Category Archives: Forestry

New guidance for the B.C. government from the Declaration Act Secretariat provides best practices for working with Indigenous Peoples on the development of provincial laws and policies, which advance Indigenous rights. The Interim Approach to Implement the Requirements of Section 3 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Interim Approach) is a world-leading project released by the Province’s new Indigenous-led Declaration Act Secretariat. …The Interim Approach is the first outcome delivered by the Declaration Act Secretariat, which was formed earlier this year. The secretariat is led by associate deputy minister Jessica Wood/Si Sityaawks, and was created to co-ordinate and assist cross-government actions to ensure provincial laws align with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) as set out in Section 3 of B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act).

As Coastal GasLink drills under the Wedzin Kwa (Morice River), I have been reflecting on my visit to Wet’suwet’en territory this summer. …We rafted down the river that has nurtured and sustained the Wet’suwet’en people since time immemorial. As I write this, salmon are spawning in that river. Countless eggs have been laid in the riverbed gravel. And Coastal GasLink is drilling a massive borehole within 12 metres of those salmon eggs. The potential impacts of drilling on these salmon eggs are unclear. What is clear is that Coastal GasLink cannot be trusted to safeguard the Wedzin Kwa and the surrounding environment. …Salmon are critical to the culture, ecology, and economy of northwest B.C. …Salmon already face many obstacles — drought, climate change, poor forestry practices, and habitat loss — and now Coastal GasLink is drilling and blasting under their spawning beds.

The effort to revive one of Canada’s most endangered species has taken flight. There is only one known northern spotted owl in the wild, according to the B.C. government — but three birds released into a protected habitat in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon on Friday bring the total to four. The birds were bred and raised by the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program (NSOBP) at a facility in Langley, B.C. The program is supported by the provincial government and incorporates Indigenous knowledge and consultation. …As many as 1,000 resided within Canada in pre-colonial times, but that number has dwindled due to human-induced loss of their old-growth forest habitat, and competition with barred owls. NSOBP started in 2007 with a founding population of six owls. There are now 30 owls in the facility, following the recent release of the three birds.

“Reforestation is arguably the best solution we have for pulling carbon out of the air,” said Bryce Jones, CEO of Flash Forest, a Canadian drone tree-planting company. “It’s been the same method for 100 years.” …Now, a handful of companies are looking to re-purpose unmanned vehicles. Their goal: germinate landscapes scarred by wildfire, and in so doing, reforest a planet that by one estimate has lost half its trees. ​…Many experts see reforestation as one of the best and most cost-effective solutions to fight both the climate crisis and a catastrophic loss in biodiversity. Could drones help humanity engineer its way out of disaster? …Last week, Canada’s Ministry of Natural Resources said it would back Flash Forest with a more than $1.3-million grant. Within two years, the government has tasked the company to plant more than a million trees.

A community forest award, along with a $10,000 grant, has been awarded to the Wetzink’wa Community Forest for 2022. “This year’s Robin Hood Memorial Award recipient, the Wetzink’wa Community Forest, exemplifies community leadership and innovation,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests. “Community forests are part of our vision for a modern forest sector with stronger, more resilient communities generating new economic opportunities through innovative, value-added manufacturing.” Established in 2016, the Robin Hood Memorial Award and accompanying grant are given annually to the community forest best exemplifying the values exhibited by the B.C. community-forest program and the late Robin Hood, who was a BC community forest pioneer. …“The recipient of the 2022 award exemplifies the values that Robin Hood, past president of the BCCFA, upheld,” said Jennifer Gunter, executive director, BCCFA. 

