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©Alberta Wildfire

Wildfires burned just under 18,000 hectares in Alberta in 2026, more than 97 per cent below the five-year average, according to figures released by the provincial government Monday. Since Jan. 1, Alberta Wildfire has responded to 785 wildfires, compared with a five-year average of 996. The province put the five-year average for area burned at more than 660,000 hectares. The province attributed the quieter season to significant rainfall across much of Alberta and the efforts of wildfire crews. For a brief period in mid-August, Alberta’s wildfire map showed no active wildfires. According to the province, it was the first time in 40 years that no active wildfires were recorded at that point in the year. …Alberta’s legislated wildfire season runs from March 1 to Oct. 31, although wildfire response and prevention work continue year-round.

The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency has announced up to $546,945 over three years for a Yukon Wood Products Association program aimed at improving timber-supply planning and helping local forestry businesses. Through its Leadership, Education and Advancement in Forestry (LEAF) program, the association will draft timber harvest plans, though they will remain subject to Yukon government approval and consultation. The program aims to improve the predictability of timber supply by helping prepare three draft timber harvest plans and advance several projects through Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board screening over the next three years.

Parks Canada is removing trees and burning forest debris around Banff this fall and winter to help slow the spread of wildfires threatening Bow Valley communities. The work includes expanding fuel breaks near residential areas, thinning forests and clearing trees around campgrounds, utilities and other facilities. Projects are intended to reduce wildfire risk to Banff, Harvie Heights and Canmore while giving fire crews more time to respond. Parks Canada says climate change is contributing to longer, hotter and more unpredictable wildfire seasons, reinforcing the need for communities to co-ordinate their preparations. Mechanical tree removal and pile burning will continue through fall and winter in the Tunnel Mountain area as part of the Tunnel Toe wildfire risk reduction project. The project is expected to wrap up in spring 2027, with more than 211.5 hectares treated. 

The BC Community Forest Association’s October newsletter highlights the release of its 2026 Community Forest Indicators Report, featuring results from 37 community forests reporting on 18 indicators of economic activity, community investment, wildfire resilience and forest stewardship. The BCCFA also looks ahead to working with BC’s incoming government to strengthen community forestry and rural economies. Other updates include November funding deadlines for wildfire risk reduction, forest restoration and silviculture innovation projects; new wildfire safety resources; and an article by DR Systems’ Jaya Freeman on preserving forestry records and institutional knowledge through changing personnel and systems. The newsletter also highlights a new national Wildfire Resilience Knowledge Exchange Platform, an upcoming forestry webinar series, and the 2027 BCCFA Conference and AGM, June 2–4 in Williams Lake.

Wilderness International Canada (WIC) has purchased 1,250 acres of forest and wetlands on Read Island, protecting a significant area of coastal rainforest in B.C.’s Discovery Islands. The milestone was achieved through two rounds of acquisitions between May and August of 2026, bringing together 11 properties conservation area. The protected landscape encompassess mature second-growth forest, remnant old-growth trees, rare woodland ecosystems, and extensive wetlands, including a peat bog complex. “This is an important achievement for Read Island and a significant step forward for wilderness conservation in British Columbia,” said Dominique Hrytsay, Executive Director of Wilderness International Canada.

If logging is a sustainable industry as we always hear from proponents, why is BCTS logging old growth and in this case creating clearcuts on a small mountain surrounded almost entirely by the Township of Spallumcheen? Logging a previously untouched area is not sustainability in action. The proposed clearcuts are in the same area as the popular hiking trails used by thousands of people per year and will obliterate much of the trail system on the north slope…. This trail system is located on the only publicly accessible crown land in the Township and attracts many out of town visitors… It is a notable tourist attraction! The value of this land is in the timed release of snowfall, wildlife habitat and a beautiful recreation area that will be damaged for hundreds of years in exchange for a few shifts of work and a few bucks for Tolko.

Related coverage in The Castanet by Darren Handschuh: Outdoor Recreation Council of BC gives kudos to Armstrong Spallumcheen Trails Society

Board members and staff visited the Okanagan from October 20 to 22 to learn about local approaches to forest stewardship, wildfire risk reduction and watershed protection. Our visit began with Ntityix Resources LP, where we learned about the Seven Generations Plan and stewardship principles guiding management of the Westbank First Nation Community Forest. We then headed into the forest to see the active on-the-land wildfire risk reduction treatments by Ntityix Resources LP intended to reduce wildfire risk where forests and communities meet. Near Summerland, Don Whyte hosted us at Woodlot 1618 to see the e!ects of this summer’s Bald Range catastrophic wildfire. Don shared how earlier wildfire risk reduction work helped lessen the fire’s impacts on the woodlot. …These visits help the Board understand local stewardship approaches and the experiences of people managing and caring for BC’s forests.

