Region Archives: Canada West

Herb Hammond

Michelle Connolly

The inventory of loss in British Columbia’s forests is long and includes accelerating declines in stored carbon, salmon populations and irreplaceable ecosystems like the inland temperate rainforest. The B.C. government … has launched a process to, “prioritize ecosystem health and biodiversity.” …But it won’t happen unless the government confronts the central reason we are in this mess: decades of primary forest logging … all overseen by professional foresters. Professional forestry in B.C. is and always has been about timber exploitation, and it will not deliver the new relationship with forests that the government’s proposed framework calls for unless we confront that reality and the mindset that enabled it. …That nature can and should be “managed” is a deeply held belief in professional forestry. …The disgrace of professional forestry is … that it purports to be responsible in its dealings with other forms of life. In short, the beliefs and practices of professional forestry are antithetical to ecosystem health and biodiversity.

Chantal Dunne

PORT ALICE, BC — Chantal Dunne, a forester with Strategic Natural Resource Consultants in Prince George, gave a presentation at the Port Alice Community Centre on July 20. This was the first step of a process for preparing for the possibility of wildfire around the village. Dunne is a registered forest technologist with the Association of Forest Professionals in B.C. and has been a local firesmart representative for about three years. …Dunne explained how a community wildfire resiliency plan is built around seven firesmart disciplines. …The community can obtain funding for training, studies and equipment, including a trailer of firefighting gear, through BCM (Business Continuity Management). Dunne says there’s no guarantee, but funding is likely… “… there’s millions of dollars available for funding for this.”

Rock the Lake in Kelowna is stepping up to help with the wildfire crisis in B.C. The music festival, put on by Vancouver-based GSL Group, will donate all proceeds from ticket sales on Aug. 1-2 to the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), SenseNet Wildfire Detection, and the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund. This is being done in conjunction with the Ambleside Music Festival in West Vancouver, which is also run by GSL Group. …“Rock The Lake has always been about more than just great music, it’s about community and solidarity,” said Graham Lee, president of GSL. “As part of our appreciation to the front-line firefighters dedicated to protecting our province, we are also providing complimentary tickets to local firefighter charitable associations in West Vancouver and Kelowna as a token of our gratitude.” 

The summer edition of the Almanac is published. Headlines include:

• External Policy and Internal Workings: Change is in the Works – General Manager’s Report: The Provincial Government has been creating external regulatory / policy changes and we have been working on Internal organization proposals. We have been working on changing the organization. In order to do this, I have been focusing on 3 main changes for the organization: 1. Restructuring of the organization. 2. Engaging with woodlots through their local associations and hearing their ideas. 3. Redesigning and populating the new contracts to perform duties for the woodlotters.
• Introducing three new Regional Reps to support woodlot licensees
• Making safety part of good community relationships

As a companion document to its special report, Forest and Fire Management in BC: Toward Landscape Resilience, the Forest Practices Board has produced a technical bulletin to help land managers put Landscape Fire Management into practice. The bulletin describes six key principles for practicing landscape fire management, including: Defining the landscape; Understanding current and projected conditions; Understanding risks to values; Setting complementary wildland fire objectives across land use zones; Coordinating intervention; and Adaptive management. The technical bulletin also includes practical examples of how these principles can be incorporated into planning and practice. It is designed for land managers working for provincial, Indigenous and local governments, as well as industry. …The Board has published this bulletin to inform dialogue and be a practical reference to assist land managers and natural resource practitioners in integrating fire and forest management across BC.

Today, society’s need for resources continues to grow every year. One way to create a win/win is to use the biomass (rotten logs, small chunks of wood, branches) left over after commercial timber harvesting, ecosystem restoration, and community wildfire risk reduction projects. The woody biomass is typically piled and burned, or sometimes just left as waste wood. Alternatively, this biomass can be used to create green energy (heat and electricity) or sustainable products (such as paper straws). Using this waste wood means that some greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced. We can reduce the open burning of waste piles and/or displace energy and everyday products that otherwise would have been made from fossil fuels. FESBC and the British Columbia government have been turning this win/win vision into a reality. Read on for a statement by Minister Bruce Ralston and more about our programs.

