Category Archives: Forestry

…Katrine Conroy, minister of forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development, said the proposed amendments [to the Forest Range and Practices Act], “put the government back in the driver’s seat” after decades of deregulated forest policy that put logging companies at the helm. …What does Bill 23 mean for old-growth forests? So far, the bill doesn’t mean much. While the amendments contained in Bill 23 signal a departure from the professional reliance regime, it’s still unclear what that means for the health of B.C.’s forests. …There is no stated timeline on when the regulations set forth in Bill 23 will be developed. Switching over from the old regime to the new landscape plans will take eight to 10 years, the province estimates. For those waiting on these plans to ensure improved ecological protection, that wait time “is going to be a really tough pill to swallow,” said Kevin Kriese.

Lee Deslauriers

A local forest engineer has been honoured for demonstrating excellence, cooperation and leadership throughout his career. Lee Deslauriers, a Campbell River-based professional engineer and registered professional forester, was granted the 2021 Forest Engineering Award of Excellence. This is awarded jointly by Engineers and Geoscientists BC and the Association of BC Forest Professionals, which is given in recognition of exemplary professional, technical and community contributions in the field. Deslauriers says the award was a welcomed surprise. …Deslauriers’ work focuses on building infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, primarily in resource industries. He is also a specialist auditor for the BC Forest Practices Board and has volunteered on the Joint Practices Board with his professional associations, helping to write practice guidelines and technical papers. Deslauriers is the principal and managing engineer of Stonecroft Engineering Ltd.

An accident that saw logs crush the roofs of two police vehicles on the Pacific Rim Circle Route near Mesachie Lake on Tuesday morning has sent three RCMP officers to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A press release from the RCMP said as the police cruisers came around the corner at the 22-kilometre mark coming from Mesachie Lake shortly after 8 a.m. on the way to take up their duties in enforcement operations at Fairy Creek, a portion of a logging truck traveling in the opposite direction on the Pacific Marine Route struck a police vehicle, causing it to lose its load of logs which in turn struck a second police vehicle. The load of logs fell on the two cruisers, crushing their roofs.

Additional coverage by the Canadian Press in the Vancouver Sun

Dana Collins

Black Creek’s Dana Collins has been included on a list of Canada’s most powerful women. She is being recognized as one of 100 award winners by Women’s Executive Network for her work advocating for workforce diversity and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders. “It is an honour,” Collins said, “As it is the first time somebody in the forestry sector has been recognized.” She was quick to point out her achievements are due to the ground work of other women in the industry. …Her current role sees her serving as the Managing Director of the Juniper Collective – a forward-looking inclusion and diversity consultancy that partners with organizations in the forest sector to develop practical solutions for respectful and inclusive workplaces. …In her previous role as the Executive Director of The Canadian Institute of Forestry, she lead a national initiative to support the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in Canada’s forest sector.

Katrine Conroy

The BC Council of Forest Industries and the United Steelworkers union say protecting old-growth forests could cost four times as many jobs as the government is predicting. …Forest Minister Katrine Conroy said COFI appears to have made assumptions that inflated the number of job losses. “It’s an interesting analysis but they’ve done it without having all the information,” she said. …For one thing, COFI made its estimates without knowing exactly what areas the government is looking at and they assumed those areas would be entirely old growth, which is not the case, Conroy said. There’s also an assumption that logging will stop in January in all the areas identified for deferral, she said. …Nor did COFI take into account the transition programs the government plans to introduce. …Minister Conroy said it’s possible to keep people working in the forest industry while also protecting ancient forests.

We are hiring a Research Forest Landscape Ecologist in the Thompson-Okanagan region! The Research Forest Landscape Ecologist will conduct applied research to support science-based decision-making and provides expert professional advice relating to silviculture, silvicultural systems, ecology, climate change, and soils. Key initiatives this position will support are Legal and Regulatory updates (E.g. Forest & Range Practices Act updates – Forest Landscape Planning), Old Growth, Wildfire Recovery, Wildfire Risk reduction, and Dry Interior Douglas-fir management. A career with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development offers an exceptional opportunity to undertake a variety of challenging and rewarding roles, while supporting a healthy work/life balance. Check out this video to learn more about biology careers at the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.

