Blog Archives

Two cutblocks proposed for Revelstoke’s Mount MacPherson are prompting Wildsight Revelstoke to engage B.C.’s lumber licensee about minimizing logging in that forest. Following a commenting period last year, BC Timber Sales (BCTS) is putting the two cutblocks, No. 52065 and No. 52066, up for sale… Combined, they cover 19.4 hectares of old- and second-growth forest. BCTS is currently welcoming applications for timber sales licences to harvest forest in these lots, as well as applications for road permits… Wildsight Revelstoke will meet a local BCTS representative this month to discuss the two proposed cutblocks, part of a larger conversation about several logging operations pitched by industry for north of town. …Ahead of its meeting with BCTS, Wildsight has been visiting Cutblocks 52065 and 52066 to appraise the towering cedar-hemlock trees and moisture-rich riparian habitats there. Black Press Media visited one of them with Wildsight Revelstoke board members Arnoul Mateo and Fabien Stocco.

Think about a small chip in your car’s windshield. At first, it might seem minor and barely noticeable. But later conditions change, the temperature drops and you hit a bump in the road and that tiny chip suddenly spreads into a large crack. Lightning can work in a similar way. A strike may leave behind heat deep in tree roots, stumps or underground organic material without immediately creating visible flames or smoke, especially if the storm also brought rain. Then, days or weeks later, as conditions become hotter, drier and windier, that hidden heat can begin to spread and ignite nearby fuels, eventually becoming a visible wildfire. Areas with a higher Duff Moisture Code are more likely to sustain these holdover fires. So, how do we know where to watch? We use Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Canadian Lightning Detection Network (CLDN), for an instantaneous and constant feed of lightning data…

Manitoba — Spring brings a sombre and painful reminder for Lac du Bonnet resident Riva Karklin. “Remember when it was a normal spring? When we were getting our seedlings and our tomato plants planted and taking them over to the neighbours’ house ?” she said. “This is what we were doing last year when it all happened.” …Firefighters were called to put out flames burning through the grass only kilometres east of her house at around 9:30 a.m. Crews arrived, and the blaze had already engulfed dozens of pine trees in dry ground. Winds were gusting to 70 km/h, fanning what became a raging wildfire that burned through at least 40 square kilometres and forced around 1,100 residents out of their homes, the municipality said. …Fire Chief Earl Simmons said the majority of the fire spread that first day. Crews spent a week keeping the flames from spreading and putting out hot spots. 

Promises that Peachland’s watershed won’t become a massive clearcut reassured some members of council, but didn’t fully alleviate their concerns on Tuesday. “We need to protect our water. Hearing this gives us a little bit of hope,” said Mayor Patrick Van Minsel, pointing out that “if any more sediment comes down into our streams, into our water treatment plant, it will cost us money.” Representatives from Gorman Bros. and BC Timber Sales presented to council and a full house of observers from the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance. … The Peachland watershed is about 12,000 hectares … BCTS has rights to log about 11% of that, or 1,370 hectares. Gorman Brothers logs about five per cent. Gorman representatives Matt Scott and Jason Carmichael outlined logging techniques used to avoid clearcutting and leave a healthy number of trees standing — or “retention” as the loggers called it. 

The Bulkley Valley Research Centre is seeking a dynamic Knowledge Exchange Specialist to help bridge the gap between forestry research and on-the-ground practice in British Columbia. Based in Smithers — with remote work options across BC — the full-time, two-year position will support projects funded through the Silviculture Innovation Program and the Forest Enhancement Society of BC. The successful candidate will work closely with researchers, practitioners and grant recipients to turn complex forestry science into accessible, practical tools and stories for diverse audiences. Responsibilities range from field tours, workshops and webinars to technical writing, multimedia storytelling and extension materials focused on innovative forestry practices, ecosystem health and managing for multiple forest values. Ideal applicants will combine strong forestry knowledge with excellent communication skills and a passion for translating ideas into action. Applications remain open until May 31, 2026, or until a suitable candidate is found.

In an exclusive interview with BC Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar, He shares an exclusive look at the provincial government’s new “Make More in BC” initiative. This strategy aims to shift the province away from a reliance on raw log exports and commodity lumber for the U.S. market, focusing instead on building a high-value “wood value economy.” The Minister highlights a major new partnership with West Kelowna’s Gorman Brothers, centered on a new economic hub in the Merritt timber supply area that will prioritize local logs for local mills. He also delivers a candid critique of the federal government, expressing frustration over Ottawa’s recent $1.5 billion aid package that supported auto and steel but excluded the forestry sector. From reducing permit lag times to exploring emerging markets in the UK and Middle East, the interview covers the essential steps being taken to stabilize the industry.

…In 2009, the Lil’wat and Squamish nations entered into a formal 25-year agreement with the Resort Municipality of Whistler to create the Cheakamus Community Forest—a more than 33,000-hectare patchwork of forested Crown land… Today, the group has protected nearly half of the forest from logging… [While it] prioritizes the forest ecosystem’s overall health over timber volume alone, said Heather Beresford, executive director of Cheakamus Community Forest. …It’s a path several B.C. community forests have turned to as they attempt to balance … logging, conservation, tourism and protection from wildfire. …B.C. allows emitters to cover up to 30 per cent of their bill by purchasing offsets from the BC Carbon Registry. …The system has proven to be a windfall for the Cheakamus Community Forest. …“What Saudi Arabia is to oil, B.C. is to carbon,” said Beresford, noting the province’s potential. “I still don’t understand why we are the only community forest in B.C. doing it.”

MERRITT – BC Timber Sales generally complied with forestry and wildfire requirements in the Cascades Natural Resource District, but some decisions to declare reforestation obligations complete were based on outdated information or made despite forest-health concerns, according to a Forest Practices Board audit. The audit examined BC Timber Sales operations in the Merritt Field Unit between July 1, 2024, and July 25, 2025. It found two non-compliances and two unsound practices related to free-growing declarations. BC Timber Sales makes a free-growing declaration to indicate a harvested area has been reforested and to relieve itself of any further obligations. “Free-growing declarations need to be based on current and accurate information,” said Gerry Grant, vicechair, Forest Practices Board. “That is especially important when there are known forest-health concerns that could affect the growth and survival of the young trees over time.” …After the audit, BC Timber Sales amended its stocking standards and subsequently met the minimum free-growing requirements for that cutblock.

©BCWildfireService

The BC Wildfire Service has once again positioned its crews across the Northwest in readiness for summer firefighting. Crews within the region are based in Burns Lake, Houston, Telkwa, Hazelton and Smithers – ready to respond throughout the Northwest Fire Centre. The BC Wildfire Service is divided into six regions with the Northwest Fire Centre running from the Yukon border in the north to Tweedsmuir Provincial Park in the south, and from the west coast to just west of Endako. The regional office is in Smithers. The Northwest will have the same number of crews as it did last year, said Morgan Blois, Northwest Fire Centre communications officer. There will be one unit crew and five initial attack crews divided between Burns Lake and Houston, two unit crews and four initial attack crews divided between Telkwa and Hazelton and one unit crew and four initial attack crews in Terrace.