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In forests across the country, Canadian foresters are leading the charge toward a greener future. Clad in hard hats and safety vests, they traverse revitalized landscapes with a sense of purpose: moving from areas once devastated by wildfires to thriving clusters of saplings that have been replanted and are now flourishing. It’s a living testament to the power of sustainable forestry, a commitment that not only restores landscapes, but also secures the legacy of forests for generations to come. But most Canadians are unaware of the work the forest sector is doing to ensure the future of the country’s forests. From extensive planning of how the sector manages public forests, to developing innovations to be zero-waste and reduce fuel use, there is more going on in Canadian forestry than meets the eye. …Looking ahead, Canada’s forest sector envisions a future in which it leads the charge towards a greener tomorrow.
MACKENZIE – The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices on non-replaceable forest licence (NRFL) A89836, starting Sept. 25, 2023. NRFL A89836 is held by Nak’al Koh Timber Limited with an annual allowable cut of 50,000 cubic metres. The NRFL is within the Mackenzie timber supply area (TSA) within the Mackenzie Natural Resource District in northeast-central B.C. It overlaps the territories of the Doig River First Nation, Halfway River First Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Nak’azdli Whut’en’, Takla First Nation, Tsay Keh Dene First Nation, and West Moberly First Nations. Mackenzie, Germansen Landing, Manson Creek, Tsay Keh, and Kwadacha are some of the towns and settlements in the TSA. Auditors will examine whether timber harvesting, roads, bridges, silviculture, wildfire protection, and associated planning from Jan. 1, 2020, until Sept. 25, 2023, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
SCARBOROUGH, ON – Planting two billion trees over a decade is a crucial part of Canada’s climate plan, and the Government of Canada is continuing to work with provinces, territories, non-governmental organizations, local communities and Indigenous Peoples. The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, and the Friends of the Rouge Watershed announced a joint investment of more than $1.1 million to plant 31,500 native trees in the Greater Toronto Area. Through this project, the Friends of the Rouge Watershed will involve youth and community volunteers by educating and motivating 6,000 volunteers in forest restoration while improving the local habitat.
The US Forest Service may have slightly more wiggle room to maintain boosted firefighter pay than it’s letting on — but not nearly to the extent House Republicans are claiming. As Congress approaches a critical Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government, the Forest Service has said nearly 20,000 of the federal firefighting workforce could see their paychecks cut in half come October if Congress doesn’t extend temporary pay increases. But Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee are accusing the Forest Service of misleading them on how quickly a fund bumping pay for firefighters will run dry. …Lawmakers in both chambers have introduced bipartisan bills to at least codify the current pay increase issued by the 2021 infrastructure law, which bumped firefighter paychecks to a minimum of $15 per hour. …Still, the House Natural Resources Committee will likely conduct major oversight of the Forest Service.
WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is awarding more than $1 billion in competitive grants to plant and maintain trees, combat extreme heat and climate change, and improve access to nature in cities, towns, and suburbs where more than 84% of Americans live, work, and play. …funding is covered by the Justice40 Initiative and made possible by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act – the largest climate investment in history. …The Forest Service selected 385 grant proposals from entities working to increase equitable access to trees and nature, and the benefits they provide for cooling city streets, improving air quality, and promoting food security, public health and safety. The funding was granted through the Forest Service’s 
Staffing levels could worsen if Congress doesn’t pass a permanent pay raise before current bonuses are phased out. …Federal firefighters have long faced the twin stressors of low pay – starting at just $15 an hour for entry-level positions – and a high-pressure environment that takes a heavy mental toll and keeps them away from their families. The issues have pushed scores to leave the service, taking valuable experience and knowledge with them. This fall, those issues are coming to a head. A temporary but vital firefighter pay bump, implemented as part of Joe Biden’s 2021 infrastructure bill, will expire at the end of September. Without it, firefighters say the US risks exacerbating a crisis of burnout and retention at a time when fires are becoming bigger, more dangerous and harder to control. Officials have just weeks to implement a long-term fix. If they fail, federal land management agencies may be left to navigate another mass exodus.
JUNEAU – On Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, a group of 24 diverse, statewide Alaska resource associations, Southeast Alaska communities, utilities, and businesses filed a Complaint opposing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) reimposition of the 2001 Roadless Rule on the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska. This challenge is about Alaskans’ broader rights of access – to communities and resources. This lawsuit seeks to reverse the reimposition of the roadless rule in Alaska that currently blocks access for mining and hydroelectric facilities. The ability to provide inexpensive, efficient, and clean hydropower to Southeast residents and businesses is severely limited by the Roadless Rule. Timber harvest is currently prohibited in the 9.4 million acres known as Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) by the 2016 Tongass Forest Plan. This lawsuit does not seek to change that. It would take Forest Service rulemaking and the Environmental Impact Statement process to change that Forest Plan.
A new study finds that creating physical gaps in the forest canopy gives Eastern hemlocks more access to resources and help those trees withstand infestation by an invasive insect. The approach adds another tool to the toolkit that foresters can use to protect these trees. The paper is published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management. …The hemlock woolly adelgid—an invasive insect that was introduced to North America 70 years ago and has spread along the East Coast—can kill a hemlock tree in as little as four years. …”Integrated pest management utilizes multiple tactics to combat insect pests… This study focused on silviculture. Is there a way to actively manage a forest to improve the health of Eastern hemlocks?” says Robert Jetton, associate professor of forest health at North Carolina State University and study co-author.
Two renowned Minnesota old-growth forests — the Lost 40 Scientific and Natural Area in Itasca County and the Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary SNA in Clearwater County — will be the first in the state to join the national Old-Growth Forest Network. The network recognizes existing old-growth forests across the nation and highlights the importance of preserving these areas. “Minnesota has 48,000 acres of protected old-growth forest” Minnesota DNR Forest Ecologist Emily Peters said. …The DNR has a longstanding goal to protect this rare and important forest resource on state lands.” The Old-Growth Forest Network is a nonprofit working to connect people with nature by creating a voluntary national network of protected, publicly accessible forests. The network’s goal is to identify and ensure the preservation and recognition of at least one forest in every county in the U.S. where forests grow.
