Category Archives: Forestry

I feel the need to respond to a column appearing on the Eagle Valley News (Ancient cedar stands at risk in Shuswap’s own Fairy Creek). … We recognize that British Columbians are passionate about protecting at-risk old growth and we share that passion, but we also believe there were viable options to find a balance that most people in our province could support. … Truck Loggers Association of B.C. has called for a collective vision for forestry and on the issue of old growth – that would ensure the livelihood of B.C. forest workers and resource communities while also addressing society’s expectations of BC’s forest-management. … That’s why we were so disheartened to see the government’s announcement on old-growth deferrals … It is incomprehensible that a parallel socio-economic analysis to quantify the impact … had not been done prior to this decision.

The City of Terrace has joined many in asking BC’s government to reevaluate a recent Old Growth Logging Deferral plan. … Council agreed to write a letter of support in favour of a request made by the Northwest Loggers Association… [asking] the province for a reset on Old Growth strategy discussions which would bring all stakeholders back to the table. A poorly defined plan was released by the province … listing some 2.6 million cubic metres of forests as deferral areas. But the Association says that not only was the science that led to that plan spotty at best, but it doesn’t account for many factors, such as size, or the state and age of the trees themselves. They also say that a government job loss prediction could… be as high as 18,000. More than 140 million dollars in economic activity could be lost in the area around Terrace alone under the current proposal.

Lake Cowichan RCMP are investigating after a piece of logging equipment valued at about $500,000 by fire in the Carmanah area.   The machine, called a buncher, was found with fire damage the morning of Nov. 11 about 5:30 a.m. It had been in use in a remote area near the First Nation community of Ditidaht, about two hours from the Lake Cowichan RCMP detachment.  The Vancouver Island District General Investigation Section was called in to help with the case.  “They conducted a thorough exam of the machine’s cab and the engine compartment to determine where and how this fire started,” said Const. Shannon Savinkoff. “We are fortunate that this occurred during a time of heavy rainfall and no areas of the forest caught fire.”  [End of story]

Nearly every one of the last 20 forest ministers, going back 35 years, has stood up at one point or another and indignantly denied that forestry is a sunset industry.  … The NDP spent years in opposition building that perception. The one industry statistic that is top of mind with every NDP MLA, and repeated incessantly, is that 30,000 jobs were lost in the woods during the B.C. Liberals’ 17 years in office.  But thousands more vanished during the NDP terms in the 1990s, and job losses were an issue in the 1980s as well.  Now, one year into a majority government, the NDP is executing a major remake of forestry policy. It’s a remarkable power play that involves jamming two lengthy, major bills, more than 200 pages in total, through a fall sitting of the legislature. That sitting is normally devoted to routine business, not major legislation rewrites.

Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson says plans are in the works to present a counter-proposal to the provincial government on the old growth forest deferrals in the area.  Simpson raised the issue at tonight’s (Tuesday) City Council meeting.  He said that West Fraser had indicated that it could potentially have a significant impact on their operations if it proceeds as proposed in the maps.  “What West Fraser believes is if we actually make some of those contiguous areas, if you actually take a look at things like ancient and rare and true old growth characteristics on a more contiguous land base, it would free up some of their operating areas while still achieving the spirit and intent of what the government is trying to do, and even better than what the government is trying to do.”  

Cranbrook and Kimberley youth teamed up this year to help reduce wildfire risks in both communities. The outcomes of their findings will be used to implement strategies for future mitigation projects. Wildsight’s Youth Climate Corps (YCC) crew recently participated in the wildfire mitigation project alongside wildland fire ecologist Robert Gray. Youth surveyed local forests that have received some form of treatment in the past, and focused on areas where possible fuel for wildfire have been cleared. YCC surveyed over 600 plots, providing approximately 2,000 hectares worth of wildfire information. The work completed will help create more resilient forests with benefits for both people and wildlife … Gray says that this is important work, of which there is no dedicated funding for currently. … Wildsight’s YCC program provides young adults with paid training and work skills while they complete climate-related projects.

