Region Archives: Canada

Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation in Williams Lake, is making strides in improving forest health in the Chilcotin region with its brush-cutting initiatives. This method involves removing excess vegetation to enhance the overall health of the forest, reduce wildfire risks, and improve wildlife habitats. Daniel Persson, CCR’s forestry superintendent, highlights the importance of these practices in maintaining the forest’s multiple benefits for local communities, including economic, recreational, and ecological values. Thinning dense tree stands, particularly when they are young, allows remaining trees to grow more effectively and creates a more resilient forest. This technique not only boosts the growth of commercially valuable trees but also reduces the risk of severe wildfires by eliminating ladder fuels that can help fires spread.

PRINCE GEORGE – The Antler Creek fire that forced the evacuations of both Barkerville and Wells was first spotted southwest of Barkerville on July 20th. It was noted early on from local government officials that the conditions with dead wood and tricky terrain made it a challenge to get a handle on that wildfire, a fire the head of Barkerville called a “monster fire.” It was also Al Richmond who noted that the fuel sources that became problematic. “That whole corridor along the highway from Quesnel to Wells and into Barkerville is lined with dead pine. It’s a bomb waiting to go off.” He suggests, had there been proper fuel mitigation, the Antler Creek fire would not have taken off to the degree it did. …But the Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston says the Mountain Beetle epidemic did a lot of damage to BC’s forests and efforts were made to address that.

An invasive beetle that destroys ash trees has been confirmed in five areas of Vancouver. After the emerald ash borer was first detected this spring, federal officials conducted surveillance and found that the EAB (emerald ash borer) had impacted ash trees in five areas of Vancouver. Those include Strathcona Park, Andy Livingstone Park, and Coopers Park, as well as an area of Marinaside Crescent (between Davie Street and Coopers Park), and the intersection of Keefer and Heatley Avenue. “The impact of EAB will be less than what was seen in Eastern Canada as ash trees are not as prevalent in Vancouver — they comprise about five per cent of the tree inventory on public lands,” said a park board spokesperson in an email. “We do not have an inventory for ash trees on private lands, but we estimate that it is low as ash trees in B.C. are not a part of the native forest.”

Dave Moyles was a wildlife biologist with the government of Alberta – his daughter recounts his decades chasing woodland caribou. How does a wildfire crisis threaten an already fragile species? Unprecedented and devastating wildfire seasons in recent years have undoubtedly factored into the equation, and the future of woodland caribou in Alberta has never been more uncertain. In 2023, a record-breaking 3.3 million hectares burned — nearly seven per cent of the province’s forests — disturbing more land than the 11 previous fire seasons combined. A recent report by the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute found woodland caribou lost more than five per cent of critical habitat to wildfires in 2023, with northern herds facing the most severe losses, including nearly 13 per cent in Bistcho Lake range and nearly 14 per cent in the Caribou Mountains. …We’ve reached a tipping point with caribou… They’ve been here so long and yet they could so suddenly — in a relative blink — disappear. 

Only four fires have started in BC in the last 24 hours, while 20 have been declared out in the same time. Currently, 353 fires are burning across the province. That is according to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWFS). …“In general I would say we are in a much different place than we were last season going into the fall,” said Forrest Tower. …While only 18 properties are on evacuation order across the province right now, Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness said nearly 1,600 properties are currently under evacuation alert. BC has just passed one million hectares burned this season, which makes it the province’s fourth-worst fire season on record by hectares burned (behind 2023 – 2,840,104 hectares, 2018 – 1,354,284 hectares, and 2017 – 1,216,053 hectares). Nathan Cullen, the Minister of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship, added over a quarter of the province is also at a drought level 4/5.

FORT NELSON, B.C. — Members of Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) head to the polls on August 21st. 26 candidates, including incumbent Chief Councillor Sharleen Gale, are up for seven spots. …Gale has spoken about industry development within the forestry sector for FNFN and is a director on the First Nations Major Project Coalition, an organization supporting First Nations involvement within infrastructure and industry projects. …An article in The Tyee this week alleges mismanagement of funds, including an interest-free loan given to Peak Renewables. …The article, written by Ben Parfitt, also alleges there are concerns regarding $6.7 million that was advanced to FNFN Forestry LP. …FNFN denied the claims in the story. “This article is full of errors and inaccuracies. With only a minimal effort, Parfitt would have discovered our current forestry work is based on salvage operations.” …“This is not journalism. This is a hatchet job that contributes to lateral violence within our community by dividing us.”

Plans are in place to harvest forested areas of the North Shuswap areas affected by last year’s wildfire. Canoe Forest Products Ltd. (CFP) has been accepting public input on an amendment to the  Gorman Group’s Okanagan Shuswap Forest Stewardship Plan to proceed with salvage harvesting in areas above Scotch Creek and Celista damaged or destroyed by the Bush Creek East wildfire.  “Harvesting in this area is planned to salvage fire-damaged timber before a significant reduction in the economic value of the timber occurs due to a deterioration in the quality…,” reads a public notice issued by CFP. “Salvage harvesting will also address the expected increase in Douglas-fir beetle that will infest any remaining green Douglas-fir timber.

