Forest fires in the past few years have consumed record areas of Canada’s forests. Part of the problem has been the perception that all fires are bad, and that we need to put out every fire as quickly as we can instead of letting lower intensity fires happen. In the vast boreal forests that stretch across northern Canada, forest fires are a natural regime. Forests have always burned, and some even need fire to regenerate. For a century or more we have tried to snuff out any fire that catches, leading to a buildup of fuel. …The reality is that fire suppression will never eliminate fire from the forest. “Western Canada is experiencing a definite trend of greater wildfire size, intensity and severity,” says David Elstone, a registered professional forester based in North Vancouver. “That’s concerning. It’s causing foresters and non-foresters alike to rethink forest management.”
Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and the Ottawa Sports & Entertainment Group (OSEG) are proud to launch a new partnership today at TD Place Stadium, aimed at putting sustainable Canadian forestry and its role in delivering essential products front and center in Ottawa’s sports community. The year-long partnership between OSEG and FPAC’s Forestry For The Future program leverages in-stadium promotions and interactive game-day experiences to encourage Ottawa residents and national sports fans alike to think differently about responsible Canadian forestry, community engagement, and sustainable urban development. “While often out of the spotlight, Canadian forest products are always in the game – whether it’s the textiles in your favourite game-day jersey, the bioplastics in your most trusted sports gear, or the strong mass timber beams that make TD Place Stadium stand tall,” said FPAC President and CEO Derek Nighbor.
This year’s wildfire season is over. In the past several years, there has been a lot of talk about forest fires or wildfires and their causes. Forest fires have both natural and artificial causes. These are part of the natural cycle to replenish the forest. … The trouble is you now rarely hear the term “forest fire.” Now it’s about wildfires. Wildfires are forest fires that are more intense and give rise to fire tornadoes and an effect called crowning. That is when the fire jumps across the top of the trees and can move very quickly. It seems that there are more forest fires today than there have been in the past, but that is not accurate. The severity of these wildfires is becoming much more pronounced. By looking at wildfires and attempts to control them, we can learn a lot about the nature of risk.
Four watershed governance projects on Vancouver Island are sharing in nearly five-million dollars being distributed throughout the province from the Watershed Security Fund. The money will contribute to improving and rehabilitating communities’ resilience to climate change, regional food security, as helping safeguard fish, and local habitats. The Cowichan Watershed Board is receiving $400,000 to enhance its ability to support local leaders in decision-making for the health of the Cowichan and Koksilah Watersheds. The funding will help support the work of the watershed board, expert staff, technical working groups, and the community to solve problems using Quw’utsun and western knowledge and science.
Texas forests were still relatively pristine and ancient as late as 1870, with centuries-old trees towering as high as 150 feet. But then came the “bonanza era” of widespread deforestation. By 1907, Texas became the third largest lumber producer in the United States, making lumber barons such as John Henry Kirby incredibly wealthy. In 1936 President Franklin Roosevelt established Texas’ four national forests — Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Angelina and Sabine — in East Texas. By then, little remained of Texas’ once-mighty forests. The relentless exploitation devastated ecosystems and diminished biodiversity, leaving behind fragmented landscapes that can’t sustain the wildlife species who make their habitat in Texas forests. …And decades later, though the Forest Service says there are no old-growth forests in the national forests of Texas, we now have 400,000 acres of mature forests. …But logging of older trees continues in our national forests. [to access the full story a Houston Chronicle subscription is required]
SEATTLE — Ty Abernathy tips his head back and judges where this big tree will fall as he starts cutting it with a chain saw. …For more than a century, this has been a way of doing business in Washington, cutting forests owned by the state and today managed by the Department of Natural Resources. But in an era of climate warming — and growing climate activism — there is a new war in the woods. …This fight is not over old growth, the trees sprouted before 1850 and never cut since settlers came here. The conflict now playing out across Washington is over the old-growth forests of tomorrow. These are second-growth forests originating before 1945 and never sprayed with herbicide or replanted to a dense monoculture of nursery-grown seedlings. …Suddenly, DNR timber sales that can fetch millions of dollars are being paused, canceled, litigated and protested, throwing the state’s timber business into disarray.
Hurricanes are among the most destructive forces found in nature, capable of causing extensive environmental damage — a factor that can raise the risk of wildfires, according to Robert Scheller, a NC State professor of forestry and environmental resources. “When a hurricane makes landfall, the strong winds and heavy rain can topple trees, leaving behind needles, leaves and branches that can act as fuels for wildfires,” said Scheller. Scheller said pine trees pose a higher wildfire risk than other species, because the needles contain higher concentrations of flammable resins that easily ignite when exposed to a heat source, allowing the pine needles to quickly catch fire and burn rapidly, especially in dry conditions. They also decompose slowly due to a waxy coating that makes it difficult for bacteria and fungi to break them down. As a result, the needles typically remain on the ground longer compared to other foliage.
