whole. …Brash’ message was that not much was going on in the world of forestry to help further the industry’s aims. …“Whether you agree with what government is trying to do or not, there should be sort of an adequate transition plan. And right now that’s non-existent.” …He acknowledged that everyone is total agreement with the notion of reconciliation and transfer of tenures to First Nations, however, that process is “taking a long time and instills yet another level of uncertainty.” Government talks about value over volume, but the “Catch-22” for the value-added sector… is they also need certainty of supply in order to invest.

In Relate Coverage: Forestry sector plagued by misinformation, uncertainty, says Bob Brash

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Forest Stewardship Council impressed with forestry in North Cowichan

By Robert Barron
The Cowichan Valley Citizen
September 7, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A senior member of Canada’s Forest Stewardship Council said he thinks North Cowichan’s forestry practices and planning for its 5,000-hectare municipal forest reserve are of a “high level”. Speaking at North Cowichan’s council meeting on Aug. 16, Orrin Quinn, the FSC’s manager for western Canada, said he thinks the municipality’s forest practices are well aligned with the FSC’s principles and criteria. …But Coun. Bruce Findlay said the municipality’s forestry service is one of the best in Canada. Findlay asked if the FSC is against the type of harvesting that North Cowichan used to do in the MFR in the past. Quinn said while he doesn’t know how North Cowichan harvested in the past, industrial forest management practices like those employed by Western Forest Products and Mosaic wouldn’t meet the requirements. …Coun. Chris Istace said for such a small amount of money it may be worthwhile to be accredited by the FSC.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

B.C.’s forests are becoming more flammable due to climate change, finds study

By Stefan Labbé
Sunshine Coast Reporter
September 9, 2023
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

Climate change has dried out British Columbia’s forests, making them more flammable and driving a spike in wildfire activity since 2005 — a trend that is expected to worsen in coming years, a new study has found. In the journal Nature this week a collaboration between experts at the Canadian Forest Service, the private sector, and several universities in B.C. and California — analyzed maps of wildfire perimeters and annual climate data between 1919 and 2021. Over 100 years, wildfire activity saw declines alongside an increasingly wet climate. But in 2005, those trends reversed. While overall rainfall remained steady, it increasingly fell in seasonal bursts outside of the fire season. A rapid rise in warming due to human-caused climate change, meanwhile, drove high rates of evaporation in B.C.’s forests, leaving them primed to burn in the spring and summer months, the study found.

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Forest Fires

1,200 British Columbians still on evacuation order, close to 400 wildfires still burning

By Elizabeth McSheffrey
Global News
September 13, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

About 1,200 British Columbians are still under evacuation orders and more than 34,000 are under alert as the province’s record-breaking wildfire season abates. As of Wednesday, 392 wildfires still burned across B.C., 10 of which threaten public safety or are highly visible. By contrast, this time last year, there were 188 wildfires burning and five wildfires of note. …gusty winds and warm temperatures are expected to continue in the north, challenging already exhausted firefighters. Temperatures in many parts of B.C. were up to three degrees above normal last month, and as September progresses, the north is experiencing “anomalous conditions.” “Our drought values have just been persistently getting worse and particularly in the north,” said Neal McLoughlin of the Provincial Wildfire Coordination Centre in Kamloops in a Wednesday press conference. “We do expect to see those dry conditions will persist through the fall. A key message here is our forest fuels will remain available to burn.”

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New wildfire evacuation order imposed in central B.C., as more Okanagan evacuees allowed home

The Canadian Press in CBC News
September 12, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The latest evacuation order issued due to a wildfire in British Columbia covers a rural area around 150 kilometres north of Prince George.  The regional districts of Fraser-Fort George and Bulkley-Nechako issued the order Monday night as the 10-square kilometre Ocock Lake blaze moves toward properties in the Noonlang Lake area, about 150 kilometres north of Prince George.  Several other orders and alerts in the province have been downgraded, including in the Kelowna area.  The B.C. Wildfire Service also announced Tuesday that the Rossmoore Lake wildfire south of Kamloops is now being held — which means it is not likely to spread beyond existing containment lines.  The blaze had led to numerous evacuation orders covering hundreds of people in and around the central Interior city earlier this summer. Firefighters are expected to remain onsite, however, to maintain existing protections.

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27 structures destroyed by wildfire burning along Hwy 1 near Lytton, BC

CBC News
September 7, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

More than two dozen structures have been destroyed by the Kookipi Creek wildfire, which has been burning out of control in southwest BC since it was discovered in early July. The Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) said the fire destroyed a total of 27 properties, including six homes, in communities along Highway 1 north of Hope, BC. The other structures were recreational properties and service buildings, it said. …The fire is believed to have been ignited by lightning, is now estimated to be 180 square kilometres in size. It resulted in evacuation orders and alerts, including in the Village of Lytton, which was destroyed by fire in 2021. Residents in the FVRD, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, Lytton First Nation, Skuppah Indian Band and Kanaka Bar Indian Band were also ordered to evacuate their homes due to the fire, which forced the closure of Highway 1 for two weeks in August.

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31 active wildfires on Vancouver Island, many left to burn naturally

By Laura Brougham
Chek News
September 7, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

On Vancouver Island, there are currently 31 active wildfires, with 20 burning out of control. Of the out-of-control fires, Coastal Fire says most will be left to burn until they run out of fuel or are put out by fall rain. Coastal Fire says there are 11 active wildfires on Vancouver Island that are under control or being held as of Thursday. Most of the out-of-control wildfires are located within Strathcona Provincial Park in remote areas. …“These are naturally-caused wildfires, this is lightning-caused, and this has a place in our ecosystem in terms of resiliency and biodiversity. So there are two scenarios here, one where the response is modified, or monitor-only because this is burning in high elevation and steep terrain, and there’s actually no workable objectives for our responders,” said Kimberly Kelly, fire information officer with Coastal Fire Centre.

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