Category Archives: Forestry

Forestry

Canadian Institute of Forestry and Society of American Foresters Announce 2026 joint National Conference and AGM in Alberta

Canadian Institute of Forestry
January 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Mattawa, ON – The Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF-IFC) is excited to announce that the 2026 National Conference and 118th Annual General Meeting will take place in Calgary, Alberta, from October 5-8, 2026. This landmark event, hosted in collaboration with the Society of American Foresters (SAF) and the CIF-IFC Rocky Mountain Section, will unite forestry professionals, practitioners, and students from across North America and beyond under the theme, “Leading from where we are for a brighter future.” The event will showcase the leaders of today and empower the leaders of tomorrow to begin acting now to make the world they want to see. …The Conference will serve as a platform to address pressing issues such as climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable forestry and natural resources management while highlighting innovative approaches to ensure a vibrant and resilient future for forests globally.

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Forest Stewardship Council Newsletter

Forest Stewardship Council
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada
  • How FSC is using Google Earth Engine to monitor forest degradation and support EUDR compliance: The Forest Stewardship Council is leveraging cutting-edge technology to better monitor and protect the world’s forests. 
  • Introducing Verified Impact is FSC’s evolving approach to monitoring, conservation, and improvement of ecosystem services in forests.
  • Taiwan Becomes First in Asia-Pacific to Achieve 100% FSC Certification for Public Forests: With 100% of public forests now certified under the Forest Stewardship Council their certification covers nearly 1.6 million hectares, representing 71.5% of Taiwan’s total forest area—the highest certification rate in the region.
  • FSC Canada Invites Your Input on the Updated National Risk Assessment for Canada

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From L.A. to Jasper: How Canada can be better prepared for wildfires

By Ricardo Pelai and Ryan Ness
The Hill Times in Canadian Climate Institute
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

January isn’t typically the time people talk about wildfires. But the devastating fires in Los Angeles have put this issue back into the headlines. Just six months ago, a similar disaster unfolded on a smaller scale north of the border in the Rocky Mountains, capturing global attention. This past summer’s wildfire in Jasper, Alberta, delivered a stark warning: Canada must urgently step up planning and prevention efforts to address the growing threat of wildfires. …As in L.A., the wildfire in Jasper didn’t come out of the blue. Experts have long warned of high and growing wildfire risk in the Jasper area, exacerbated by accumulated fuel from historical fire suppression and dead trees from pine beetle infestations. Eliminating wildfire risk entirely may not be possible for many communities, but it can be significantly reduced. Governments can use a range of tools and approaches to step up wildfire adaptation efforts.

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UBC students team up with Lil’wat for Sea to Sky forestry research

By Luke Faulks
Pique Newsmagazine
January 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Twenty-one students with the University of British Columbia’s Master of Sustainable Forest Management (MSFM) program visited the Sea to Sky in January to learn from Lil’wat Forestry Ventures (LFV) about economic and traditional elements of forestry. Between Jan. 20 and 24, the students worked with LFV on how to develop a landscape-level forest management plan that respects key conservation, fire management and cultural values. They were led by Ken Byrne, a UBC lecturer and registered professional forester (RPF) and lecturer at UBC. Byrne has been organizing these expeditions for some time, usually working to arrange the MSFM in partnership with a community forest or smaller tenure nearby or owned by a First Nation. …“We’re thrilled to partner with UBC on another project,” LFV general manager Klay Tindall said. “Our collaboration has allowed us to combine traditional forest science with Lil’wat cultural knowledge and values, leading to more informed management decisions.”

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Kaslo Community Forest Completes Wildfire Risk Reduction Project with Support from FESBC

Forest Enhancement Society of BC
January 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Kaslo, B.C. – As wildfires continue to increase in frequency and severity, the Kaslo and District Community Forest Society (KDCFS) completed a wildfire risk reduction project, covering approximately 8 hectares of KDCFS’s tenure and 2 hectares of Crown land within the Wildland Urban Interface. With funding support from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), the fuel reduction work focused on selectively removing trees to reduce the high fuel content and excess forest debris within a high-use recreation area that has an extensive bike trail network. This fuel reduction treatment will help protect the community from wildfires and serve to enhance both wildlife habitat and recreational values. “As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense, projects like this are critical for reducing fuels in forests near communities,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “My thanks go to the Kaslo and District Community Forest Society for taking on this important community-driven work…”

