Region Archives: Canada West

BRITISH COLUMBIA — Amanda Lewis stands completely alone on the edge of British Columbia’s Stewart-Cassiar Highway, contemplating her next step as she confronts a wall of dense, dark trees. …Lewis, who has been a big-tree hunter since 2018, has been on a mission to visit each of the 43 champion trees in the B.C. Big Tree registry and chronicle that journey through her memoir, Tracking Giants. Like many big-tree hunters, Lewis’ passion for the environment continues to bring her back to the forest where ancient trees have stood for hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of years. But as each day passes, more ancient trees in B.C. disappear, felled by logging. …TJ Watt has been using his camera to document the disappearance of ancient trees in a powerful Before & After series. Watt hopes to draw viewers’ attention to their destruction by highlighting the incredible grandeur of old-growth ecosystems. 

Darryn Wellstead

As wildfires burn in parts of British Columbia, rumours and conspiracy theories about them are spreading online, according to a researcher. Darryn Wellstead, who researches social media and misinformation and teaches sociology at Northern Lights College in Fort St. John, B.C., says social media covers a multitude of theories, including how climate change is a hoax used to destroy the oil and gas industry and how the government uses wildfires as a scare tactic to force people into 15-minute cities. “Most of the theories were that the fires were politically motivated and not just a consequence of accidents or bad decision making,” said Wellstead. …Forrest Tower, a B.C. Wildfire Service information officer, is no stranger to conspiracy theories. In 2021, Tower was the subject of a theory that alleged he was a government-hired actor and not a real person, given how well his name suits his job. 

FAIRY CREEK, BC — Birders and biologists are banding together to urge the B.C. government to protect ancient forests on southwestern Vancouver Island in a bid to save threatened marbled murrelet nesting sites. Around a dozen citizen scientists are documenting the rare robin-sized seabird, which raises its young in old-growth forest found in tree farm licence (TFL) 46, which includes the Fairy Creek region near Port Renfrew, said team leader and avid birder Royann Petrell. The team of birders has documented murrelets on more than 300 occasions in and around the Fairy Creek watershed. …The citizen scientists, backed by four murrelet experts on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border, are pushing the province to protect 996 hectares of old-growth from logging. The proposal submitted in December suggests adding 828 hectares to an existing 603-hectare murrelet habitat area in Fairy Creek. 

The watershed deferral in Fairy Creek, that temporarily paused logging in certain areas, could expire in a few weeks. For Pacheedaht First Nations Elder, Bill Jones, the potential of the deferral ending is extremely difficult. …Ada’itsx/Fairy Creek is located on Pacheedaht First Nation territory and is one of the last standing high productivity old growth forests on Vancouver Island. Jones is 83-years-old and still fighting to protect the forest. “We are in an exploitative, oppressive system that is about 2,000 to 3,000 years old now, and I think they’re on the end game of resource exploitation and now they’re desperately trying to take all the marbles.” …“They’re remaining very tight-lipped on the situation, no one’s contacted, there’s been no call out to community members that we’re aware of,” he said. 

Over the past few years, a fascinating narrative about forests and fungi has captured the public imagination. It holds that the roots of neighboring trees can be connected by fungal filaments, forming massive underground networks that can span entire forests — a so-called wood-wide web. …The narrative — recounted in books, podcasts, TV series, documentaries, and news articles — has prompted some experts to rethink not only forest management but the relationships between self-interest and altruism in human society. But is any of it true? We have studied forest fungi for our whole careers, and even we were surprised by some of the more extraordinary claims surfacing in the media. Thinking we had missed something, we thoroughly reviewed 26 field studies… What we found shows how easily confirmation bias, unchecked claims, and credulous news reporting can, over time, distort research findings beyond recognition. It should serve as a cautionary tale for scientists and journalists alike. 

The Ministry of Forests administers B.C.’s tenure system, granting companies the right to harvest timber in public forests — or helicopter clients to a remote mountain peak so they can bike down. But as groups compete for use of a limited land base, conflicts are increasing. Scott Ellis, of the Adventure Tourism Coalition, said B.C.’s backcountry has long been a “Wild West,” where the interests of large corporations trump smaller tenure holders, like ski guides, outfitters and sport fishers. …Poor communication among provincial ministries with different mandates — including forestry, mining, tourism and environment — mean a ski guide might arrive in fall to find their terrain completely logged. …Tenure applications made under B.C.’s adventure tourism policy are decided by the forests ministry, which is also responsible for logging tenures. Mining tenures fall under the mines ministry. …“There’s no branch to advocate for us,” said Kathy MacRae.

