SilviScan is a multifaceted technology comprised of an advanced suite of software and instruments including a cell scanner, x-ray densitometer, and x-ray diffractometer, which are used together to measure wood structure and quality that are most relevant to industry. This technology can measure the tiniest fibre dimensions within a tree and the data may then be used to map the forests of an entire region. Recent work is also demonstrating its utility in providing accurate and reliable estimates of carbon dioxide consumption in forests to support climate-change research. The integrated set of instruments is designed to evaluate samples taken non-destructively from standing trees. A cylindrical sample taken from the bark through to the tree’s center (pith) weighs just a few grams and is enough to detect the wood and fibre properties of a tree. FPInnovations is one of only three organizations in the world that owns one.
ilkinson, the federal Minister of Environment, floated the idea in August. Friday, he said his government is ready to write that cheque, as a bulwark against further loss of biodiversity in Canada. …“And in BC, that includes those old-growth forests that are at threat from the logging industry.” The B.C. government also has promised to protect old growth. …With that apparent common ground, Mr. Horgan’s chief complaint could be a simple bargaining tactic. The $50-million fund “would be a very small amount of money relative to the consequences to the forest industry, to communities and to workers,” Mr. Horgan [said] Thursday. …He suggested Ottawa could “add a zero” as a starting point.
During this summer’s Lytton wildfire disaster, 28 wildfire fighters, including a BCWS unit crew and a contract crew fought the fire and assisted with the evacuation of the town. Some of the firefighters were residents of Lytton. They continued fighting as their homes burned. Others, temporarily posted, worked knowing their possessions were going up in smoke at their residences. The crews have deservedly been commended for their actions. In recognition of their bravery and resolve and as a show of support and solidarity from the larger forestry, firefighting community and the public, the WFCA has set up a fund for donations to support these workers in recovering some of their costs suffered in the Lytton wildfire. In order to contribute please click the read more.
In June, the B.C. government released a forestry modernization plan which outlines a broad look on how to improve forestry policies. One of the main focuses in the plan is diversifying the forest sector and providing more support and opportunities for smaller communities and Indigenous communities through the redistribution of tenures, which in theory would benefit Dungate Community Forest. A key point of emphasis is introducing a more flexible approach when forest licences need to be reduced. According to the paper, in some situations such as when the timber supply is decreasing, the chief forester will determine if the allowable annual cut needs to be reduced to maintain a sustainable harvest rate. …In the modernization plan, the government intends to change this method to allow for consideration of the unique pressures faced by small operators, community forests and Indigenous communities. In essence, a more flexible approach to determining AAC will be introduced.
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PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon wildfires are getting more extreme. Experts at Oregon State University said all Oregonians have a stake in forest management — and we will have to learn to live with wildfires. Like tsunamis and earthquakes, wildfires are inevitable, experts said. What needs to change, researchers said, is the framework of how we see fires — less as preventable, more as manageable. It’s time to focus on solutions together, they said. James Johnston is a research associate in the College of Forestry at OSU. As a society, he said, we’ve made the decision to exclude fire from forests that are designed to burn. Forestry experts said that decision has allowed fuel to accumulate, exacerbating future wildfires. “We’ve made the decision to have forest fires, and we can’t take that decision back,” he said. “Now, our challenge is to learn to live with fires.”
There remains a strong consensus among scientists that climate change is driving the very type of hot and dry conditions that continue to ignite wildfires across California. There is a raging debate, however, over what [is] allowing them to burn hotter and faster each year. At issue is what’s known as post-fire logging, the practice of removing dead and burned trees in the wake of a fire. Supporters see the burned logs as eventual fuel for future fires and believe selling off those trees to lumber companies is a necessary tool to reduce high severity fires in the future. Opponents, however, argue the dead trees should be left in the forest, where they can absorb moisture from the soil and eventually become akin to natural sponges that can work to actually slow down fires. The U.S. Forest Service and top scientists across the country remain at odds…
On November 11, 2019, volunteers planted 11 million trees in Turkey as part of a government-backed initiative called Breath for the Future. In one northern city, the tree-planting campaign set the Guinness World Record for the most saplings planted in one hour in a single location: 303,150. … Less than three months later, up to 90 percent of the saplings were dead, the Guardian reported. The trees were planted at the wrong time and there wasn’t enough rainfall to support the saplings … These campaigns often don’t work, and sometimes they can even fuel deforestation… Instead of focusing on planting huge numbers of trees, experts told Vox, we should focus on growing trees for the long haul, protecting and restoring ecosystems beyond just forests, and empowering the local communities that are best positioned to care for them.