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Tree migration could help B.C. forests better prepare for climate change, University of BC study

By Mina Kerr-Lazenby
CTV News
January 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A new University of British Columbia study has pinpointed strategies to help local forests adapt to climate change. …the eight-year study found ways forest ecosystems can be better prepared for the climate threat, with a focus on mitigating the loss of the Douglas fir tree. …professor and co-author of the study Suzanne Simard, said the project looked at the process of relocating Douglas firs that are already adapted to dry, hot weather, further north. …Opting for a two-pronged approach, researchers also explored how various routes of harvesting and regenerating forests would affect the migrated seedlings’ attempt to grow in the face of climate change. Researchers tried various avenues, from clear-cutting to retaining larger densities of the tallest Douglas fir trees, said Simard.

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B.C.-based climate activist deported to Pakistan after protest charges

By Darryl Greer
The Canadian Press in Prince George Citizen
January 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Zain Haq & Sophia Papp

British Columbia-based environmental activist Zain Haq was aboard a plane in Toronto on Sunday afternoon, awaiting a nearly 14-hour flight to Pakistan. But Haq was not on the plane by choice. He was being deported following the expiry of a temporary residency permit and a failed bid by his Canadian wife to sponsor him to stay. …Haq initially came to Canada on a student visa from Pakistan. He co-founded the activist group Save Old Growth and pleaded guilty to mischief charges in 2023 over his role in environmental protests that blocked Metro Vancouver roadways. He was granted a temporary resident permit last spring, but it expired in October, and Haq’s challenge of his deportation in federal court was unsuccessful.

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Forest sector top of mind

By Lorne Doerkson, MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin
The Williams Lake Tribune
January 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Lorne Doerkson

In recent years, the B.C. forestry sector has been characterized by mill closures, permitting delays, and job losses. …Last week, I met with forests minister Ravi Parmar to bring my concerns to his attention. Though the main focus of our conversation was the forest industry, many of the permitting issues fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship as well. We discussed the unpredictability of fibre supply and the burning of cull piles, which I am adamantly opposed to. …B.C. mills will only survive if the fibre approval process is streamlined and access to fibre is expedited. Why wouldn’t we want to simultaneously support mill operations in B.C. and reduce waste?  We must simplify regulations to allow fire-damaged timber and residual fibre to be used efficiently. …A review of BCTS is great but…. time is for sure of the essence! Our industry can’t wait any longer!!

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Love for the outdoors inspired Willow Ellsworth to pursue a career in forestry

Forest Enhancement Society of BC
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Willow Ellsworth

Willow Ellsworth’s love for the outdoors inspired her to pursue a career in forestry… From BC Timber Sales she later joined the Ministry of Forests in the Authorizations department, working on road permits, cruising, and log scaling. In 2022, she obtained her Registered Forest Technologist designation and Interior Log Scaling license. Ellsworth started working with NorthPac in 2021 as a Forest Technologist and within a year transitioned to the role of Shipping Coordinator and finally Log Yard and Waste Supervisor. …“I am primarily involved in the Coast Tsimshian Resources LP and NorthPac’s fibre utilization project,” Willow noted. “Initially, we were shipping sawlogs via log cars to Dunkley, and the program has since expanded to introducing a chipper on site and shipping chips to Canfor in Prince George. FESBC funding has enabled NorthPac to haul pulp logs and small tops that are usually left to burn in the bush.”

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Indigenous Resource Network cautions BC government about potential Indigenous impacts when reviewing forestry policies

Indigenous Resource Network
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Calgary, AB – The Indigenous Resource Network (IRN) is cautioning British Columbia Premier David Eby and BC Forests Minister Ravi Parmar to consider how forest policy changes could potentially harm Indigenous forestry workers and operators as the new government has committed to reviewing provincial forestry policies. The BC NDP signed an agreement-in-principle with the BC Greens to create a stable provincial government. The IRN is particularly concerned that the agreement commits the government to undertake yet another BC forests policy review as the province is facing expected softwood lumber duties and U.S. tariffs on February 1. We invite the premier and minister to meet with the Indigenous Resource Network to discuss how the province can balance Indigenous forestry resource management with environmental stewardship. We also invite them to view our documentary project Stewards of the Forest: Indigenous Leadership in Forestry to witness how Indigenous forestry operators are balancing resource development with responsible stewardship.