Kelsey Copes-Gerbitz

Sarah Dickson

Around 1,600 wildfires burn in British Columbia every year. While many wildfires are a natural and important part of B.C.’s landscapes, climate change is driving hotter and drier conditions that can make wildfires more threatening. As these fires grow larger and more frequent—beginning earlier in the spring and extending well into the fall—UBC experts emphasize the importance of adapting to the new reality. Drs. Kelsey Copes-Gerbitz and Sarah Dickson-Hoyle, faculty of forestry wildfire researchers, share valuable insights in this Q&A. They suggest practical measures for individuals and communities to protect their homes and surroundings from the B.C. wildfire risk, while calling for broader-scale solutions.

VANCOUVER, BC – The BC Conservation & Biodiversity Awards are pleased to announce the twelve Award recipients for 2023. The twelve recipients are BC based charities honoured for their work contributing to the improvement of the natural environment of BC and the preservation of its wilderness and biodiversity. The Awards focus on land and ocean-based initiatives, clean air and water, climate change, and science-based studies. Created in 2020, the BC Conservation & Biodiversity Awards granted a sum of $225,000 to the 2023 Award recipients. …The Selection Committee is comprised of representatives from prominent BC academic institutions and conservation-based organizations. This science-based independence makes the BCCB Awards unique in the field of environment and conservation-based funding. Current members represent The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Sierra Club of BC, the Wilderness Committee, The Nature Trust of BC, the Faculty of Environment at Simon Fraser University and the Faculty of Environment at the University of Northern BC.

Chris Leitch, RPF brings full-phase Timber Development services to the Kootenays, expanding Forsite’s local service offering at our office in beautiful Nelson, BC.

Dominik Roeser

Robots are the undeniable wave of the future for forestry companies seeking longterm sustainability in an industry that has come to a high-tech crossroads that will reshape how our forests are managed and utilized. Rapid advances in remote sensing technology to map, monitor and manage valuable landscape resources are changing how forest health and wildlife activity is measured and the use of remotely-operated robotic harvesting equipment is gaining a foothold in Interior forests. Companies are utilizing new tools to meet goals in environmental stewardship, safety and efficiency. …“We all know forestry is a dangerous business and working around safety and getting people off steep slopes – remote control machines will now allow that,” said UBC forest resources management associate professor Dominik Roeser, who was one of the guest speakers at the B.C. Council of Forest Industries convention in Prince George back in April.

Before he was elected to the House of Commons as the member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country in 2019, Patrick Weiler’s work as an environmental lawyer was often rooted in resource management. Now in his second term, the Liberal is putting that expertise to work in Parliament defending the country’s old-growth forests. Whistler’s MP introduced a private members’ motion on May 4. It calls on the federal government to end old-growth logging on federal lands outside of reserves, and more notably, for an end to Canada’s export of old-growth logs and wood products made from old-growth trees as soon as possible, but no later than 2030. The proposition falls in line with the Liberal government’s commitment to protect 30 per cent of Canada’s land and waters by 2030, and its goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Climbing caribou numbers in northeastern BC prove that collaborations between Indigenous and colonial governments can reverse decades-long declines, but focus needs to shift to culturally meaningful recovery targets, a consortium of researchers and community members say in a new paper published this week in Science. UBC Okanagan’s Dr. Clayton Lamb and West Moberly First Nation Chief Roland Willson co-lead the paper, Braiding Indigenous Rights and Endangered Species Law, alongside nine others. “Abundance matters,” says Lamb. …“There is a large gap between what the laws see as species recovery and what communities need for health, food security, and cultural well-being.” …Canada and the United States have endangered species laws that are designed to recover species abundance to levels that will minimize the chance of extinction, but these recovery targets do not take into account culturally meaningful abundance or distributions of plants and animals, the authors say.

Nelson, B.C. – the Selous Creek Wildfire Risk Reduction Project near Nelson, B.C. has demonstrated that it is possible to harvest trees to reduce wildfire risk while maintaining cultural, ecological, recreational, and aesthetic values. With funding from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC and partnerships among regional, municipal and provincial governments, fire services, and a local timber licensee, a wildfire risk reduction project is a prime example of collaboration to better protect a community. …The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK), with several stakeholders, took steps to reduce the risk of wildfire in Nelson. …Operating area tenure holder Kalesnikoff Lumber Company completed 80 hectares of mechanical harvesting or removing trees using machines. Ground-based mechanical fuel modification, or piling additional debris left after harvest, was completed on 20 hectares. …John Cathro of Cathro Consulting played a major role in the project and applauded the initiative taken by RDCK. 

