Category Archives: Forestry

Stillwater Consulting and Lil’wat Forestry Ventures (LFV) have partnered to deliver two fully funded, six-week training programs on wildfire and community resilience at the Ts̓zil Learning Centre in Mount Currie. Students will learn from LFV staff, Lil’wat elders and a dozen instructors brought in by Stillwater over six weeks of training in forestry and wildfire mitigation. Those hours will be split between class time and hands-on experience. “It’s set to get people ready to work in the field,” LFV general manager Klay Tindall told Pique. “It’s not to get them ready to work in an office, that’s for sure.” …The program also expands beyond core wildfire fighting skills with additional certifications involving working safely under power lines, bear safety, danger tree assessment, and natural resource field studies like silviculture and tree planting. Tindall said the broader approach is meant to ensure students are employable outside of the fire season. 

One of the biggest policy changes needed in B.C. is to forestry policy. B.C. policy for the last 50 years has resulted in a rapid clear-cutting of a large part of our forests even as all the research indicates that: Within a 60-80 year time span, only 20-30 per cent of forests can be cut in any one area without harming the hydrological cycle. On this basis, most BC commercial forests have been severely over-cut making a mockery of the Annual Allowable Cut. …Clear-cutting results in increased risk of forest fires up to 30 years when replanted. …Re-planting is a form of green-washing giving companies cover for the forest damage they do. …Due to the increase in forest fires partially due to logging, BC forests have [become a] carbon source. …The Power of Forests: Protecting Communities and Nature with a New Forest Act effort was launched by the Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society.

It’s been almost a year since the B.C. NDP government moved to snuff out a growing political brush fire sparked by the latest and largest step in its bid to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People across the province. Changes to the province’s little-known Land Act were abruptly withdrawn by the government in February 2024 after a series of opposition town hall meetings brought out big crowds demanding answers on the implications. Premier David Eby’s promise of more consultation before moving ahead with what it termed shared decision-making on Crown land meant that if it was successful in the election, the NDP would move ahead. …Indigenous rights initiatives tend to start in B.C. and extend across the country. …Enshrining the UN declaration started here, and Justin Trudeau’s government followed suit, with a yet-undefined law to implement it across the federal government as B.C. has begun to do. 

Our new forest minister has been touring the North, trying to learn about forestry, and I hope, forests. I sure hope someone is telling him about the need to stop clearcutting Douglas fir forests… Douglas fir represent only two per cent of our forests in the Prince George Timber Supply Area. It’s a relatively fire-resistant conifer species with good biodiversity values we could use more of, not less… Douglas fir seedlings have a higher rate of failure compared to lodgepole pine. They are vulnerable to frost damage. During heatwaves the sun can cook them… This report identified another threat to Douglas fir regeneration: the elimination of our critical deciduous species. Douglas Fir, the report argues, are protected and enhanced by the deciduous “brush” that we currently eliminate from our regenerating stands, either with herbicides or with brush saws.

On January 30, the Parks and Open Spaces Department will begin safety work on the Grandfather Tree following its fall during the windstorm earlier this month. To ensure public safety, the Grandfather Tree trail will be temporarily closed to all bicycle and pedestrian traffic during this time. The Town of Cochrane kindly asks residents and visitors to respect posted signage and follow any guidance provided by staff working in the area… Propagation specialists have successfully collected seeds and meristem cuttings from the top of the tree. They are working closely with a grower to propagate the seed and are also exploring innovative tissue culture micropropagation techniques to create potential clones of the tree. These efforts aim to preserve the Grandfather Tree’s unique genetic legacy for future generations.

This is the beginning of convention season and that means many opportunities to learn, connect, and hear from government officials, project partners, and community organizations about problems, policies, and possibilities for the sector. The mood, thus far, is introspective, with reviews planned for BC Timber Sales and the forest sector in general. …At FESBC, we are reviewing applications for funding over the next two years. Demand for funding currently far exceeds supply. In this newsletter: A safety tip from the BC Forest Safety Council; Faces of Forestry features Erin McLeod; Information on FESBC’s 2025-27 second round of funding; Impact and benefits of the Pressy Lake Pilot Project; Nakusp & Area Community Forest’s wildfire risk reduction projects; and a podcast feature from the University of Northern British Columbia Forestry Club.

The BC government has approved a legal order to extend temporary protections to an old-growth forest on Vancouver Island even as the minister of forests acknowledged that the RCMP are investigating reports of tree spiking. Ravi Parmar called the news of such vandalism “incredibly alarming.” Spikes are typically metal and can injure or even kill a person who attempts to cut down or mill the tree. …The minister said spiking puts health and safety of forestry workers at risk, adding that the province immediately notified both the forestry licensee and the local First Nation. “It is outrageous that… they feel that causing serious injury to workers furthers their cause,” said Brian Butler, president of United Steelworkers Local 1-1937. The provincial government’s announcement… came at the request of the Pacheedaht First Nation, whose territories encompass the entire watershed. The protections allow for continued discussions about the long-term management of the watershed.

Related coverage:

• Province extends Fairy Creek old-growth deferral – Government of BC
• Minister’s statement on RCMP investigation in Fairy Creek – Government of BC
• Photos of spiked trees in Fairy Creek sent to Forests Ministry – Roxanne Egan-Elliot in Times Colonist

…changes in climate are expected to drive wildlife seeking refuge up mountains and further north. But for trees… the changes in climate are often coming too fast to get out of the way, especially when combined with pressures from logging, said Suzanne Simard, a professor in the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Forestry. …In a new study published in Global Change Biology, Simard and her UBC colleagues took three-year-old interior Douglas fir seedlings from locations in southern B.C. and planted them as far north as Fort St. James, the northern limit of the species’ range … to find out how the trees would handle the human-assisted migration, and if they would do better in a colder climate.  …As early as 2006, University of Alberta researcher Andreas Hamann published a study that concluded climate change could push the range of B.C.’s tree species north at a rate of 100 kilometres per decade.  

