President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada, Derek Nighbor, shares how sustainable forest management practices are leading to big gains for our economy, our communities and the planet. He discusses exciting developments in carbon-capture building materials, how sustainable forest management is supporting Indigenous reconciliation – and what really goes into the price of a 2×4. From health and wellness, to community and social responsibility, TELUS Talks with Tamara Taggart shares stories, busts myths, and delivers valuable information to Canadians. This weekly podcast is hosted by veteran broadcaster Tamara Taggart.
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More than 160 organizations have signed a declaration demanding B.C. take faster action to protect the province’s remaining old-growth forests. The document calls on Premier David Eby to fulfill commitments on old growth, pushing for “immediate action to stop logging” of these areas. The Union of BC Indian Chiefs, municipal leaders, and the BC General Employees Union are among those who’ve signed on “Today, and every day, we, the undersigned, stand together in an unprecedented show of unity amongst working people, Indigenous land stewards and knowledge-keepers, activists, scientists, youth, educators, communities, celebrities, environmental and social justice groups, faith organizations and more. Standing united against the destruction of old growth forests. Standing strong for future generations,” the declaration reads, in part. The groups have announced a rally set for Feb. 25 at the Legislature in Victoria, marking Eby’s 100th day as premier.
ONTARIO — A new alliance of industry, scientific, non-profit and government partners is collaborating to increase the success of urban tree planting, as high mortality rates remain a challenge for the perennial plant that is key to tackling climate change. The goal of Greening the Landscape Research Consortium is to help seedlings survive to become giants, and its advantage is information-sharing along the “urban tree value chain” – from nursery staff tending seeds, to planting contractors, to municipal foresters nurturing the trees. The consortium was launched in Ontario’s Niagara region in 2021 by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, or VRIC, a not-for-profit institution focused on improving the sustainability and competitiveness of Canadian horticulture. While millions of urban trees are planted every year, sustaining them is difficult. The City of Toronto alone plants 120,000, and Montreal hopes to reach half a million annually by 2030.
California’s precious trees are receiving a much-needed reprieve from the extreme drought conditions they have been experiencing for several decades. The same atmospheric river storm system that is bringing devastating flooding to communities all over California is providing relief to the state’s forests, according to experts. Data released last week by the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that regions in California and Nevada that were previously in “exceptional drought” status the week before … have been alleviated as a result of the heavy rain walloping the coast. The moisture is likely to stave off a mass die-off of trees in the West, Jim Randerson, a professor at the University of California Irvine said. It is extremely important for the health of forests that water to seep deep into the ground, even into the weathered bedrock, Nate Stephenson, a scientist emeritus at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Western Ecological Research Center, told ABC News.
The chief goal of the Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) is to ensure the health and sustainability of the South’s nearly 250 million acres of forestland. Rapid population growth and resulting urbanization, however, is putting 23 million acres of southern forestland at risk of loss. This statistic, though, does not need to be a death sentence for southern forests. Research has shown the presence of markets for forest products helps landowners manage their forests, adds value to their forests and helps maintain forest profitability so that landowners can keep their forests as forests. In the South, private landowners own 86 percent of southern forestland. Two-thirds of these landowners are families and individuals. SGSF continues to promote traditional and emerging markets for forests products. …Recent legislation in support of forests includes… the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act which combined are an unprecedented investment in our nation’s forests. 
The European Union needs to boost investments in wildfire prevention as the forest fire season is becoming longer and more geographically spread, Janez Lenarčič urged this week. “According to the World Bank study that was done in conjunction with the European Commission, €1 invested in wildfire prevention saves €10 in damage,” the European Commissioner for Crisis Management told reporters on Tuesday. He added that the damage inflicted by wildfires in 2022 is estimated to be “at least €2 billion”. Last year was the second worst year in terms of areas burnt since records began in 2006 with at least 800,000 hectares scorched across the bloc. The fires were fuelled by longer, more repeated heatwaves and a severe drought impacting most of the continent — phenomena blamed on climate change.
New research out of the University of Copenhagen marks some major changes in how to account for tree carbon stocks [in Rwanda]. And these changes could lead to significant improvements in climate mitigation strategies. 