The Alberta government has closed 12 provincial parks and recreation areas ahead of the Victoria Day long weekend to lower the risk of more wildfires starting and spreading. “The fire danger is expected to be extreme across the northern parts of the province again, which could result in some active wildfire behaviour,” Christie Tucker,  with Alberta Wildfire, said. “We will manage the wildfire situation in the face of extreme conditions and we ask Albertans for their help, too.” …Tucker and Todd Loewen, Alberta’s minister of forestry, parks and tourism, called on Albertans to follow local rules and restrictions to prevent fires. Unseasonably high temperatures are expected to return to Alberta this weekend, threatening to fuel wildfires burning across the province. As of Thursday, 98 wildfires are burning in Alberta. Of the 92 wildfires burning inside forest protection areas, 26 are considered out of control.

I worked for Alberta Wildfire for seven years as a lookout observer. …More impressive than the rate of spread of the wildfires was the speed at which Alberta’s firefighting response system was triggered into action. The tower to my east reported the locations of the fires to the district’s duty officer. A radio dispatcher answered and dispatched firefighting crews. …Within minutes, the wildfire was confirmed. The radio erupted with voices. I watched tankers hit the flames with red clay retardant to box the fire in. Multiple crews landed to work the fire from the ground. As a rookie lookout, I was in awe. …A series of government cutbacks and defunding, however, has seriously damaged Alberta Wildfire’s ability to prevent and respond to wildfires. The NDP cut $15-million from the budget in 2016. Three years later, the United Conservative Party (UCP)… slashed the Rappel Attack Program and decommissioned 26 fire towers.

The BC Community Bat Program is looking for volunteers to count bats at local roost sites around the capital region starting in June. The B.C. Annual Bat Count helps biologists understand bat distribution and monitor for impacts of a devastating bat disease called white-nose syndrome. The fungal disease has been slowly making its way across Canada and is fatal for bats, but does not seem to affect other animals or people. …Results from the Bat Count data may help prioritize areas in B.C. for research into treatment options and recovery actions for bats threatened by the deadly fungus, like the Little Brown Myotis. …Volunteers wait outside a known roost site, such as a bat-box, barn, or attic, and count bats as they fly out at twilight. 

SMITHERS, BC — The wood pellet proposal, made in 2015, by an existing particle board manufacturer called NewPro, included references to how the pellet mill would help bring an end to much of that slash burning. Instead. …But from the moment the pellet mill opened in 2018, whole logs, not logging slash, were one of the mill’s primary raw material supplies along with woodchips and sawdust from the sawmill next door. …We have asked Minister George Heyman to suspend the amended permit and to require the companies that now run the pellet operation – the Drax Group and lumber producer West Fraser Timber – to fully disclose exactly how many whole logs are being consumed at the pellet mill each year.

There are a lot of quirky days designed to remember certain things. For instance… May 16 was Love a Tree Day. I think that is something we can all get behind. …My children and I recently watched The Lorax… it is a cute film with a good message. We need to protect the trees. …Wait, before you send me hate mail. I truly believe our country can have a thriving logging industry and we can protect our forests. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. The forest sector contributed $5.6 billion to the provincial GDP in 2020. …It is the a cornerstone of our economy. The BC Chamber recently said the opportunity for BC to support an inclusive, sustainable and competitive forest sector is significant. …On the other hand, a step the federal government has promised to take, is not taking root.

Hugh Watt

The Nakusp and Area Community Forest, a corporation that’s brought millions of dollars to the Arrow Lakes community over the last decade, is coming under new management. The community-owned forest company’s board has hired Cabin Resources to take over the management of the business from True North Forestry in June. True North’s Hugh Watt, who has guided NACFOR’s operations since 2012, has decided not to renew his contract in order to pursue new challenges – though he won’t be far away if they need his advice. “When you feel it’s time, it’s time,” Watt said. “But we will continue to help with transition to new management.” Under Watt’s management, the company has weathered wild swings in forest prices, forest fires, COVID, and new restrictions to harvesting. He thinks one of the True North team’s biggest achievements was helping NACFOR deliver more than $2.5 million in direct benefits to the community.