VANCOUVER, BC – Western redcedar (Thuja plicata), the provincial tree of British Columbia, has tremendous economic and cultural significance to First Nations and all British Columbians. Wood products derived from western redcedar support over $1 billion annually to BC’s economy. Unfortunately, western redcedar faces significant challenges due to the changing climate. Increasing temperatures and droughts along with pathogen and herbivore pressures are having an impact on the ability of these mighty trees to thrive in our province. To address this, UBC professor Joerg Bohlmann and the Forest Improvement and Research Management branch of BC’s Ministry of Forests have developed innovative genomic selection models, with funding support from Genome BC and Genome Canada, to identify elite western redcedar genotypes. …Our ongoing investments in the forestry sector will ensure that trees such as the western redcedar can continue to thrive in British Columbia,” says Dr. Federica di Palma, Chief Scientific Officer at Genome BC.

The Vernon-based Interior Logging Association says it is “disappointed” with last week’s announcement by the provincial government of a deferral of logging in old-growth B.C. forests. In a press release issued Monday, general manager Todd Chamberlain says the ILA’s board of directors wants to be included in the decision-making process. “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,” the association says. “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. By engaging with us to find a balanced approach you are showing these people their voices matter in this discussion.”

Status of B.C.’s Old Forests, The Situation in 2021 by lead author Cam Brown. …One of the main reasons for publishing this article was to provide an alternative approach to the VRI site index data used in the article I wrote about last week, Last Stand for Biodiversity by authors Price, Holt and Daust.  Cam Brown suggests there is a superior method of deriving site indices especially for old growth forests.  …To illustrate his point, Mr. Brown describes how a study done on 533 verified Big Trees on B.C.s coast showed a large portion of these big trees have VRI site indexes \20m. The PSPL data shows a much stronger relationship between the presence of big old trees and higher site productivity.  Cam Brown also uses data from the Fairy Creek watershed to make the point.

In the mountain of verbiage released by the government’s best spin doctors in Victoria Tuesday the best thing they could say about our precious renewable forests is they will temporarily “defer” the cutting of more old growth. Defer? Here’s how the Webster’s defines defer. “To put off to a future time, postpone, delay, yield.” Do you see any reference to reducing logging in that definition? Or to cease and desist? You damn well don’t because the government has no intention to halt the carnage in the forest and neither does industry. But both are running scared now because pictures of kids and seniors being roughed up, hand-cuffed and thrown into the back of police wagons at the Fairy Creek protest look terrible on TV.

…Across B.C., a total of 2.6 million hectares of rare, old-growth forests may be spared further logging under the provincial government’s new approach to forestry, which recognizes that these ecosystems are irreplaceable. …For the bulk of the proposed deferrals, the province will make no changes until it conducts individual consultations with 204 First Nations, a process that, optimistically, the province hopes to complete in 30 days. Meanwhile, B.C. will continue to harvest trees in old-growth forests… The San Group opened a $70-million sawmill in Port Alberni in 2020… Kamal Sanghera, the chief executive officer, said his mills are already struggling to obtain raw materials, but if halting BCTS operations… leads to reforms of the system, he can support the changes. “We need to cut less and create more value,” Mr. Sanghera said. “The system now is wrong. We are shipping raw logs overseas, while guys like us can’t get supply.” [We respect the copyrights of the source publication – full access may require a subscription]

Suzanne Simard

A British Columbia forestry professor’s unique research and bestselling book mapping how trees are deeply connected communities has gained the attention of Hollywood. Prof. Suzanne Simard of the University of B.C. says she’s overwhelmed by the new-found celebrity status, but wants to continue her focus on saving the forests. Simard said she expects to sign a deal within a few weeks to become an executive producer in a movie about her life and research after production companies backed by actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams won the film rights to her book,”Finding The Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest.” “Amy Adams is going to play me, apparently,” said Simard. “That’s the plan. Yes, it’s kind of weird.”