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LA fires a reminder that B.C. wildfire prevention is priority one

By Joe Nemeth, BC Pulp and Paper Coalition
Business in Vancouver
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Creating these fuel-free zones around communities and neighbourhoods stops a fire in its tracks because there is little or nothing to accelerate their rapid and enormous growth. In 2024, a delegation of professional foresters from B.C. toured Finland to see what we could learn from how others manage their forests. …Over the last 10 years, Finland has lost an annual average of 323 hectares of land to wildfires. Over the same period, B.C. has lost an annual average of 407,000 hectares. Why this vast difference? Finland has practised intensive forestry for decades. Foresters regularly enter stands to remove weak or damaged trees. …This fibre is then directed to nearby pulp and paper mills or community bio-energy plants. No fibre is wasted. …Another Finnish practice is to maintain logging roads, which are broken down and “put to bed” here after harvesting in an area is complete.

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Wildfire buffers explored by City of Powell River

By Paul Galinski
Powell River Peak
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

City of Powell River councillors will direct staff to proceed with the city’s wildfire hazard development permit designation to address areas susceptible to wildfire risk. At the January 21 committee of the whole meeting …director of planning services Jason Gow …presented information regarding the wildfire development permit area project. He said in the summer of 2024, Frontera Forest Solutions was retained by the city to lead implementation of a wildfire hazard development permit area. …this project will include the identification of areas susceptible to wildfire risk, and the development of accompanying guidelines and mapping products. …Gow said a wildfire buffer is measured as the distance extending outward from areas near burnable fuels, which are vegetated areas with potential to carry wildfire. …The committee voted unanimously to direct staff to proceed with using a 100-metre wildfire buffer as the basis for the city’s wildfire hazard development permit area designation.

 

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What Squamish learned from California’s wildfires

By Bhagyashree Chatterjee
The Squamish Chief
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In a place surrounded by breathtaking forests and rugged mountains, wildfire preparedness is more than just a precaution—it’s a community effort.  With climate change bringing longer, drier seasons, Squamish residents are coming together to protect their homes and neighbourhoods through the FireSmart program. Squamish faces heightened wildfire vulnerability due to a combination of topography, weather, and fuel accumulation. Squamish’s growing tourism and development also impact wildfire risks. Reflecting on lessons from the current and recent wildfires in California and beyond, Emily Wood, FireSmart co-ordinator, stressed preparation. “FireSmart is the best way to protect your home, and small steps like clearing debris or removing flammable vegetation can make a huge difference.” Wood also pointed to bylaws prohibiting highly flammable plants like cedar and juniper near structures. “These regulations are critical, but enforcement can be challenging,” she acknowledged.

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Tariff threats add to Nelson business uncertainty

By Tom Thompson
Nelson Star
January 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ken Kalesnikoff

What is the impact of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian products being sold to the U.S.? Let’s look at forestry. Regionally there are local companies employing local people with good jobs, and supporting local contractors and spin- offs to dozens or hundreds of small businesses. The B.C. lumber industry is watching closely. Locally, members of the Interior Lumber Manufacturers such as Kalesnikoff, Atco Wood Products and Porcupine say it is obviously top of mind. Ken Kalesnikoff says there has not been much certainty in the forestry sector for many years, and the uncertainty of lumber tariffs is yet another challenge for the local forestry companies. As much as they don’t know the exact impact yet, it is a huge concern.

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Indigenous communities in B.C. and California promote cultural burns for disaster mitigation

By Santana Dreaver
CBC News
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West, US West

Joey Gonzales, a Tataviam and Chumash model and actor from southern California, is one of the thousands of Indigenous people in California who watched their homeland burn.  “What’s really missing is the Indigenous perspective on these fires, knowing that they could have been prevented.” Cultural burning is a traditional fire management practice that has been used by Indigenous peoples in Canada, the U.S. and around the world to eliminate fuel build-up that contributes to the intensity of wildfires and promotes the regrowth of native species that local Indigenous communities depend on… Mata-Fragua says it’s important for those involved in disaster mitigation to acknowledge and encourage Indigenous practices because Indigenous peoples have been caring for those lands for thousands of years and understand the geography of their regions.