The conservation of endangered species in B.C. took a monumental step forward in August 2022 as three spotted owls born and raised in a breeding facility were released into protected habitat in the Fraser Canyon, which was the first release of these rare birds into the wild anywhere in the world. This historic milestone was the result of a partnership between the provincial Spotted Owl Breeding and Release Program and the Spuzzum First Nation, with the ongoing support of the federal government, conservation organizations and other groups “We are doing everything we can to help spotted owls recover in B.C., including running the world’s only spotted owl breeding and release program for this critically endangered species,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship. …Prior to the release, there was only one known spotted owl left in the wild in B.C. Today, there are four

Eddie Petryshen

Standing among a series of stumps in the northern Selkirk Mountains, Eddie Petryshen pointed to a long, thick hemlock log on the ground. “These trees are likely going to go make toilet paper,” he said. “This tree right here, I would estimate about a metre and a half in diameter … anywhere from 500 to 600 years old.” The Selkirk Mountains are a subrange of the larger Columbia Mountains, which houses the Interior Wet Belt — containing one of the world’s only temperate inland rainforests, and a large ecological melting pot that contains thousand-year-old trees and protected caribou. Petryshen, a conservation specialist at B.C.-based advocacy group Wildsight, is one of hundreds of activists that are trying to stop old-growth logging and habitat destruction in the area. …The conflict between conservationists, First Nations and logging groups has been going on for decades near Revelstoke. And it’s ramped up amid a wider protest movement to protect old-growth forests.

…One of the main challenges for forest professionals is how to promote public knowledge of forestry; to connect with local communities so they are well informed about land management, and educate and inspire young people about career opportunities in the sector. For Dan Macmaster, Community Forest Manager of the West Boundary Community Forest (WBCF), it comes down to forestry education – both in the classroom and the community. “When I speak to local school-age kids and ask them what forestry means to them, the most common responses I hear are “cutting down big trees” and “deforestation,” noted Macmaster. “When I ask them about what possible careers in forestry they may consider pursuing, they think “being a lumberjack” is the main position of employment. A lack of forestry education and information limits interest in careers in forestry and this in turn hurts our sector”

This month, the non-profit that represents Alberta forest industries is encouraging Albertans to love their forests, and to think about their relationship to the trees that surround them. “A key part of that is to focus on the care and commitment Alberta’s forest industry takes when they’re managing and caring for our forest resource,” said Aspen Dudzic, director of communications for the Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA). …Through its Love Alberta Forests campaign, the AFPA is highlighting the symbiotic connection between the forest industry and the people it serves.  “Sustainability is really at the heart of everything that we do,” said Dudzic. …“The flip side of it is, the folks who choose to work in forestry … not only is it their livelihoods, but it’s also a commitment to care for this resource they value. …Alberta’s forestry industry creates more than 31,000 well-paying jobs and supports more than 70 communities across the province.

Jamie Harris

SALT SPRING ISLAND, BC — A new trustee elected to represent Salt Spring Island on the Islands Trust Council is a tree faller who created a website called Stop the Islands Trust. Jamie Harris says… that the Islands Trust is “controlled by eco-radicals who have a extreme conservancy agenda with a total lack of regard for the working class citizens.” …Incumbent trustee Laura Patrick, who has a background in environmental management was also elected.  The results are emblematic of competing priorities for the Gulf Island, where a growing ­housing shortage has challenged a ­historic culture to preserve and protect the islands. …Harris said there is potential for forestry management on the island’s conservancy land — something he said could reduce wildfire risk and create economic opportunity. Harris criticized the Islands Trust council for a lack of action in addressing workforce ­housing.

Jay Van Oostdam

COMOX, BC — It’s become common to see clearcut logging of second-growth trees in our Valley. But in the past week, we have noticed something very different: hundreds of trees cut in the Ramparts Creek area beside the Mount Washington road. These trees are 250 to 500 years old, the last uncut remnants of a forest that once stretched from the ocean to the alpine meadows. Why is logging being permitted around Mount Washington and Strathcona Park? Mount Washington alone draws 300,000 visitors yearly. …We know forestry can be done differently and better, using selective harvesting methods to replace extensive clearcutting. …How sustainable is logging 350-year-old trees in the middle of a drought and impending climate change? When will Mosaic Forest Management start logging better?