Mike Morris

B.C. Liberal MLA Mike Morris’ recent impassioned public remarks about the need for stronger action to protect biodiversity in provincial forests seem at odds with his own party’s positions on the sustainability of forestry. His colleagues don’t look at it as a rift in their caucus, but the difference of opinion comes at the same time the opposition is taking the stance that the NDP government’s plan to defer logging in 26,000 square kilometres of forests puts thousands of jobs at risk. Independent-minded Morris argues there is a “bigger picture” to consider, which requires stronger action “before we lose all our biodiversity assets,” after decades of clearcut logging. …The statement was in keeping with views on forestry he’d given in the legislature Oct. 26, but runs counter to the views of colleagues, such as neighbouring MLA John Rustad, forestry critic and representative for Nechako Lakes.

The provincial government’s 30-day deadline for First Nations to decide [decide on old-growth deferrals] is “absolutely ludicrous” and leaves no time for meaningful dialogue, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, the president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs says. …Philip says the plan is just the government paying “lip service.” …Terry Teegee, regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, said that the government failed to properly consult First Nations on the plan. He said the plan was indicative of “the province’s repeated pattern of advancing a mismanaged forestry landscape that fails to uphold Indigenous title and rights, jurisdiction, and decision-making.” …Jasmine Thomas, with the Saik’uz First Nation, said her community is involved in forestry and they’re not asking for all harvesting to stop, but “business as usual can’t keep happening, logging can’t keep happening” in areas of at-risk old-growth while the nation works through its long-term resource management plans.

The forestry company that has the tree farm licence for the Fairy Creek area where protests have been raging for 17 months says the province’s plans for old-growth logging deferrals will have an impact on its operations. …Conrad Browne, director of Indigenous partnerships and strategic relations for Teal Jones, said there are areas within the company’s licence and approved cut blocks that will be affected, but exactly how much and how it will affect company operations isn’t yet clear. “Until we do more detailed mapping and get leather [boots] on the ground, we will not know what those impacts will be on the company,” Browne said, ­adding it will also depend on First Nations partners. “We do know we will not be immune in this process.” Browne couldn’t speculate on the number of jobs that could be lost with the deferrals. 

In June, as Fairy Creek protests filled headlines, the B.C. government pressed pause on some old-growth logging in the area. Now the province [is] potentially setting aside 2.6 million hectares of at-risk old growth, pending the approval of First Nations. …Some say this signals the beginning of a “paradigm shift” in how B.C.’s ancient forests are managed, while others express skepticism the ingredients for change are on the table, after decades of deregulated forest policy. …If the uproar seems sudden, the history leading to this point is long. For decades, First Nations, environmentalists and some forestry workers called for a major shift in forest management. Two years ago, the Old Growth Strategic Review panel channelled that unrest, issuing a plan to begin prioritizing ecosystem integrity over timber values. Calling this a “paradigm shift,” the panel’s first recommendation was to defer at-risk old-growth logging. Now that recommendation is becoming real.

…The decades-long fight over the harvesting of old-growth forests in B.C. has long been centred on Vancouver Island. …Meanwhile, concerns about logging practices in the B.C. Interior have manifested in entirely different ways — drinking water, recreation impacts, wildlife and wildfire — with not much attention given to the age of the trees being taken. That changed this week when the B.C. government published mapping of proposed logging deferrals, or temporary protections, spread across the entire province. Roly Russell, NDP MLA… called COFI’s job loss estimates a “dramatic over exaggeration.” …COFI, however, has been forthcoming with how they came to their 18,000 job loss estimate. The government has not fully explained their 4,500-job figure. …Castanet asked the government to explain how it came to its own 4,500 job loss estimate and received a one-line answer. “This analysis is based off of the decreased volume associated with the deferral area,” the Ministry of Forests said.

