Category Archives: Forestry

Gibsons Council agreed to request the removal of DL 1313, locally known as the Reed Road forest, from BC Timber Sales (BCTS) timber supply, at its Nov. 16 meeting. The letter to Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development minister Katrine Conroy asks that the area be left as an intact forest to “preserve our watershed and aquifer, essential to our community’s health and wellbeing.” Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) has also submitted requests to have DL 1313 withdrawn from BCTS’s plans. “The community stands united that this forest should remain in its current condition as a functioning forest – not logged,” ELF wrote … The block had been scheduled to go to auction in 2013 and again in January 2019. BCTS withdrew its latest harvest proposal at the request of the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) and other groups, committing to further community dialogue.

A Stand Up BC Forestry Rally planned for today has been postponed due to the flooding throughout the province. “It is with a heavy heart we have had to postpone the rally in Victoria due to the recent catastrophic flooding throughout the province,” said Carl Sweet of the BC Forestry Alliance. “Despite the massive anger we have heard surrounding the B.C. government old growth deferrals announcement, forestry workers will continue to put the needs of their communities first and foremost as they always do.” …“Our expectation is that the Premier and his ministers… halt this old growth deferral process, and do what is right and take a step back for a more balanced, science-based approach to forestry and not bow to the influence and misinformation of special interest groups,” Sweet said. The rally will be rescheduled.

Katrine Conroy

…We know some forests are irreplaceable and need to be preserved for future generations. That’s why our government announced our new vision for how we care for our forests. …In line with this vision and the recommendations from the old growth strategic review, last week I announced our plan to work in partnership with First Nations to defer harvest of 2.6 million hectares of B.C.’s most at-risk, old-growth forests. …As the first step, we’ve asked First Nations rights and title holders to indicate within 30 days how they would like to proceed on the deferrals within their traditional territories. This does not mean that First Nations have only 30 days to decide if they want to defer or not. Instead, we are asking them to tell us next steps, whether it be immediate deferrals or that they require more time and engagement before making a decision. …We will be working with First Nations through established forums and protocols to start this important work.

This week marks another major development in the clash over old-growth forests in B.C. At Fairy Creek, rain-soaked blockaders await a Supreme Court hearing on whether logging firm Teal-Jones’ appeal for an injunction — once rejected — will be overturned. If it stands, that rejection could be “precedent setting,” signalling the “start of a move away from relying on injunctions to enforce prior rights against civil disobedience,” said Matthew Nefstead, a lawyer for the activist group Rainforest Flying Squad. …But Judge Thompson’s decision to reject Teal-Jones’ injunction application may point to a change in that trend. …In Judge Thompson’s decision against continuing the Teal-Jones injunction, he pointed to the prosecution service’s recent commitment to weigh in on civil disobedience, suggesting that the gap didn’t exist after all. “I am not persuaded that there is currently an enforcement gap,” he said.

Our province, as well as the federal government in Ottawa needs to concentrate resources on people and equipment to handle the bad stuff coming our way by an angry and irritated Mother Nature. …Provincially we should be spending more money on forestry technologists who can save us from the logging companies directly responsible for the mud slides because of over-logging on steep and susceptible areas prone to slides. The continued decimation of the forest ministry must stop. Where are all of the 1,500 faculty of forestry students at University of British Columbia going? They certainly don’t seem to be employed here in B.C. Have you ever heard of MLA Katrine Conroy? How often has she appeared in the news? She’s the minister responsible for our forests.

On the heels of a province-wide old growth logging deferral plan, Village of Burns Lake Mayor Dolores Funk held a special meeting with councillors and various members of the local forestry industry to discuss the potential impact to the area. …The general tone of the discussion was one of frustration over the government’s decision, as well fear for the future economic health of the local community. In terms of the financial impact, it’s quite significant according to both Varga and Nielsen should the governments deferral plan go through. BL Comfor is expecting a 5 per cent decrease to its timber harvesting land base. …Chinook is projecting a 6 per cent long term impact. …Councillor Charlie Rensby, “This is going to impact us in some way, shape or form, and I don’t know how much more our forestry industry can handle.” [and per the article]… The logging and trucking convoy protest to the lower mainland on Nov. 18 was postponed due to flooding.