The BC Next Generation Forestry Conference is looking for potential funders to fund their province-wide conference for students and young professionals working with forests! This conference is an essential part of equipping students and early-career professionals to navigate the changing realities of the world beyond academia. It aims to inspire the next generation of foresters and land stewards and will be important for them in building the relationships that last for the rest of their careers. They are looking for sponsorship and donations to make the conference accessible to everyone. Any amount is appreciated and other forms of support are welcome (eg. connections, supplies). Reach out to us at bcnextgenfc@gmail.com to start a conversation! Click here to view/download our sponsorship overview.

Rachel Plotkin

…Whether it’s whales, caribou, or butterflies, migration is an amazing feat of nature: that species are able to retain the knowledge of how and when to move to fulfill their variant life processes. The increasingly sophisticated technology of radio telemetry has enabled scientists to learn more about the migration of southern mountain caribou populations in Alberta, which migrate from mountains to forested valleys and back, up to twice each year. Or at least they used to, until Alberta approved logging in so much of the forested valleys that their migration has been significantly altered, or ceased altogether. …What happens when caribou are forced to cease their migration patterns and remain on the mountains? Not surprisingly, their populations decline. …Alberta’s decisions, made for short-term gains, erase a natural phenomenon that has existed for thousands of years. …The province needs to hear from the public that prosperity includes natural abundance alongside corporate profits.

In 1986, I had an opportunity to acquire 160 acres of wooded farm property: 40 acres of open farmland and 120 acres of mostly hardwood, a mix of birch, ash, and trembling aspen. …At the time I bought my first woodlot, I recall co-workers asking me why I bought ‘bushland’ instead of putting the money in the bank. At the time ‘bushland’ was synonymous to ‘wasteland’, something meant to be bulldozed, burned, and turned into farmland. I told my co-workers that I would rather have “money in the bark, rather than money in the bank”. Today, in 2026, after 40 years of ownership, land prices have surged tenfold. …I was 32 years old when I bought my first woodlot, and 42 when I bought my second. Now at age 72, I feel blessed that I can still cut firewood with my trusty chainsaw, hunt white-tailed deer in cold weather, and hike the trails that took decades to create. 

On Sept. 21, the day before David Eby called a snap election, his government quietly extended logging deferrals in the old-growth Fairy Creek watershed on southwest Vancouver Island. The government granted the deferrals five years ago, at the request of Pacheedaht First Nation, after more than 1,000 people were arrested during logging blockades at Fairy Creek that lasted for more than a year. But following the election of the Conservative Party of BC, the future of Fairy Creek … is up in the air, prompting scientists and conservation advocates to caution that B.C.’s “war in the woods” could reignite. On Saturday, during a rousing acceptance speech, premier-designate Lorne Doerkson promised “more fibre on trucks” as part of his party’s plan to supercharge B.C.’s economy. …Forester Garry Merkel, a member of the old-growth strategic review panel said he was encouraged to see the Conservatives promise to protect old growth and rare and endangered ecosystems.

Landslide activity could become more common in areas west of Summerland due to the damage from the summer’s Bald Range Wildfire. On Wednesday, residents reported a small debris flow in the Garnett and Meadow valleys amid heavy rainfall. The areas where the slides are occurring are in the burn zone of August’s Bald Range wildfire, which scorched more than 25,000 hectares of forest. Eleven watersheds were affected, which saw burn impacts to the catchment areas ranging from nine to 70 per cent, according to a preliminary post-fire hazard assessment completed for the Ministry of Forests. …The report noted that in its assessments, the events are not certain to happen, but adverse weather such as heavy rain, rapid snowmelt, or rain-on-snow could trigger them, and detailed site-specific assessments are still required.

The newly elected B.C. Conservative government may have to dig deep to fund promises made throughout the Southern Interior while on the campaign trail. …The Conservatives have pledged/Promised to:

• secure funding to upgrade the 201 Forest Service Road, linking Penticton and Highway 33 east of Joe Rich. …
• implement a wildfire action plan aimed at reducing risk before fires start and improving the response when they do. …the plan includes purchasing firefighting aircraft; clearing dangerous forest fuels around communities; making prescribed burns easier to undertake; and allowing qualified firefighting resources to work together more quickly during emergencies. 
• a series of changes aimed at reviving BC’s forestry sector, including a harvest floor of 45 million cubic metres, faster permitting and reduced costs for mills. The plan also calls for changes to old-growth deferrals, expanded support for value-added wood manufacturers, and a biomass and bioenergy strategy that would begin with Clean Fuels Hubs in Prince George and Kamloops.

These are questions that forestry professionals encounter regularly. We have scientific and technical explanations for our practices, but how effectively do we communicate them? And how well do we understand the concerns of people outside our profession? Murray Wilson has spent considerable time exploring that divide. A University of Alberta forestry alumnus, industry leader and documentary filmmaker, Murray has engaged with more than 4,000 audience members about forestry and what shapes public perceptions of forest management. I’m pleased to welcome Murray back to the University of Alberta for our 96th Forest Industry Lecture, where he’ll share what he’s learned about the trust gap in forestry. Everyone is welcome, including forestry professionals, students, researchers, environmental organizations and anyone interested in how forests are managed.

Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 4:00–5:30 p.m. Mountain Time
University of Alberta, Edmonton
Attend in person or online via Zoom