If a forestry worker loses their job, does anybody hear? … The recently announced proposal to protect an additional 2.5 million hectares of old growth forest on top of the 3.5 million hectares will drive a nail in the coffin of the local industry. The vocal minority appear to be dictating policy as the taxpaying forestry worker is too busy at their jobs to play an active role in demonstrations. Meantime, the NDP has turned their back on the blue collar and union workers while courting the green vote. … I have been in the industry for 34 years [and have] heard first-hand the concerns from environmental groups and global customers. This resulted in sizeable downsizing of the industry over the past three decades to meet sustainable levels and land use criteria. … Any further down-sizing will result in loss of scale for the industry resulting in massive job loss. There will be no turning back.

David Hoy, Judy Greenaway & Bob Motion

A familiar forestry company will continue to work with the District of Fort St. James on their Community Forest. On Nov. 15, the district awarded a five-year contract for the management of the Community Forest tenure to K&D Logging. “The District of Fort St. James is pleased to continue our partnership with K&D Logging,” Mayor Bob Motion said … “They have shown themselves to be a community-minded company committed to working with the District of Fort St. James …” K&D Logging has proudly been a partner with the district since the inception of the Community Forest 20 years ago, according to general manager Andrew Hoy. “We are very excited to continue and grow this partnership focusing on achieving the municipal and provincial government goals for the Community Forest program”. 

The BC Council of Forest Industries and partner Canadian Forest Industries Magazine announced their sixth annual forestry photo contest is now open for submissions. This year’s photo contest calls for submissions that illustrate the sector’s deep commitment to sustainability and being part of the climate change solution. “The forest industry has been foundational to BC’s economy for generations and supports 100,000 good jobs in communities big and small all across BC. …With increasing global demand for low-carbon products from sustainably managed forests, we are excited to celebrate those who are driving innovation in the industry…” says Susan Yurkovich, President and CEO.

The Vernon School District says Douglas-fir beetle has infested a wood lot it holds near Lumby, and the trees will be logged. The wood lot licence is held through a subsidiary company that supports the district’s educational forestry program at Lumby’s Charles Bloom Secondary. Tolko has entered an agreement to harvest the trees and purchase the wood. “Harvesting will commence this winter, before the end of February,” the district adds. Charles Bloom principal, Melissa Yurkowski, president of the district’s holding company, says she’s “pleased with the potential experience this project will offer students, as well as the proactive measures towards reducing forest fuels and risk during forest fire season.”

Huu-ay-aht First Nations has decided to postpone the Old Growth Summit until 2022, following the announcement of the State of Emergency by the Province of BC. Tayii Ḥaw̓ił ƛiišin (Head Hereditary Chief Derek Peters) and Chief Councillor Robert Dennis, Sr. will host the Anacla Old-Growth Summit in the new year when it is safe and practical for people to travel again. At that time, the Nation looks forward to holding the Summit to address important issues such as old-growth management and process for Huu-ay-aht’s Hišuk ma c̕awak Integrated Resource Management Plan. “Safety of the panel, invited guests, and our team is always our top priority,” explained Tayii Ḥaw̓ił ƛiišin. “We must honour the new measures put into place this week by the province.”

Thanks to the work of a forest campaigner, Eddie Petrashen, from the Kootenay environmental group Wildsight, we are now aware of the plans to log the remaining stands of giant, ancient red cedars in the Upper Seymour River watershed that provide critically important early winter habitat for mountain caribou.  While this area is not a nearly pristine valley like the contentious Fairy Creek, it does contain the Shuswap region’s most at-risk old growth forest that needs to be protected.  …Here in the Shuswap, over 77,000 hectares are recommended for deferral, but many of these areas cover forest stands that are already protected in parks and old growth management zones. The public is being led to believe this initiative will save the best of the last big trees, but instead it misses the ancient forests most at risk.

