Bob Brash
In Mark Nielsen’s August 25 article, “Action on Forest Practices Board recommendations lagging, says Conservation North,” an environmental advocacy group suggests ecosystems in the Prince George TSA are “on the brink of collapse” and are at-risk because of industrial logging. We recognize that British Columbians are passionate about protecting biodiverse areas and at-risk, old-growth forests and we share that passion, but it’s time to stop retreating to an over-simplified yes or no, black or white, to-log-or-not-log argument. Timber harvesting is not and should not be distilled down to a simplistic one-answer proposition. At best, it’s very complex, but there are many viable options to find a balance and address forestry issues that are better than the apparent yes or no path those who are opposed to our sector have embarked on along with many environmental advocacy groups continuing to offer “no” as a definitive solution.
WHITEHORSE, YT
Work is underway to enhance forest resilience to protect against the effects of wildfire and climate change in the Thompson-Okanagan region. Through a provincial investment of $25 million, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) has funded 22 new community projects, including eight in the Thompson-Okanagan region. …The $25 million provided to FESBC is a component of $359 million announced in Budget 2022 to protect British Columbians from wildfires, including $145 million to strengthen the BC Wildfire Service and Emergency Management BC. “People across the Okanagan have first-hand experience with the disastrous affects of wildfires, and these investments will take important steps to protect people, communities and land,” said Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee. “Not only will this keep our communities safe, but it will also help ensure that our backcountry areas are environmentally stable and resilient for generations to come.”
CAMPBELL RIVER — Forests Minister Katrine Conroy says it’s been a below-average wildfire season so far this year in British Columbia, but high fire risks are forecast for September. She says the number of wildfires and the area they have burned since April both compare favourably with the 20-year average, with 1,355 fires charring 430 square kilometres this year. That is only about one-sixth of the area burned by 1,515 fires to this date on average, and one-twentieth of the 8,650 square kilometres burned last year, when the province was scorched by the heat-dome weather event. Conroy says 93 per cent of this season’s fires have been extinguished or are under control. Neil McLoughlin, a B.C. Wildfire Service spokesman, says up to 75 per cent of B.C. wildfires were caused by lightning this season, with 98,000 strikes recorded in August.
Join us for the 20th Anniversary of the BCCFA and the 2022 Conference and AGM in Nakusp this fall! We look forward to welcoming our members, colleagues and partners to join us October 19th -21st. This is our first in person event since 2019, and it will be great to be together again to learn, network and celebrate the accomplishments of community forests. ABCFP members are eligible for Continuing Professional Development credits. The Justice Institute of BC workshop will introduce concepts and skills for increasing effective communication and reducing negotiation impasse. The workshop is open to everyone. Two pre-conference tours will feature Kootenay innovation – the Kalesnikoff mass timber mill and the fuel reduction treatments at SIFCo in Slocan Valley. Program details will be posted on the 
The province is falling short of its promise to defer logging in 26,000 hectares of growth forests by leaving some 550 square kilometres of the most precious stands to remain at risk of logging. Stand.earth and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs released the results of an 
We don’t see generals on the front lines
VICTORIA – An investigation of a public complaint about a spruce bark beetle outbreak in north-central B.C. has found that the forest industry is making progress in recovering beetle-damaged timber. The Forest Practices Board recommends that government improve monitoring of industry’s response and report to the public about how the outbreak is being managed. …The complainants are concerned that Canfor and BC Timber Sales are favouring lightly attacked and healthy forests in the Prince George Natural Resource District, rather than harvesting the most severely infested trees, and that this has implications for the region’s future timber supply. “Our investigation found that Canfor and BCTS are making progress in harvesting infested and dead spruce trees, but the complainant’s concerns are still valid,” said Gerry Grant, Forest Practices Board. …“The board is recommending that the ministry implement a monitoring process and publicly report on licensees’ efforts to manage the infestation”.
Environmental group Save Old Growth is defending its reputation after a member claimed she was “emotionally manipulated” into participating in protests and a judge likened its tactics to “using people as cannon fodder.” …Her lawyer, James Wu, told the court Howe was “emotionally manipulated” into participating, has since left UBC’s forestry faculty, and cut off ties with both Save Old Growth and Extinction Rebellion. She and Wu declined an interview, but Wu confirmed his client expressed her remorse in court. …Save Old Growth recruitment organizer Ben Holt said… Save Old Growth understands it may be “thrown under the bus” by members defending themselves in court, but accepts the “unfortunate” reality. “A defence lawyer is going to do what they have to do to get a good outcome for their client,” he said. …“We’re very confident in the systems that we have in how we onboard people,” he said.
If Toronto’s mayoral elections were decided based purely on the number of policy announcements — Gil Penalosa would be the heavy favourite going into this fall’s election. …Penalosa seemingly has a plan for everything: most intriguing, for me: trees and math. The campaign is pitching what they call a 3-30-300 plan. Based on research done by Cecil Konijnendijk, a professor of Urban Forestry at UBC, that can offer significant public health and environmental benefits First, at least three trees should be visible from your home. Second, the tree canopy in every neighbourhood should cover at least 30 per cent of land. Third, you should be no more than 300 metres from the nearest public park or green space. …According to city figures, annual spending on urban forestry… brought tree canopy coverage from 26.6%-28% per cent in 2008, to somewhere between 28.4% and 31% in 2018.
SACRAMENTO, California — A coalition of Mendocino County activists and allies rallied in the state capital on Tuesday, where six were arrested after blocking the doors to the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) headquarters. This was the culmination of a week of actions to “Save Jackson Forest,” which kicked off when Cal Fire announced that it would resume logging with some modifications to those plans, including a pause on cutting larger trees. The announcement came shortly after CNRA debuted a vision for 
…They’re a key part of Pacific Northwest ecosystems, though they rarely dominate the forest, often living alongside firs, hemlocks, alders and maples. These trees are the Pacific Northwest’s iconic western redcedars (Thuja plicata). …They’ve been recorded to live for over 1,500 years. But these trees are now dying. For at least a decade, struggling and dead western redcedars have been reported throughout the Pacific Northwest. But the cause and extent of the dieback (a condition in which a tree or plant begins to die from the tip of its leaves or roots inward) have long remained unknown. Now we have the answers. The dieback is widespread, and the cause appears to be climate change. What’s more, we now know that the dieback could be the beginning of the end for the species in many parts of the Pacific Northwest. …The major climate event impacting the trees, say the researchers, has been the drought. 
A new study from Northern Arizona University shows thinning and regular prescribed burns can help ponderosa pine forests survive both drought and wildfire. The work took place at a thirty-year-old research site on the Fort Valley Experimental Forest north of Flagstaff. …And in this study, the initial thinning was followed by repeated burning every four years. In fact, we’re going to burn it this fall. That repeated burning, that frequent fire interval, is key to the function of this ecosystem. …We actually found that both young and old trees responded to the thinning and grew really fast. That’s not a surprise with young trees. When you open up and make resources available, young trees can tend to thrive and jump on that. …First and foremost, as we work to translate this science, I hope it makes the public feel better about seeing reduction in forest density. 
A newly published study identifies where and when to protect forests with the goal of protecting the maximum number of additional plant species over a 50-year period. The greatest return on investment would come mostly from forest conservation within Melanesia (around New Guinea), South and Southeast Asia, the Anatolian peninsula (Turkey), northern South America and Central America. Many of the highest-conservation-priority areas fall within lower-income tropical countries, so substantial international funding is likely needed to conserve and restore forests. An estimated 80% of the planet’s biodiversity lies within Indigenous peoples’ territories, and securing Indigenous communities’ land rights can be an equitable, low-cost, and effective way to protect the environment.