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B.C. Timber Sales review heavy on economics, light on environment

By Bill Metcalfe
Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The B.C. government has tasked new Forest Minister Ravi Parmar with reviewing its lead timber agency, B.C. Timber Sales. The Jan. 15 news release announcing the review, and Premier David Eby’s mandate letter to Parmar, both downplay the environment in favour of the business side of forestry… There is no mention of watersheds, biodiversity, wildlife, and climate change in either the news release announcing the review or in the mandate letter, which mentions old growth once in passing. Asked why it is not mentioned in the above six reasons for the BCTS review, or in Eby’s mandate letter, Parmar said, “I’m fully committed to fulfilling my obligations on the old growth action plan. … Biodiversity, taking care of our lands, being good stewards of our land, is critical to me, and it’s going to be a huge part of this review.”

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New forestry advocate society presses for working forest legislation

By Nelson Bennet
Business in Vancouver
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In a mandate letter to Ravi Parmar, B.C.’s new minister of Forests, Premier David Eby directs Parmar to somehow come up with “a sustainable land base” that will ensure an annual harvest of 45 million cubic metres of timber to help support a floundering forest industry. That could be a tough order to fill, given the caveat attached to Parmar’s mandate that he do this “while fulfilling our commitment to protect old growth.” Old growth, after all, has been estimated to make up about one quarter of B.C.’s annual allowable cut (AAC) overall, and 50 per cent of the coastal AAC… The single biggest uncertainty is dwindling access to raw timber. In its letter to political leaders, the society asks for a working forest protected through legislation.

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Mercer Peace River and Woodland Cree First Nation Extend Logging Partnership Agreement

Mercer International Inc.
January 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

PEACE RIVER, Alberta – Mercer Peace River Pulp and Woodland Cree First Nation have signed a historic agreement extending their co-ownership relationship of Peace River Logging. The renewed partnership extends their positive working relationship and reinforces their commitment to responsible forestry practices. …Mercer and Woodland Cree have co-owned Peace River Logging since 2004, and this new agreement ensures the long-term sustainability of the joint venture and secures the jobs of more than 80 local people. “Mercer Peace River is committed to working with Indigenous communities and we look forward to continuing our relationship with Woodland Cree First Nation,” said Roger Ashfield, Managing Director of Mercer Peace River.”

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Ottawa dragging its feet on protecting endangered caribou: B.C. conservation groups

By Brenna Owen
Canadian Press in the Victoria Times Colonist
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Southern mountain caribou are disappearing in British Columbia and the federal government has been dragging its feet for more than a decade on protecting the endangered herds, conservation groups say in a letter to the environment minister Steven Guilbeault. The letter sent on behalf of the Wilderness Committee, Wildsight (see their press release here) and Stand.earth said three populations of the caribou are in particularly steep decline as logging and other industrial development cuts through their habitat in eastern B.C. Wildsight’s Eddie Petryshen said successive federal governments and environment ministers have “kicked the can further down the road,” and that trend continues today. …Environment and Climate Change Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment. …Predator reduction may be part of a comprehensive recovery strategy for endangered caribou, Petryshen said, but it doesn’t address the destruction and fragmentation of their habitat, which is the driving force behind their decline.

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Should Canada follow Oregon’s lead on mandatory wildfire protection rules?

By Cloe Logan
National Observer
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In British Columbia, wood remains the primary framing material, remarks Anthony Marks, who constructs fire resistant modular homes, but the fire resistant modular homes his company constructs are framed with steel. They also use wood sheathing coated with a fire retardant and fibrous cement board products for exterior cladding. …Anabela Bonada, manager and research associate at the University of Waterloo’s Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation says there are solutions at hand to reduce the risk of fire to homes — Canada just hasn’t demanded they be taken yet. …Canada’s National Building Code is geared toward protecting buildings and homes in cities and doesn’t refer to wildfires. …Most Canadian communities are lagging in responding to wildfire threats, Bonada said. …Referring to the National Research Council of Canada’s guide for wildland-urban interface fires, she said programs like FireSmart have made simpler guides available.