On a piece of forested land near Bannock Point, three kilometres south of Silverton, a forestry experiment will see food crops grown among the trees. Bannock in Bloom is the new site of an agroforestry project announced in January by Kalesnikoff Lumber Company’s Gerald Cordeiro for a forest previously announced just above the cemetery in Nelson. But grizzly bears tend to wander through that area in the spring, and Cordeiro heard public concern about increasing human-bear interactions. The new location, 2.5 hectares of Crown land between the Bannock Point recreation site and Highway 6, is within the forest tenure of the Slocan Integral Forestry Collective (SIFCo), which will collaborate with Kalesnikoff in the project. …Another goal is to create a forest and agriculture ecosystem that would require little maintenance.

Several weeks of rain will serve the forests surrounding Whistler well after an unspeakably dry summer, but work on wildfire prevention and mitigation is never far from mind at municipal hall. “There’s a lot of awareness about the potential, but there’s not a lot of understanding. So that’s our responsibility,” said FireSmart coordinator Scott Rogers in a presentation to council on Nov. 2. “It’s hard to not understand that wildfire is the threat when you see the news, and Lytton burns down, and we hit 40 degrees here in Whistler, and the forest is bone dry in April.” On a scale of one to 10, awareness of the threat of wildfire in Whistler—which is classified as “wildfire risk class one,” with about $19 billion in assets at risk—is “probably a seven, and that’s a fairly good place to be,” Rogers said. …That said, “we need to do more,” Rogers added.

Log drivers will be meeting in Smithers Thursday morning to advocate against the province’s decision to defer logging activity in 2.6 million acres of Old Growth forest … Rick Fuerst is a Log Truck Driver who is part of a concerned citizen group that was formed after this announcement. He says this decision will cause disastrous impacts on communities that rely on the forestry sector. “The BC government is trying to downplay job loss, but this decision puts over 100,000 good paying forest jobs at risk, with the spin-offs being at least five times that number. The consequences for smaller towns who have forestry as their main industry could be absolutely devastating …  the loss of tens of millions of dollars every year the forest industry puts into our local economy from local mills and processing plants would have a devastating effect on every aspect of those jobs and viability of other local businesses and social services.”

Additional coverage in CFNR Network by Jeff Blagden

It is with a heavy heart we postpone the rally in Victoria due to the recent catastrophic flooding throughout the province. Despite the massive anger we have heard surrounding the BC government old growth deferrals announcement, forestry workers will continue to put the needs of their communities first and foremost as they always do. Our expectation is that the Premier and his ministers do the same, halt this old growth deferral process, and do what is right and take a step back for a more balanced, science-based approach to forestry and not bow to the influence and misinformation of special interest groups. …We will be forging ahead to reschedule a large rally in the very near future to express our concerns with a show of unity by all people affected by the old growth deferrals announced and associated misguided deferral process.

Ross Muirhead, ELF

… As thousands of British Columbians remain displaced and under evacuation orders, the province declared a state of emergency Wednesday. As the full extent of the flood damage across the province is being assessed many are questioning what factors might have contributed to such extensive flooding and mudslides, especially after a summer of deadly heat and devastating wildfires. The combination of climate change, clearcut logging and poor forestry practices are being blamed as contributing factors in many communities. … Around the Sunshine Coast, concerns extend beyond washed out roads to the effect of sand and gravel from clearcuts … In a letter sent to BC Timber Sales and the forests ministry, Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) is calling for a complete ban on all planned cutblocks and roadbuilding across the Elphinstone and Gibsons slopes.

Roly Russell

B.C. IS IN THE MIDDLE of an overdue and necessary paradigm shift in our relationship with our forests and the industries and communities who rely upon them. We know we need healthy forests to support healthy communities and to help mitigate the impacts of climate change. …Our B.C. New Democrat government will be providing comprehensive supports for workers and communities, including new short-term employment opportunities, creating more local value-added jobs in the sector and providing funds for those interested in transitioning to retirement. Infrastructure projects in impacted regions will be accelerated and additional resources will also be made available for local economic development opportunities. Our communities deserve stable, innovative forestry jobs for generations. As soon as deferrals are confirmed we will work with communities to develop the supports they need to come out stronger. More so, they deserve diverse, vibrant economies that aren’t based solely on any one industry. 

