Category Archives: Forestry

Murray Wilson

If B.C. doesn’t manage its forests, Mother Nature will do it for us – whether we like it or not, said Murray Wilson, a retired registered professional forester in Vernon. He says he’d like to see the B.C. government do more to manage forests. This, he said, will help to prevent wildfires. “I think rather than simply locking up the land base and thinking that it’s going to stay the same, they have to recognize that forests change over time,” explained Wilson. …According to Wilson, our forests are too old and too dense. The old trees are more susceptible to fire and less efficient at storing carbon, so it’s time to remove some trees. He wants to see old-growth protected, but the recent change in what defines old-growth in B.C. is problematic. He says considering some timber-types old growth when they hit 140 years-old means the province is “actively managing” forests to be older, not younger.

We won’t say 2023’s spring weather has been unprecedented. In fact, there have been many precedents, predictions, portents and, maybe even, some prodigies that have anticipated the climate change-driven events besetting this spring’s planting campaign in British Columbia and Alberta. We have had snowmelt delays, heat domes, floods, wildfires, mudslides, drought, and smoke upset our seasonal reforestation campaigns before. But this year they are like bananas; they’re coming in bunches. Even this pattern has been foreseen. These upsets are the effects of a warming planet settling into our affairs. Weather extremes and their consequences are not unprecedented as much as they are stochastic— meaning random and probable, but not predictable. In this uncertain environment, managers will need more space in their imaginations and plans for contingencies. 

The B.C. government has extended an order deferring old-growth logging in the Fairy Creek watershed on Vancouver Island. The extension to Feb. 1, 2025, applies to the order issued two years ago at the request of the Pacheedaht First Nation, whose territories encompass the entire watershed. A statement from the Forests Ministry says the deferral protects just under 12 square kilometres of timber on Crown land within the watershed. It says the province and First Nation will continue collaborating on long-term forest management of the Fairy Creek region, including management of old-growth forests. When it announced the initial deferral in 2021, the province said the postponement to old-growth logging would allow Pacheedaht titleholders time to build resource-stewardship plans for their lands.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is forecasting above-average temperatures and dry conditions this summer for most of B.C. For southeast Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver, there’s about an 80 to 90 per cent chance temperatures will be above normal in June, July and August, while there’s 100% certainty much of the B.C. Interior will be hotter than usual, according to the federal weather agency’s seasonal outlook. Victoria has an 89% probability of above normal temperatures. For western and northern Vancouver Island, the probability of above normal is about 50% to 65%. The seasonal forecast does not predict whether there will be heat waves but Ken Dosanjh, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said B.C. residents should prepare for the possibility. …Last month, the World Meteorological Organization warned that many parts of the world face potential heat records because the chance of an El Niño weather pattern developing.

Michal Aibin

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire—and with tools ranging from fire tower lookouts to satellites, a forest fire can be readily detected.  But what if we could easily predict where a forest fire will occur before the smoke appears? That’s the goal of Michal Aibin, a visiting associate teaching professor in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University’s campus in Vancouver, British Columbia. “Currently when we think about forest fires…the majority of the work—like 90 percent of the work—focuses on the detection of the fire,” Aibin says. “But obviously when we’re detecting the fire, it means the fire is already there … we want to predict the fires in the area.” Aibin and his team in Vancouver have developed a computer vision algorithm that assesses and classifies forests according to their fire risk. This enables foresters to see the most at-risk areas and preemptively direct appropriate fire-prevention efforts.

VICTORIA, BC — More than 100 people gathered at the BC Legislature for the first time in months for a prayer walk for old-growth forests. It was the first rally for old growth since February, when thousands crowded outside the government building. …This comes days after the provincial government announced it would extend a deferral on the Fairy Creek Watershed until Feb. 1, 2025, days before it was set to expire. …A deferral would only be a temporary measure, and Island First Nations leaders say waiting two more years for a solution would be too late. “All the logging companies, they’re trying to get our last [old growth] within the next year or two years. By then, they’ll all be gone,” said Quatsino First Nation Hereditary Chief Sonny Wallas. …The Province says since November 2021, more than two million hectares of old-growth have been deferred in B.C.