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Dr. Lori Daniels and Marina Melanidis awarded King Charles III Coronation Medal

By Faculty of Forestry
The University of British Columbia
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Lori Daniels

Marina Melanidis

UBC Forestry wishes to congratulate Dr. Lori Daniels and Marina Melanidis on being awarded the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal! The Medal, administered by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall, commemorates individuals who have “made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community of Canada, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada”. As the inaugural Koerner Chair in Wildfire Coexistence, and with her award-winning teaching, leading-edge research, and dedication to knowledge mobilization, Lori has worked tirelessly to keep our forests healthy and our communities safe. Marina Melanidis launched two very successful youth-led NGOs (Youth4Nature and Climate Guides) focusing on nature-based solutions and climate action, and is currently enrolled in a PhD program at Cambridge.

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Environmental groups call on B.C. to close loopholes and stop approving caribou habitat destruction

By Timothy Schafer
Castanet
January 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Legislative loopholes have been discovered that enable extensive logging in southern mountain caribou habitat, claim local environmental groups. The Wilderness Committee and Wildsight are calling on the province to stop approving roads and cutblocks in no-harvest zones and to fully protect all federally-identified core caribou habitat. …“According to our new map analyses, more than 78 hectares of no harvest zones (NHZ) — set aside for caribou in the Revelstoke area — have been logged or approved to be logged since then,” noted a press release on the matter. …Over the past two decades, only 10 of the 18 sub-populations (herds) remain on the landscape in southern and central B.C. …New research from the University of British Columbia confirms this dependency on hair lichen, warning that abundant hair lichen can only grow in advanced aged old-growth forests, and that restoring such lichen is virtually impossible in young forests.

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How Oregon’s forestry workforce has evolved over 50 years

By Justin Higginbottom
Oregon Pubic Broadcasting
January 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Since the 1970s, billions of dollars in federal contracts have gone to forestry work like replanting trees or fuels reduction. Oregon has long been a center for businesses getting those contracts. But that industry looked a lot different 50 years ago. On a December morning the hills above Ashland, like many forests in the West, are buzzing with the sound of chainsaws. Workers with the nonprofit Lomakatsi Restoration Project are busy working to protect the valley from wildfire. Crews are clearing understory, reducing fuel that can feed fire. But while Oregon has long been a center for these jobs, the industry has changed dramatically over time. …Thanks to the 1972 Oregon Forest Practices Act, Rust found that alternative. The law required land clear cut by loggers to be replanted, a win for early environmentalists. 

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How to Manage the Forest to Make It Easier to Manage the Fires

By Hannah Downey, Policy director, Property and Environment Research Center
Newsweek
January 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Hannah Downey

…This week, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act to help overcome the legal and political hurdles that stand in the way of addressing the wildfire crisis. …the declining health of our nation’s forests is the primary cause [of the wildfire crisis]. …Red tape and unnecessary litigation hold up forest restoration projects for years, consuming time and money that should instead be spent on the ground. Research from the Property and Environment Research Center—found that federal permitting and litigation can delay needed projects from five to nine years. …Co-sponsored by Rep. Scott Peters and Rep. Bruce Westerman, the legislation received broad bipartisan support. The Senate and President Donald Trump should move quickly to pass the legislation and empower agencies and partners with needed forest restoration tools.

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Northwest conservation groups intervene in lawsuit to defend the lethal removal of barred owls

By Roman Battaglia
Oregon Public Broadcasting
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Five Northwest conservation groups have joined the federal government in defending a program to kill barred owls in the Pacific Northwest to protect the threatened northern spotted owl. These environmental groups have joined the government’s side, in opposition to animal rights groups. Tom Wheeler of Arcata, a California-based conservation nonprofit EPIC, said that like animal rights groups, they also believe that individual lives of wild animals are precious, but, “We also hold that ecosystems are real and important and that species are real and important. And that the preservation of ecosystems and species are really important and worth protecting.” …Wheeler said it’s necessary to remove invasive barred owls from the region to give researchers more time to come up with a long-term solution to the growing threat of extinction for northern spotted owls. …The animals rights groups say the government is violating federal environmental law.