VICTORIA, B.C. — The province of British Columbia has put together a new advisory council for forestry industries in the province with no representation from the northeast. The council looks to help better support forestry workers and communities in B.C. According to a release, the council will accomplish this by advising on existing programs and helping develop new initiatives. The two most northern locations represented on the council are Lori Forgeron from Prince George and Titi Kunkel from Smithers. “This is just, again, another example of not having our region represented at the table of these extremely important issues,” said Dan Davies, MLA for the North Peace River region. Davies said that this lack of representation for the northeast was his biggest concern about the new council. 

David Suzuki

David Suzuki noticed a press conference outside the small airport. Federal Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault was there to announce almost $1.2 million in federal funding to bolster tourism in BC, so Suzuki walked over to listen. What the 86-year-old environmentalist heard didn’t sit well with him. …When a staffer opened the microphone to questions, Suzuki stepped up. “All this bullshit about how you’re trying to encourage the coming together to this beautiful land, what are we doing about this land?” he asked. “We’re not doing the right things to ensure tourism into the future. …What are they going to have to come here in BC if we’re not dealing with the major issues that confront us? The loss of biodiversity, old-growth forests being cut down and climate change from the use of fossil fuel.” [to access the full story a National Observer subscription may be required]

Nakusp is finally getting its chance to host the BC Community Forest Association’s annual conference. The 2020 event was scheduled to be held in Nakusp, but was cancelled due to the pandemic. This year marks the first time the forum has been held in-person since 2019 and celebrates the 20th anniversary of the BCCFA. “It provides an opportunity to showcase Nakusp and area,” said Frances Swan, project manager of the Nakusp and Area Community Forest (NACFOR), “and of course showcase the Nakusp Community Forest.” NACFOR is the host of the conference, which Swan expects will bring about 120 attendees from across the province, including many industry experts who will make presentations on forestry related topics.

Over the past 20 years, community forestry in BC has been championed by the BCCFA and its dedicated members, creating a network of leaders with a vision for forestry that pushes community values to the forefront. The 2022 report is based on survey information collected from 33 community forests across the province, spanning 18 indicators that are used each year to account for the wide range of values and impacts of community forests. The data and stories gathered in this year’s report provide tangible evidence of the success and significance of community forestry in BC. “This report is a diverse collection of our memberships’ forest management achievements, the deepening of relationships between Indigenous and rural communities, growth in adaptive ecosystem management in the face of climate change and significant investments in our rural communities,” says George Brcko, BCCFA President.

The Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation says the Northwest Territories’ Scotty Creek research station has been “almost completely destroyed” by a forest fire. Located 50 kilometres south of Fort Simpson, Scotty Creek is one of the first Indigenous-led research stations in the world. It’s also one of the few long-term research stations in the North. Organizations from around the world, including the IPCC, use data collected at the site to try to understand the progress of climate change in one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth. In a press release, the First Nation reported that five of Scotty Creek’s nine buildings, which include facilities used as laboratory space, sleeping accommodations and the storage of research equipment, burned to the ground. The rest of the buildings have been damaged to varying extents, the First Nation stated, and some will need to be replaced.

Sonia Fursenau

The BC Green Party is calling for the immediate suspension of operating licences for the U.K. parent company of a North Okanagan wood pellet plant. Raising concerns about the activities of energy company Drax Group, the Green caucus is calling for the suspension of its B.C. licences, pending a review. …Over the past year, Drax has been the focus of a monopoly investigation and claims that whole logs are being chipped into pellets to power energy plants in Europe. …However, a study commissioned by the Wood Pellet Association of Canada concluded in September that 85% of pellet “inputs” in B.C. are waste from sawmills and plywood mills, with 15% coming from “bush grind” and low-quality logs that would otherwise likely be burned in slash piles. “The Minister of Forests continues to dance around numbers and definitions of wood products,” Green Leader Sonia Furstenau said.