From birds to mammals to insects, some animals perish in wildfires, some escape, some grow accustomed to a new habitat — and plenty thrive. …Experts say whether wildlife can withstand a fire largely depends on the animal. University of Alberta biological sciences professor Erin Bayne said larger mammals like wolves, elk, moose and deer can easily run out of a fire’s path and find a source of water. Smaller mammals might not be fast enough to get away, but some, like deer mice, will go underground.  “We’ve never seen catastrophic mortality in the boreal forest of most mammals, simply because they are adapted to deal with it to some degree,” Bayne said. …some birds were lucky when it comes to the timing of Alberta’s recent wildfires, since few had started nesting in early May. But others with historical nesting sites who depend on older forests will need to find new homes.

Anyone who is looking to find meaningful employment opportunities, especially those who have been affected by the roller-coaster ride in the forest industry, are encouraged to investigate the DeNovo program. It is a free and subsidized program, funded through the Ministry of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills, that helps individuals transition into new career paths. It will begin in Kelowna on Monday, June 12. The program was created to assist workers impacted by mill closures in B.C. but is open to anyone looking to make a career change. …Those who complete the DeNovo program will collect computer skills and up to five short-term occupational certificates. Examples are real estate, office administration, skilled labour, security, early childhood education, B.C. Corrections and special driver licence designations.

The Pakistani climate change protester who pleaded guilty to repeatedly blocking traffic and reneging on his promises to stop must wait longer to be sentenced.  Judge Reginald Harris reserved decision in March after Crown prosecutor Ellen Leno asked him to send Muhammad Zain Ul Haq to jail for 90 days and impose 18 months of probation. Haq’s lead defence lawyer Ben Isitt argued for a conditional discharge. On Wednesday in Vancouver Provincial Court, Harris – citing his commitments to complex, ongoing trials – delayed sentencing Haq. Harris suggested he could have time to deliver his verdict in late June, but gave the 22-year-old permission to move from Vancouver to Victoria so that he can live with the fellow protester that he married last month. …In January 2022, Haq and four others incorporated Eco-Mobilization Canada, a federal not-for-profit behind the Extinction Rebellion splinter group Save Old Growth that received US$170,000 in grants from the California-based Climate Emergency Fund.

VICTORIA – An audit of Interfor Corporation’s Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 18 in the Thompson Rivers Natural Resource District found Interfor’s forestry activities generally complied with the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act, except for bridge maintenance, road construction and road maintenance. Interfor was found to have removed material from a riparian management area for use in road surfacing, even though other material sources were available nearby. “The legislation prohibits the removal of material from a riparian management area during road construction unless the material is within the road prism, at a stream crossing or there is no other practicable option,” said Bruce Larson, vice-chair, Forest Practices Board. “None of these exceptions applied.”

The Province is contributing $10 million to the BC Parks Foundation to help strengthen the long-term protection of B.C.’s natural beauty and provide more opportunities for everyone to connect with nature. Minister George Heyman said, “This $10-million contribution further ensures the foundation’s long-term sustainability, so that together we can preserve many more of the most beautiful places and unique ecosystems in B.C.” …Established in 2017 through an initial $10-million grant from the Province, the foundation has attracted tens of thousands of supporters. Donors have collectively contributed $150 million, including the largest gifts in B.C. and Canadian conservation history. Contributions have helped protect 23 valuable places. …In September 2022, the BC Parks Foundation launched its latest initiative – the 25×25 campaign to protect 25% of B.C.’s land and waters by 2025 in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and the Province. 

Tara Bergeson

Melissa McHale

Mike Larock

WEBINAR: Cities are complex, interconnected systems that support habitats and livelihoods. Their outwards and upwards growth has transformed the landscape at an unprecedented rate, uprooting native species and introducing invasive ones. Human activity has altered waterways and drainage systems; the composition of flora and fauna; fire risk and the presence of heat islands; along with the global climate. Managing this newfound complexity within the urban environment requires the specialization and expertise of a team of individuals, including the urban forester. Join us for a conversation with experts in the field who will delve deeper into some of the most pressing challenges facing the urban forestry profession today and the work underway to find solutions. Mike Larock, Director of Practice for the Forest Professionals of BC will moderate with speakers Tara Bergeson, RPF, Urban Forestry Supervisor, City of Kelowna and Melissa McHale, Associate Prof, UBC.