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Lawmakers push forest management bill amid California wildfires

France24
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Bruce Westerman

WASHINGTON — One of the first bills to pass the lower chamber of Congress in Donald Trump’s presidency, the Fix Our Forests Act would increase the pace and scale of forest management projects by speeding up environmental reviews, deterring frivolous lawsuits. It was reintroduced after passing the House of Representatives last September with overwhelming bipartisan support but did not make it through the Senate, and will need to compete for floor space in the upper chamber before it can be signed into law. It passed the House comfortably in a 279-141 vote but environmental groups said the bill had been “misleadingly” named and would open public lands to massive logging projects under the guise of preventing wildfires. …Robert Dewey, at Defenders of Wildlife said the bill would remove science from land management decisions and weaken protections for endangered species. 

NAHB Press Release: NAHB Commends House Passage of Forestry Bill

The Hill, by Rachel Frazin: Amid raging fires, House passes contentious forestry bill

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Fireforest: A new film on forest management and wildfire

Prevention Web
January 24, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

COLORADO — To create a society in balance with fire, we need to be able to imagine it. Unfortunately, for the last century, we’ve been saturated with news and stories about the worst aspects of fire. We need new stories about fire, stories that depict us as more than helpless victims or warriors against it. We need to see ourselves as stewards of the land so that we can coexist with fire. For the last four years, I poured my heart and soul into telling a story that demonstrates this. In 2020, the Cameron Peak Fire was racing uncontrollably towards communities in northern Colorado. When it reached the footprints of a prescribed burn and forest thinning treatment, a near miracle occurred. When I heard what happened, I knew that it needed to be shared far and wide. After four years of filming and editing, that film, Fireforest, is now freely available online.

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Why Trump won’t let Newsom off the hook for raking the forest

By Camille von Kaenel
Politico
January 24, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been cleaning up the state’s forests since President Donald Trump told him to the last time he visited a big California wildfire in 2020. But as Trump touches down in Los Angeles on Friday to view the latest damage, forest management remains a political vulnerability for Newsom that Republicans have capitalized on since the wildfires started — and that Democrats have struggled to defend against. Trump’s repeated chastisements of Newsom to “manage your forests” echoes in-state Republicans’ longstanding argument that Newsom and Democrats aren’t doing enough to clear overgrown flammable brush and trees from the state’s forests. Some Republicans have taken up Trump’s idea of holding disaster aid hostage for policy concessions… Trump himself has repeated the familiar cudgel, telling Fox News, “Remember, I took criticism when I said, ‘You have to manage your forests.’ … Look at what happened in Los Angeles. It’s like a nuclear weapon went off.”

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Earth’s Largest Organism Slowly Being Eaten, Scientist Says

By Richard Elton Walton
The Conversation
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

In the Wasatch Mountains of the western US on the slopes above a spring-fed lake, there dwells a single giant organism that provides an entire ecosystem on which plants and animals have relied for thousands of years. Found in my home state of Utah, “Pando” is a 106-acre stand of quaking aspen clones. Although it looks like a woodland of individual trees with striking white bark and small leaves that flutter in the slightest breeze, Pando (Latin for “I spread”) is actually 47,000 genetically identical stems that arise from an interconnected root network. This single genetic individual weighs around 6,000 metric tons. By mass, it is the largest single organism on Earth. Although Pando is protected by the US National Forest Service and is not in danger of being cut down, it is in danger of disappearing due to several other factors.

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Inclusion of indigenous voices in revised Northwest Forest Plan focus of symposium

By Ryan Bonham
KEZI News 9 Oregon
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The Northwest Forest Plan is undergoing a once-in-a-generation amendment process and a symposium held on Wednesday afternoon on the University of Oregon campus worked to make sure that vital voices are included in the process. The symposium brought together multiple groups to make sure that the voices of indigenous communities, environmental justice advocates, and others are included in the forest plan’s amendment process. The goal is to educate the community about the critical importance of including indigenous perspectives and indigenous leadership in solving the climate and wildfire crisis affecting northwest forests… Nearly 280 people attended the symposium that was held in the Redwood Auditorium at the Erb Memorial Union. More details on the symposium can be found on the University of Oregon’s website.

