Jerry DeMarco
OTTAWA — Two years ago, Canada embarked on an odyssey to plant two billion trees in just 10 years. An audit of the program so far says that unless things drastically change, it won’t even get one-tenth of those trees in the ground in time. …Environment Commissioner Jerry DeMarco, who said he cannot stress enough how important it is for the government to live up to its commitment on trees. “There is no solution to climate change and terrestrial biodiversity loss that does not include forests,” DeMarco’s report said. The Liberals first made the massive tree-planting promise in 2019, as part of their overall strategy to stop adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by mid-century. They followed through a year later, earmarking $3.2 billion for tree planting in the 2020 fall economic statement. DeMarco’s office … concluded that the government isn’t on track to get even four per cent planted by the end of 2030.
North Vancouver, BC — Planting two billion trees in the next decade is a crucial part of 
Dave Peterson
Russ Taylor
David Elstone
Jim Girvan
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K’Alii Aks Timber Corporation (KATC) is a wholly owned Nisga’a Nation company that holds a Nisga’a Public Land License to conduct forestry activities on Nisga’a Lands. The Nisga’a Nation received the first modern-day treaty in 2000, the Nisga’a Final Agreement. As such, the Forest and Range Practices Act does not apply; instead, forestry is governed by the Nisga’a Forest Act and Nisga’a Land Use Plan. In this seminar, we discuss a unique approach to logging a block to fulfill multiple objectives on Nisga’a Lands. Given that KATC is a relatively new company, forest harvesting is required to provide revenue to support the company and staff. 
Scams: Two reports of attempted email fraud of forestry firms have crossed our desk recently. One scam involved a fake internal email asking the target to fetch an email from the internet. …In the second scam, the scammer posed as a client company the contractor had worked with. It was a solicitation for a select invitation reforestation bid on a large project requiring a bid deposit consistent with this firm’s practices… Deactivated Logging Road Hazardous for Planters: The results of a recent poll of planting supervisors, workers, and other silviculture crews make it clear the problems with road deactivation and worksite access risks for forestry work are not an isolated set of anecdotes… