Long after the flames have gone out, the effects of large, climate-fuelled wildfires endure in Canada’s boreal forest, making the ground warmer than normal more than a decade later, a study shows. The new research, in the journal Nature, looked at the world’s northern latitude forests, using satellite data and on-site observations to measure surface temperatures in the years after fire events. Concluding, the larger the fire, the longer those warmer temperatures lingered. “We found a widespread warming effect one year after the fire events,” said Xianli Wang, co-author and a fire research scientist at the Canadian Forest Service. “14 years of data shows the residual effects even last that long.” After large fires the burned areas are left blackened, reducing how much sunlight and heat is reflected, akin to an urban heat island in the middle of the forest.
Canada’s wildfire season is on track to be the second largest in at least the past two decades, trailing only last year’s record-breaking season, federal officials said Wednesday. Officials said above-normal temperatures and drought conditions across parts of Canada have continued to drive fire activity, with 5.3 million hectares burned so far, though they caution that number is preliminary. Outside of last year’s roughly 15 million hectares burned, federal records indicate only three other seasons have topped five million hectares, and the last was in 1995. Yan Boulanger, a research scientist with Natural Resources Canada, said climate change has contributed to earlier starts and later ends to the wildfire season, turning fire into a year-round phenomenon. …Western Canada has, as expected, been hit hardest this year, with about 70 per cent of the total area burned falling in British Columbia, Alberta, Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan, officials say.
MONTRÉAL — CDPQ, a global investment group [and the second-largest pension fund in Canada], and Chinook Forest Partners, a natural capital investment manager, announced the launch of a new investment platform that will deploy significant capital to build a diversified and high-quality portfolio of forestland in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. …Established in 2018, the Chinook team is made up of experienced forestland and natural capital investment professionals with comprehensive understanding of the natural capital and landscape investment space, as well as a vast network of landowners, forest products manufacturers, external partners, and natural capital investors across the United States. …Emmanuel Jaclot, Executive VP and Head of Infrastructure at CDPQ said “By investing in forestland, we are not only protecting valuable natural assets but also contributing to the transition towards a greener economy.”
The survey examines Canadians’ views toward the value of trees. The value and role of trees is top of mind as Canadians experience extreme weather events with 79% of Canada agreeing that recent heat waves and warnings have made them think about the importance of trees in our cities to help keep them cooler. In addition, Canadian recognize the important contribution trees make to addressing climate change, keeping Canada’s air and water clean and providing habitat for animals. Download a slideshow with highlights from the survey 
When wildfires ravaged the town of Jasper in July, it wasn’t hard for Banff residents to imagine it happening in their own mountain community. …Parks Canada says there is a combination of factors that are increasing the chance and severity of intense, faster-moving and longer-lasting wildfires that pose a risk to communities in mountain parks. …Parks Canada is taking steps to reduce the risk of wildfires in Banff National Park through several fire management projects in the fall and through the winter. In November, crews will begin thinning a 200-hectare area on Tunnel Mountain, using machines to clear mature pine and spruce trees. The goal is to reduce fuel for fires that could pose a risk to Banff, Harvie Heights and Canmore.
Reconciliation is a provincial imperative, embedded in law, and there is real progress and change. In 2019, government passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act). …Through this work, government is building a province where Indigenous excellence, leadership, governance and self-determination are recognized and respected. …Reconciliation agreements [with significant forestry components] include:
In a 
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Attainable housing in rural communities, forestry jobs and uses for low-value wood are the focus of three awards totaling $3.5 million for the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Community’s (Endowment) first-ever mission related investments. “Mission-related investments enable the Endowment to support the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities while safeguarding our capital and generating positive financial returns,” explained Pete Madden, president and chief executive officer of the Endowment. “By allocating a small portion of our funds typically invested in traditional stocks and bonds, we are strategically investing in businesses and funds that directly benefit forestry and rural communities.” …In 2021, the Endowment’s Board of Directors approved a pilot program to explore expanding the organization’s impact through mission related investments. The Endowment engaged the consulting firm Gordian Knot Strategies to guide the process and in 2022, the Board approved funding for the inaugural mission-related investments.
More than 1 million acres of federal land in central and southern Oregon could soon be leased for solar energy projects. Officials at the federal Bureau of Land Management announced Aug. 29 they had finalized a plan to add Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming to its existing Western Solar Plan — an Obama-era project that expanded permitting for solar projects on federal land. When it was first implemented in 2012, it only included Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The expansion includes 1.1 million acres of land in Oregon that officials deem to be of low risk for any adverse environmental effects from solar installations, and the plots also are within 15 miles of existing or planned transmission lines.
INDIANA — Managing public lands is a balancing act. There are laws, policies, executive orders, local economies, visitor needs, climate change predictions, effects to threatened and endangered species, the protection of cultural resources and sensitive natural areas, tribal consultation, public input, and the latest science to consider when making decisions. …First, it must be noted that our forests are not pristine, nor are they static. Habitat loss and degradation have resulted in major bird declines, including ruffed grouse, American woodcock and a variety of songbirds. We need to reestablish a diversity of forest habitats, from young to old, with a variety of plant species and structural complexity to meet the needs of native wildlife. …We also need to consider the mix of tree species the forest needs on the landscape in the future, as some species are predicted to be more successful than others given our changing climate.