Coastal First Nations, the Nanwakolas Council and the Ministry of Forests, have worked in partnership to identify new steps to be taken as part of strengthening implementation of ecosystem-based management in the Great Bear Rainforest. …The changes result from a review of a land-use order. The regulatory and policy review is a key accountability under the co-management of the Great Bear Rainforest. Improvements have been made in four key areas: Increased oversight by First Nations of forest planning and timber harvest activity, stronger protection of Indigenous cultural heritage sites and features, and improved stewardship of key Indigenous forest values; Improvements in the way old-growth reserves are being created; Increased requirements for the protection and stewardship of habitat for regionally important wildlife; and Aquatic habitat: Strengthened requirements for protection of important fisheries watersheds.

In an effort to better understand their behaviour, over $70,000 is being allocated towards a study on Okanagan cougars. Thanks to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF), 40 local cougars will be fitted with GPS collars in a multi-year project. Project leader Adam Ford said that the project is “B.C.’s most comprehensive cougar study to date”. “Cougars are one of the most important predators in B.C. for mule deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and caribou. In spite of their high profile in B.C., we have very little information on the effects of cougar predation on prey distribution and survival, and the effects of human (e.g. road density, forestry) and natural (e.g. fire) landscape change on cougar habitat use.”

KANANASKIS COUNTRY – Premier Danielle Smith calls on Minister Todd Loewen to develop more campsites and trails, expand Crown land recreation access, enable public land use opportunities by Alberta entrepreneurs and other organizations, and shorten timelines for “permit and licence approvals in all areas of the ministry,” while protecting natural spaces in the province. Devon Earl, a conservation specialist with the Alberta Wilderness Association, said she hoped to see more of a focus on environment and prioritizing conservation within the ministry. …“The biggest thing I find missing is any kind of strategic vision that actually gets at the heart of some of the challenges that we have in these really busy landscapes, around the volume of people coming and what a visitor use management strategy could actually look like,” said Banff-Kananaskis NDP MLA Sarah Elmeligi. 

Logging is the biggest contributing factor for the decline of southern mountain caribou and spotted owls in BC according to a recent study. The study also identified the paucity of provincial legislation aimed at protecting critical habitat on crown land. Documented by biologist Jared Hobbs, the independent case study, was commissioned by the Wilderness Committee and Sierra Club BC. Among his findings Hobbs said that in the case of spotted owls, “logging is pervasive across the habitat, extreme in the severity of harm and has an extremely high overall risk ranking.” The case study assesses wildlife decline in BC and the legal gaps responsible in three geographic regions of BC, for six different species… “This case study shows that decades of industrial habitat destruction and broken promises have led the web of life in BC into uncharted territory,” said Jens Wieting, senior forest and climate campaigner for Sierra Club BC.

Salmon on the Pacific coast are in crisis. In the Fraser River, which once supported one of the largest salmon runs in the world, many salmon returns are at a fraction of their former abundance. Further north on the central coast of B.C., chum salmon populations have declined by over 90 per cent since 1960. Most experts agree that there are three key drivers to this drastic decline: climate change, habitat loss and overfishing. …Salmon habitat is being degraded and destroyed by land use activities including agricultural, urban and industrial development. Industrial logging within salmon watersheds is a particular concern. …To address habitat loss, there are several actions you can take. Consider pre-owned or refurbished furniture. Most furniture is made from unsustainably harvested forests, and buying used ensures that no new trees are felled to decorate your home. …Put pressure on decision-makers to advance forestry reform and protect old-growth.

The Wetzin’kwa Community Forest held its annual barbecue breakfast July 22 at Gordon Williams Rotary Park while busily handing out allotments from funds produced by the organization. The annual grants worth nearly $351,000 this year were presented to 42 local organizations involved in a wide range of activities from sports to music. While many residents may be unaware of exactly what the Wetzin’kwa Community Forest is, most have benefited from its existence. Most simply explained, it’s a local business co-owned by the Town of Smithers and Village of Telkwa and managed with Wet’suwet’en input consisting of a 32,000-hectare area on Hudson Bay Mountain. It has areas for a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities which can be held in a sustainable manner. Local businesses are contracted and provide employment. Profits are turned back to the community n the form of financial support to a wide range of non-profit groups.