The closure of recreational areas affected by one of the biggest wildfires in the history of the regional district is being recommended by a provincial report. A Ministry of Forests… post wildfire risk analysis reconnaissance report for the Michaud Creek and Octopus Creek wildfires said the risk of waterborne hazards will be so high that it recommended recreational closures for the next three years. High flood risk will so affect Gladstone, Van Houten and Octopus Hotsprings recreation sites that B.C. Recreation Sites and Trails should consider closing them, the report stated. The Octopus Creek wildfire resulted in large areas of highly burned forest in watersheds which were already prone to debris flooding, noted report author Sarah Crookshanks. …The elements at risk within the watersheds are limited to recreation sites, roads/bridges and several parcels of private property,” she wrote. 

PRINCE GEORGE- Applications are now open for the $50,000 CNC Research Forest Society legacy fund. CNC is seeking applications for projects with a focus on environmental improvement, renewable natural resource education and/or outreach programs, outdoor recreation improvement, or social/environmental commitment to local communities. “The CNC Research Forest was founded on the principles of providing new research and learning opportunities for natural resource and forestry students at CNC,” said Tara Szerencsi, CNC Vice President Finance and Corporate Services. “This legacy fund extends the benefits of the Research Forest as we watch projects with long-term community impact develop and grow.” The first legacy fund, worth $45,000 was awarded to the Young Rainbow Warriors Society last year. …Funding is made available through the harvest and sale of the spruce beetle affected timber within the Research Forest located north of PG. 

Forestry industry workers in the Bulkley Valley and beyond are striking back against potential logging deferrals on 2.6 million hectares of old-growth forest around the province. On Nov. 18, dozens of logging trucks and other vehicles made three loops of Smithers … honking horns and sporting signs such as “Forestry feeds my family” and “BC is built on forestry.” Organizers said the demonstration was to raise awareness of how important the industry is to the Bulkley Valley and the devastating impact it could have the local economy. They said they were impressed by the turnout and emotionally touched by the show of support from the community. …In addition to raising public awareness and drumming up community support, the forestry industry workers were also looking for support from the Town of Smithers. …Two other rallies had been planned for Nov. 18, but were cancelled due to the flooding taking place in the south. 

Climate change helped flooding, but the extent of the damage done is mainly the responsibility of BC’s out-of-control logging industry. …If forest fires are an important factor in flooding and water damage to infrastructure—and the scientists tell us that they are—then BC is likely in for a hell of a ride in the coming years. …In short, the government’s current obsession with “export competitiveness” is leading directly to hell. …The cost of the flooding in Merritt and Princeton alone will likely be in the hundreds of millions. …The wise thing to do next…would be to reduce the amount of logging in BC. …The financial and emotional costs of flooded-out lives will just have to be paid. But who will pay? Not the logging companies who caused it. …The cost of mitigating climate change will become another part of the immense public subsidization of logging in BC. 

Additional coverage in:
The Kelowna Daily Courier, letter by Taryn Skalbania: We’re clear-cutting away our defences to mudslides, floods
East Kootenay News Online, by Gerry Warner: Floods devastating B.C. are no accident

…Did climate change cause the storm that engulfed much of B.C.? Certainly it contributed. Another factor is logging, which has left the landscape denuded of the forests that absorb rainwater and mitigate the effects of torrential rainstorms. …Peter Wood, a PhD in forestry from the University of Toronto, wrote a report titled Intact Forest, Safe Communities, that described how intact forests mitigate floods: they “serve as giant sponges, absorbing, storing, and then releasing water slowly, providing for year-round moisture, cool micro-climates, and water purification.” Last year, Insurance Business Canada magazine quoted Younes Alila, a forest management professor at UBC, saying logging at higher elevations in mountainous areas can increase the frequency of flooding events downstream. …B.C. may wish to protect more of its intact forests, to soak up water. That said, governments require timber companies to ensure forests grow back, often by planting trees. Can we replace what we have cut? We can try. 

Atmospheric rivers of the kind that flooded British Columbia will become larger — and possibly more destructive — because of climate change, scientists said. Columns in the atmosphere hundreds of miles long carry water vapor over oceans … in amounts more than double the flow of the Amazon River… These “rivers in the sky” are relatively common …But warming air and seas around the globe causes conditions that scientists said will make them hold more moisture, causing extreme precipitation when they make landfall… Atmospheric rivers will become about 10% less frequent by the end of this century, but about 25% longer and wider… They are not always catastrophic. In California it helped replenish depleted reservoirs and reduced the risk of wildfires by saturating the state’s parched vegetation. …But when heavy precipitation falls on fire-ravaged areas the results can be devastating. … The fires leave a thick layer of water-repellent ash along forest floors.