PRINCE GEORGE, BC – The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard announced the Government’s intention to construct a new Pacific salmon hatchery in Prince George, BC, to support conservation and rebuilding of Chinook and sockeye salmon. The proposed hatchery will be built through federal investments under the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI) and operated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in collaboration with Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and with support from Canfor Pulp Ltd. Construction is expected to begin this fall on federally administered land on the north bank of the Nechako River, near its confluence with the Fraser River. The proposed conservation hatchery will fill a critical infrastructure gap in the upper Fraser River region, serving to boost survival of numerous at-risk salmon stocks.

This event takes place Tuesday, September 10 & Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at the
Best Western Plus Barclay Hotel in Port Alberni, BC. The theme is Optimizing Our Participation in the Forest Economy. Marking a pivotal moment for sustainable forestry practices and Indigenous stewardship of the land. We aim to unite Indigenous leaders, forestry professionals, environmentalists, and policymakers to explore the integration of traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern forestry management practices. We underscore the crucial role of collaboration and respect for Indigenous rights and territories in achieving ecological sustainability and unlocking economic opportunities for Indigenous communities. A significant focus will be on closing the economic gap, emphasizing the need for First Nations’ access to capital to participate meaningfully in the forest sector and creating opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs. Register today!

The devastating wildfire season still gripping much of the West Kootenay underlines the need for the Province to make concerted efforts to preserve existing old-growth forests, according to the Valhalla Wilderness Society. Director Craig Pettitt said there is no question the current wildfire season could have been tempered if more old-growth forest had been left intact. “The Minister of Forests has acknowledged that the province’s recent wildfire emergencies are worsened by climate change,” he said. “The need to save old-growth forest now, on the ground, is dire.” …Pettitt said preserving old-growth forests helps moderate B.C.’s fire situation through its role in “absorbing and storing the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that causes climate change, which in turn causes extreme hot weather and drought, which increases the number, severity and speed of spread of wildfires.”

Wildfires in Alberta last summer burned more area than any previous fire season and a new study shows hot, dry conditions and an unusual amount of fires started by lightning were major contributing factors. These findings come from a new study of the 2023 Alberta wildfires, published in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research. Jen Beverly, a professor at the University of Alberta and one of the study’s authors, says “it’s not unusual in Alberta to have a fire season where you have 700, [or] 800,000 hectares burned. Last year it was closer to two million.” She says the fires themselves weren’t unusual, but there were more big fires than in a regular fire season. In 2023, there were 36 wildfires that covered 100 square kilometres or more in size. 

A lone frog on the provincial government’s endangered species “blue” list, (population vulnerable to changes in habitat) has raised more questions about B.C. Timber Sales’ (BCTS) decision to log the Joe Smith Creek cutblock (TA0521) on the south Mt. Elphinstone slopes. On June 18, while hiking on a trail in that forest area, near Roberts Creek, Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) spokesperson Ross Muirhead photographed a northern red-legged frog (Rana aurora). …Since the rights to log the 13,815 cubic metres of timber on that 13-hectare parcel was awarded to Ocean View Logging on June 4, ELF alerted BCTS about the discovery the day after it happened. In that letter the forest protection group requested an amphibian survey be conducted by a registered biologist and the cutblock’s site plan be updated, per BCTS protocol. “In the meantime, no activities such as tree falling or road building should be undertaken,” ELF wrote in its letter to BCTS.

FORT NELSON, BC — Members of the Fort Nelson First Nation will vote in what could be a pivotal election for the band and the roughly 3,000 other people who call the Fort Nelson area their home. …For nearly four years, Chief Councillor Sharleen Gale has deepened the First Nation’s ties with Peak Renewables, a company owned by Brian Fehr, a businessman with close ties to Canfor, BC’s largest forest company. …Gale has said the partnership with Peak Renewables “allows us to lay the foundation for sustainable economic opportunities for our people.” The nation is also exploring geothermal energy projects. …As the FNFN under Gale’s leadership has deepened its ties with Peak, a number of members have begun questioning not just the wisdom but the feasibility of a project that would require such a massive increase in logging.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The Ministry of Water, Land and Resources Stewardship has sent a Letter of Notice to the Peace River Regional District about several upcoming projects in the Fort Nelson, Peace District and Fort St. John areas. The letter was reviewed by the board of directors during the August 15th regional meeting, and outlined a proposal from the province to establish new wildlife habitat areas for Boreal Caribou. These would be established under the Forest and Range Practices Act, Government Actions Regulations (GAR) and the Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan. Consultations with First Nations and impacted tenure holders have been ongoing since July by the Ministry. Six areas in the Fort Nelson region are being assessed… Two areas in the Peace River Regional District and Fort St. John Timber Supply Area … are also being considered. …Public consultation is ongoing, and will continue until September 11th.