As B.C. grapples with declining wildlife populations and faltering ecosystems, the province is considering creating a new job to hold the government accountable as it works to stem those losses. “As part of the establishment of biodiversity/ecosystem health legislation, [the] Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship is considering recommending a chief ecologist to be accountable for the policy/directives necessary to implement the legislation,” a March meeting note, obtained by The Narwhal through a freedom of information request, says. …For some, the role of a chief ecologist is long overdue, particularly given B.C. already has a chief forester who is responsible for setting timber harvest levels. Whitney Lafreniere Vicente, a staff lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law, said a chief ecologist “would be a really important role” as the province works to live up to its commitments to conserve biodiversity. “It’s kind of crazy that we don’t have one already,” she said.

An enormous old-growth cedar tree has been identified in Vancouver Island’s Clayoquot Sound, possibly dating back over a millennium. The western redcedar reaches a towering height of 46 metres and stands five metres wide at its base.  It is currently the sixth largest redcedar in Canada, according to the BC Big Tree Registry. TJ Watt, a photographer with the Ancient Forest Alliance, was awed when he initially encountered the tree. “It was absolutely mind-blowing.  ….  The Ahousaht Nation, whose territory encompasses many old-growth forests including those on Clayoquot Sound, has been aware of the tree for some time. The decision to highlight its existence was made, in part, to promote the protection of old-growth trees across B.C. “We need to do more to protect these types of forests because there are fewer and fewer left,” said Tyson Atleo, hereditary representative for the Ahousaht Nation.

Additional coverage in Victoria Buzz: Some believe Canada’s most impressive tree was recently found near Tofino

A new and topical exhibit is set to open tomorrow (Thursday) at the Central BC Railway and Forestry Museum. It is called Weathering Wildfires, the museum says it will highlight “how western fire control practices began in BC with the provincial Forest Service, and how they have changed over time while walking through a burnt cottonwood forest.” It will also feature a photo op with Smokey the Bear, some short films, a campfire, the evolution of firefighting technology, as well as a special feature on BC’s first Indigenous Forest Ranger. A 50’s themed grand opening is being held at 7:00 tomorrow, student workers and the museum curator will be present to answer questions. The exhibit will run until September 30.

The B.C. government is lobbying intently behind the scenes to dissuade the federal cabinet from issuing an emergency order to protect the endangered spotted owl, according to a cabinet minister briefing document. The document cites socio-economic impacts and B.C.’s “significant protections” for spotted owls as reasons why Ottawa should back away from issuing a rare emergency order. The spotted owl has become a symbol of B.C.’s failure to protect imperilled wildlife and the province’s on-going destruction of old-growth forests. …In February, federal Minister Steven Guilbeault said he would recommend cabinet issue a rare emergency order under Canada’s Species At Risk Act to protect the spotted owl’s critical habitat. An emergency order would give Ottawa the power to step in. But Guilbeault didn’t make the recommendation; a legal action Ecojustice launched in June aims to force the minister to follow through. The final emergency order decision rests with the federal cabinet.

Designed for working professionals, UBC Forestry’s wide array of programs offers an accessible opportunity to elevate your skills, engage with industry leaders and advance in your career. Delivered exclusively online, UBC Forestry’s Micro-Certificates are paving the way to providing quality, industry-aligned and accessible forestry education across Canada. Join us for an online Info Session on July 27 at 9:30 AM (PST) to discover our Micro-Certificates! These online programs offer a diverse range of specialized courses within Natural Resource Management, Bioeconomy, and Mass Timber Building. Taught by leading industry professionals, these certificates are designed to cater to various interests and career stages. Many of our new micro-certificates are eligible for the new StrongerBC future skills grant program, a funding opportunity to receive up to $3,500 towards continuing your education. Join via Zoom to learn more about the 13 micro-certificates, including 9 brand new programs and the StrongerBC grant!

British Columbia is no stranger to wildfires. The province’s diverse landscape, coupled with a changing climate, has made it a hotspot for these destructive events. Many experts point to 2003 as a wake-up call for provincial authorities. …the Okanagan Mountain Park fire threatened the nearby communities of Kelowna and Naramata. In the end, more than 33,000 people evacuated and 238 homes burned. Lori Daniels, a researcher examining the impacts of climate change on forests at the University of British Columbia, said we still haven’t learned all the lessons from that fire. …B.C.’s logging practices have been a contentious issue in the context of wildfires. Clear-cut logging, a common practice in B.C., involves removing all trees in a particular area. While this method is efficient for timber harvesting, it can exacerbate wildfire risks by leaving behind debris that can fuel fires. Moreover, it disrupts the natural ecosystem, making the landscape more susceptible to fires.