Ten hectares of community and Crown forest in Kaslo are ready to champion the next wildfire season, following a nearly $100,000 risk-reduction project. The Kaslo and District Community Forest Society (KDCFS) has wrapped up nearly two years of wildfire mitigation work on eight hectares of its land and two hectares of Crown land, which have a popular bike trail network and were deemed high-risk areas in Kaslo’s wildland-urban interface. Risk reduction efforts included fuel reduction by removing select trees and forest debris, with support and $96,900 in funding from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC. According to KDCFS manager Jeff Reyden, this was a “full-phase” project that started in spring of 2023 and included surveying wildfire assessment plots, consulting with the community, and creating a fuel-management prescription document with detailed instructions and objectives.

VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board has completed its audit of BC Timber Sales (BCTS) and Timber Sale Licence (TSL) holders in the Haida Gwaii Natural Resource District. A compliance audit examined all forestry planning and activities carried out in the area between May 1, 2022, and May 31, 2024. The parties complied with most legislative requirements with two exceptions. Auditors found BCTS was not diligent in inspecting approximately 90 kilometres of its roads and structures in its Sewell Inlet operating area. …Following the audit, BCTS inspected these roads … and has committed to working with the Ministry of Forests and the Haida Nation to develop road deactivation plans as needed. …Auditors found all three TSL holders audited had abated fire hazards within the required period. However, two TSL holders did not complete the required number of fire-hazard assessments and did not conduct fuel-hazard assessments on time. This is considered an area requiring improvement…

In this newsletter you’ll find these stories and more:

• Become a Member: At the BCCFA, we are honoured to advocate for our members and community forestry in BC. Membership is open to all who are interested in supporting community forestry in BC.
• Mandate Letter for the Minister of Forests states: “Work to secure a more sustainable future for First Nations and communities that depend on local forests for their economic strength by expanding the community forest program.”  
• Join us in Nanaimo for our 2025 Conference & Annual General Meeting
• BC Wildfire Service released their 2024 wildfire season summary

Keith Atkinson

Issue #28 – Winter 2024/25 includes these stories and more:

• Message from board chair, Keith Atkinson
• The Secret Life of Board Members, by Bruce Larson
• Audit Program Update: In 2024, we released four audit reports
• Complaint Investigation Program: In 2024, we received 7 complaints and dealt with 48 concerns from members of the public. 
• New Special Projects: The Board has approved two new special investigations 
• Appeals Program: The Board did not initiate or join an appeal in 2024. However, we are currently still participating in two appeals
• Recommendations: The Board tracks the implementation of its recommendations and posts all responses to our recommendations with the relevant report on our website.
• People: Since 2023, we have had staff members retire or transition to new roles outside of our organization, necessitating the need for new staff to assume these positions. 

The Court of Appeal for British Columbia upheld zoning restrictions on privately managed forest lands on Galiano Island, affirming the local trust committee’s authority to prohibit residential development despite provincial legislative changes allowing limited residential use. The court’s ruling reaffirmed the Galiano Island Local Trust Committee’s authority to restrict residential development on forest lands. The dispute dates back to 2000 when the committee adopted bylaw no. 127, which prohibits residential use in the “Forest 1 Zone.” The appellants, owners of privately managed forest land, argued that the bylaw was invalid or inapplicable due to subsequent provincial legislation, including the 2004 Private Managed Forest Land Act.

With Moose Jaw’s Dutch elm trees “struggling” because of disease, city hall is hoping that hiring two more forestry staff will enable crews to address symptomatic trees and remove dead wood promptly. During a recent 2025 budget meeting, city council voted unanimously to allocate $72,356 to the community service department’s operating budget to expand staffing in the forestry division. This funding will help the city provide a full-time, four-person crew for 30 weeks per year and a two-person crew for 22 weeks during the fall and winter, a budget report said. More staff — there is currently a two-person, year-round crew — would improve response times for service requests, shorten tree pruning cycles, enhance public safety, reduce property damage and promote the urban forest’s long-term health.

As the challenges facing the West Kootenay’s forestry sector deepen, many have expressed concern over the potential for significant job losses. Tom Thomson, executive director of the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce (NDCC), highlighted the potential ripple effects of the proposed 25 per cent tariffs from the U.S. “Forestry jobs are the backbone of Nelson,” said Thomson. “ If those jobs disappear the ripple effects are felt everywhere…It trickles down.” “It’s a bit too early to say for sure,” he added. “It could lead to huge layoffs in the forestry and manufacturing areas.”.. The provincial government has stated through a preliminary assessment that they project to lose $69 billion in economic growth between 2025 and 2028. They also proposed that the province’s gross domestic product (GDP) could decline by 0.6 per cent each year, with an estimated 124,000 job losses by 2028.

Stu Montgomery, left, Tom Rose and Michael Leahy

You can add the names of the three men who planted it to the long list of people opposed to the City of Victoria removing a giant sequoia to make way for a re-imagined Centennial Square. Tom Rose, Mike Leahy and Stu Montgomery, the three-man city horticulture crew that planted the tree on a late-winter day in the early 1980s, say they just don’t understand why it has to come down. “It’s a waste,” said Montgomery, 67, who retired in 2012 from the city after 37 years tending boulevards, sports fields and a stint overseeing Centennial Square. “It doesn’t make any sense.” The tree and the fountain would both be removed in a proposed $11.2-million redesign of the 60-year-old civic landmark.