Immortality for John (Marty) Kranabetter has come in the form of a mushroom. The fungal ecologist from Saanich discovered a previously unknown mushroom species in a mature mixed forest near Smithers in 2009. The pale grey, medium-sized basidiomata, with stout stem and rounded-gilled cap, is now officially known as Cortinarius kranabetteri — but to friends and family and fellow mycologists, it’s just “Marty’s mushroom.” …Kranabetter collected two samples of the mushroom in the Smithers region while doing soil diversity studies for the province in boreal forest also containing spruce and pine. The mushroom was a symbiotic species. There was another sample taken by a mycologist southwest of Hinton, Alta., in 2011, but the mushroom’s complete range and just how prolific its numbers might be isn’t clear. …fungal diversity makes mushroom hunting an adventure, said Kranabetter, who leads public workshops and outings.

VANCOUVER – The RCMP had spent more than $3.7 million by Aug. 31 to enforce a court injunction against old-growth-logging opponents camped out in the Fairy Creek watershed on southern Vancouver Island. The figure comes from an RCMP document obtained by Capital Daily through an access to information request and shared with CTV News Vancouver Island. The vast majority of the cost came from just two line items: “personnel,” which accounted for $2.4 million in expenses, and “transportation and telecommunications,” which cost a little more than $940,000. …Mounties have arrested more than 1,100 people – some of them multiple times – since they began enforcing an injunction against protesters in the watershed in mid-May.

…Cedar Valley Specialty Cuts relies on a steady supply of old-growth cedar, a term the province designates as trees older than 140 years old in the Interior. But with the BC Government’s planned widespread old-growth deferrals, Cedar Valley, along with McBride mills BKB Cedar Manufacturing and Cedar 3 Products and nearly 50 jobs are at risk. Alexander says the biggest problem now is lack of certainty. …In his report, Cam Brown, RPF, MF, lead author of a study released in October says 75 per cent of old-growth areas are already protected or outside the Timber Harvesting Land Base, meaning those forests are already safe from logging. …He says in meetings he sat in with government during the last year, bureaucrats confirmed that of the 2.6M hectares of priority at-risk old growth, half of that, or 1.3M is outside of the Timber Harvesting Land Base.

A few short months after the end of a devastating wildfire season, many B.C. communities are cleaning up after disastrous floods that have swept away highways, triggered deadly landslides, and forced thousands more to evacuate.  While climate change and (bad) luck each had some role to play, previous wildfires are known to boost the risk of disastrous flooding following a heavy rain or snowmelt. One short-term problem is very hot fires form a … water-repellent crust on the soil, due to the dispersion of waxy compounds from rotting vegetation on the forest floor, writes John Clague, emeritus professor of Earth sciences at Simon Fraser University. … According to the B.C. Ministry of Forests, the risk increases if an intense rainfall, such as 10 millimetres or more within 20 or 30 minutes, follows a dry period, which can increase the water repellency of fire-altered soils.

Cheryl Casimer and Chief Terry Teegee

With hundreds of gas pipeline workers trapped behind illegal road blockades in the Smithers area and protesters continuing to disrupt logging on Vancouver Island, the B.C. government is continuing its long project of amending its laws to conform to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In both conflicts, Indigenous protesters assisted by outside activists are defying the wishes of the elected Indigenous leaders. … On Vancouver Island, the … Huu-ay-aht, Dididaht and Pacheedaht First Nations issued a declaration in June that they are taking back control over their traditional territories, starting with logging deferral areas in the Walbran and Fairy Creek watersheds. … Cheryl Casimer, a Ktunaxa member serving on the First Nations Summit political executive, said the changes are “a critical step”in efforts to deal with racism and continue the job of adopting Indigenous rights in all provincial statutes.