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What makes a neighbourhood resilient to fires?

By Umair Irfan
Vox
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Yana Valachovic

Wildfires are a fact of life in California. As the flames die down and residents return, this moment presents an opportunity to think more holistically about reducing wildfire risk in Los Angeles and other fire-prone regions. “There’s a lot that we can do as residents and homeowners to really change that trajectory and make small, often inexpensive actions that can make a big difference in changing the outcome when our buildings are exposed to the pathways of wildfire,” said Yana Valachovic, a fire scientist at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network… “I’m a licensed professional forester, so I will share my bias that I do like wood. We grow a lot of trees in California. It is our available natural resource, and I think it’s important to be able to use what you have in your community. The wood itself is combustible, but there are treatments that can make it fire-resistant.”

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WA’s new lands chief hits pause on controversial timber sales

By Lynda Mapes
The Seattle Times in the Daily News
January 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Dave Upthegrove

OLYMPIA — On his first day as Washington’s new commissioner of public lands… Dave Upthegrove knew one thing he would do right away: make good on a campaign promise by pausing for about six months on cutting unprotected, older forests on state trust land. …Upthegrove said he will direct his staff at the Department of Natural Resources to get a better handle on the older unprotected forests managed by the state: where they are, how much there is, and what criteria defines them. Some forests, or portions of them, might be released for cutting before the pause is up, depending on what is learned, Upthegrove said. The pause doesn’t mean the state will cut less timber overall, but it will change where the agency harvests, and what type of trees DNR cuts, Upthegrove said. …Nick Smith, with the American Forest Resource Council, an industry group, was skeptical. …Upthegrove’s decision to retain so many of the agency’s professional staff is reassuring, Smith said, and “we appreciate that he is accessible and willing to talk.”

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Gov. Kotek, state agencies brace for Trump impact on expanse of federal land in Oregon

By Alex Baumhardt
Oregon Capital Chronicle
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

…President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders aimed at boosting fossil fuels production and mining on federal land… 60% of Oregon forests is owned by the federal government — and it’s managed primarily by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. The two agencies oversee more than 32 million acres in the state, and federal agencies are responsible for funneling hundreds of millions of dollars to the state to manage those areas, including protecting endangered or threatened species. State and federal land often spill over borders, requiring federal collaboration with Oregon agencies and leaders, who espouse environmental values at odds with those of Trump. Gov. Tina Kotek, her natural resources advisor, Geoff Huntington, and the heads of Oregon’s environmental protection and natural resource agencies said they’ve been planning for this second Trump presidency. …[Both] told the Capital Chronicle they are hopeful for collaboration but prepared for conflict. 

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Louisiana forests are lush with trees, agency encourages industry to use them

By Shannon Heckt
Louisiana First News
January 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana produces 70% more forests than it is cutting down. The Forestry Association is trying to encourage industry to utilize those resources, including renewable fuel makers. The state has been working on reforestation closely since the 1940s when the issue of losing critical timber came to a head. With paper mills closing up shop over the years, Louisiana Forestry Association Executive Director Buck Vandersteen said the state is nearing a forest level that will be hard to manage against disease and wildfires. Vandersteen talked about four mills that are in the works of opening in some of the northern parishes in the state. Those companies harvest the larger trees for hardwood. Smaller brush and trees offer an opening for the biofuel industry to thrive. …With the Trump administration … undoing the push towards renewable energy, there is a question of how this will impact the industry in Louisiana.

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Wildfires are ravaging Southern California. What is Georgia’s risk?

My Meris Lutz and Drew Kann
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 24, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Controlled burns are a key to Georgia’s strategy of preventing the kind of wildfires that are devastating the Los Angeles area… The fires in LA, fueled by historic drought and powerful Santa Ana winds, have raised questions about the vulnerabilities of other communities, particularly as human development spreads into wildlands. More frequent and more costly natural disasters, such as wildfires, have also contributed to surging home insurance costs nationwide. …Georgia lately has been averaging about 1,200 wildfires a year — a historical low, said Johnny Sabo, director of the Georgia Forestry Commission, which issues permits for controlled burns under proper conditions. He credited the state’s overall response and management for preventing most of those fires from getting out of hand. In Georgia, more than 90% of the state’s woodlands are in private hands, including commercial timberland that generates billions in economic impact each year, according to the forestry commission.