Robert Schulz

Rob Schulz has always been one to see the forest for the trees— literally. …he designed roads and bridges to be used for logging, and he measured how much usable timber a forest contained. …Seeing how much the GIS technology assisted mappers, Schulz knew he could benefit other industries, and he suspected other technologies could help, too. …his latest chapter with Interfor, a Canadian lumber producer, which he joined in 2018. A year ago, he was promoted to senior director of information technology… “I want to help timber management and forest industry manufactures comfortably integrate technology to standardize and improve business,” Schulz says. “I’m excited about my role at Interfor, since its vision is constantly expanding, and I get to work with an amazingly smart, driven team.” …Interfor has 21 sawmills, and each had different electronic systems before Schulz joined the company. …Schulz and his team have reduced those from 35 in 2019 to 17 by 2022. 

James Steidle

News of old-growth deferrals has set the press on fire with fears of catastrophic job losses. …missing from this discussion is the fact many communities have already suffered tremendously.  But the perpetrator wasn’t conservation.  It was “progress,” or in other words, unrestrained capitalism. Between 1997 and 2017 we lost around 50,000 forestry jobs… … [because of] consolidation of mills, automation, and “investment”. …We hear about companies like Canfor taking their “investment” to other jurisdictions as if this is a mortal threat to our forest workers. The reality is, “investment” has been the primary cause of job losses. …why [is] putting 50,000 people out of work to maximize corporate profits apparently acceptable, while saving the last of our old growth for far fewer job losses is not. …I suggest we take a good hard look at where progress has gotten us: denuded landscapes, red-listed species, shut down mills, ghost towns, and ever more unequal wealth distribution.   

Taryn Skalbania

The B.C. government’s deferral on the harvest of old-growth timber is a positive step, says Peachland environmental advocate Taryn Skalbania. [She] says the pro-logging influence of the province’s logging industry remains influential in government policy, running opposite to the need to protect and preserve our natural environment from the impact of climate change. …But she questions the forecast by the Council of Forest Industries of the deferrals resulting in the closure of up to 20 sawmills in the province, along with two pulp mills and an undetermined number of value-added manufacturing facilities. …Skalbania said … it’s time for the environment to quit being sacrificed to support a heavily subsidized industry that has been bleeding jobs for two decades while continuing to export logs for value-added manufacturing in other countries. …“At this stage clear-cutting is happening [so fast] that reforestation will never catch up. The deferrals offer a pause from that approach,” Skalbania said.

BC Ministry of Forests has announced … deferrals for old-growth trees in the Tla’amin area, with a commitment to work closely with Tla’amin Nation. Tla’amin states that as a self-governing modern treaty nation, the nation has a constitutionally protected right under treaty to manage its territory. Forestry strategies, priorities and decisions in the area have been led by Tla’amin since time immemorial and will continue to be led by Tla’amin in accordance with the taʔow [traditional teachings] … [In] July 2021, Tla’amin announced its intention to develop an integrated resource management plan and to work with the ministry, tenure holders and partners such as Western Forest Products to pause old growth falling in the area … pending further review of old growth in the context of the Tla’amin-led IRMP process.

Chief Robert Dennis

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In the eighth episode of the ForestWorks podcast, host Stewart Muir and guest Chief Robert Dennis discuss Fairy Creek, forestry, and the Huu-ay-aht First Nations. ForestWorks delves below the rhetoric to get to the real facts of this important industry through conversation with people who really know their stuff. ForestWorks sat down with Robert Dennis, elected Chief Councillor for the Huu-ay-aht First Nation from the west coast of Vancouver Island. He has served his nation for decades and recently helped lead a significant investment in a forestry business in Huu-ay-aht territory.