A lawyer representing protesters opposed to old-growth logging on southern Vancouver Island told a British Columbia Court of Appeal hearing that there are limits to a company’s economic and private rights. Malcolm Funt says B.C. forest company Teal Cedar Products has the right to defend its economic interests, but others also have rights to lawful protest and freedom of expression and movement. …Teal Cedar’s lawyer Dean Dalke told the Appeal Court panel on Monday the company wants the court to uphold the rule of law at protest sites near Fairy Creek on Vancouver Island where more than 1,100 people have been arrested at ongoing protests. …Funt faced several questions Tuesday from the Appeal Court judges about the lower court’s reasons not to grant the injunction extension, especially the suggestion the court’s reputation was damaged by police conduct during the arrests of protesters.

The city of Regina is losing trees — and fast.  In 2020, Regina had a net loss of 356 trees. According to a report, many trees are dying because of the extended drought in the region.   The tree loss trend is continuing into 2021: 519 trees have been removed as of the end of September.   “This is the first year where removals have exceeded plantings in recent memory,” the report reads, in part.  “Environment Canada reports that drought experienced during 2020 was the fourth lowest precipitation amount in the Regina area for 130 years.”  Storms also affected trees this past year in a big way. A total of 663 trees were serviced for summer storm events in 2020. Sixty-three trees were removed and 600 were repaired.  “The 2020 total number of trees repaired or removed for storm events is more than the previous four years combined,” part of the report reads.

Melinda Morben

This week, we introduce Melinda Morben, RPF, senior manager of logistics for Mosaic Forest Management, based in Nanaimo, B.C. Morben’s forestry career started when she was 18 years old, logging in the Interior of B.C. where she ran a processor for three years. She later earned a Forest Resource Technology Diploma from the College of New Caledonia and a Bachelor’s of Science in Forestry at the University of British Columbia. …Melinda then made the move to Mosaic Forest Management, where she has been for more than 10 years, working her way up from quality control supervisor to senior manager, logistics. Now she leads Mosaic’s logistics department… Melinda has been instrumental in driving a partnership to implement electric log truck trials on Vancouver Island… A board member of Canadian Women in Timber and the Log Truck Technical Advisory Committee, Melinda “is a trailblazer for women in the forestry industry”

A devastating string of floods and landslides have shocked residents in British Columbia, a west Canadian province increasingly forced to grapple with the effects of the climate crisis. As images of the devastation circulate on social media, experts warn that management of the province’s forests will be critical to blunting the effects of future storms.  “It’s just this awful feeling of being right – and not wanting to be right. This is exactly what the best available science has predicted for years,” said Peter Wood, author of a recent report on the link between clearcut logging and community safety from the Sierra Club BC. “We know the outcome when you log steep slopes … You reach sort of a tipping point, where the forest is no longer able to provide that moderating service of controlling flow of water.”

Mosaic Forest Management will open a new campground this spring in partnership with the Hupačasath First Nation. The 27-site campground at Loon Lake will offer views of Mount Arrowsmith on the stocked fishing lake about 10 minutes east of Port Alberni. It will be the 14th Island campground for Mosaic, which manages forest planning, operations and product sales for TimberWest and Island Timberlands. The Hupačasath First Nation and Mosaic have a memorandum of understanding to work jointly on business, cultural and sustainability initiatives within Hupačasath territory. …One of Mosaic’s goals is to facilitate recreational opportunities in and around the “working forest” through dozens of access agreements with local organizations and a network of not-for-profit campsites on Vancouver Island, Jeff Zweig, president and CEO of Mosaic said.

Disappointed has been harvested from the Interior Logging Association (ILA) over the recent announcement concerning old growth management in B.C. The ILA are asking the province to include the association in old growth strategy. “The ILA represents both First Nations and non-First Nations contractors and communities across British Columbia, all of which will be adversely affected by this decision,” said the board. “At this time, we respectfully request that the Province of British Columbia take a balanced approach to an old growth strategy and include the ILA, who represent the many women and men who work in the forest industry, support our communities, and are committed to the protection and sustainable stewardship of our resources. …The ILA has formally requested Premier John Horgan and his cabinet to “halt this unbalanced approach to forest policy, and include those who are committed to the industry’s future, community preservation, and sustainable forests.”