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How Do Wildfires Impact Water Quality?

By Andrew Moore
North Carolina State University
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

As climate change spawns hotter and drier conditions, scientists are warning that intense and repeated wildfires could affect the quantity and quality of water available. Research shows that wildfires are getting bigger and more destructive as climate change intensifies drought conditions and creates large areas of dry fuels that are more likely to ignite and carry fire. High-intensity wildfires can increase the susceptibility of watersheds to runoff and erosion and can have detrimental impacts on water supplies, including increased treatment costs, need for alternative supplies and diminished reservoir capacity. These impacts can last anywhere from months to years after a wildfire has been contained. …But high-intensity wildfires can remove vegetation and reduce the ability of soils to take up water, according to Ge Sun, a hydrologist with the U.S. Forest Service and professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources.

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New iForester application puts tree knowledge in the public’s pockets

By Emily Matchar
Purdue University
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Imagine you’re a landowner with dozens or hundreds of mature hardwood trees — not a stretch, since the majority of forestland in the U.S. is privately owned. If you want to know the trees’ value, you’ll need to hire a professional forester. What if, before you start working with the forester, you could gain preliminary information about the trees’ value and other features with your phone? That’s the hope behind iForester, an app developed by Purdue University’s Song Zhang, a professor of mechanical engineering, and Cheryl Qian, a professor of industrial design, in collaboration with Songlin Fei, director of the Institute for Digital Forestry. The idea for the app was born over dinner at a colleague’s house about three years ago. The two began to discuss the digital divide in forestry — the way some members of society, especially rural residents, don’t have equal access to new technology.

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Restoring the States pine marten population

By Shauna Johnson
WJFW-TV12
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced millions of dollars in grants, including for one project focusing on pine marten habitat in northern Wisconsin’s Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) gave $690,000. GLIFWC, the Universities of Wisconsin, and the U.S. Forest Services are contributing approximately $170,000. Charlie Rasmussen, GLIFWC Director of Communications said in Wisconsin, martens and are both State and tribally threatened species. Martens are nocturnal weasels that weigh between 2 and 3lbs. “Theres’s research being done right now as to why Wisconsin martens are not fairing as well as Michigan and Minnesota Martens,” said Rasmussen. “Theres’s research being done right now as to why Wisconsin martens are not fairing as well as Michigan and Minnesota Martens,” said Rasmussen. …This project is a combined effort between communities and tribes working together to recover the threatened species,” said Rasmussen.

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Calls for end to logging in NSW state forests assessed for the Great Koala National Park

By Jesse Hyland
ABC News, Australia
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Meredith Stanton has an undeniable love for the forests within her local community. …The long-time conservationist has resided next to Clouds Creek State Forest on the NSW Mid North Coast for more than 40 years. While logging in Clouds Creek was suspended early last year, Ms Stanton has watched operations continue in nearby forests such as Sheas Nob State Forest. Clouds Creek and Sheas Nob are among multiple state forests in the region earmarked for the Great Koala National Park. … However, ecologists have expressed frustration over the slow progress and the continuation of logging by Forestry Corporation. …Forestry Corporation rejected the findings that there had been accelerated logging. “There has been no increase in timber harvesting in the area subject to assessment for the park,” a spokesperson said.

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WWF blasts Sweden, Finland over logging practices

France24
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Sweden and Finland are not doing enough to protect their primary and old-growth forests, falling short of EU commitments, the World Wildlife Fund said in a report. “Thousands of hectares of forests with high conservation value are logged each year, despite their importance for climate stability, biodiversity, and long-term ecological health,” said the WWF. …Private forest owners insist they are complying with current legislation and that their felling of trees is sensible. “Nobody cuts down trees just for the fun of it,” Magnus Kindbom, forestry director at the Federation of Swedish Farmers said. “It’s because there’s a need in society. “And if we didn’t use wood products, which have no negative impact on the climate, then we would have to use more fossil fuels,” he added. “That’s the dilemma we face: how to find the best compromise between having access to more biomass and understanding its impact on biodiversity.”

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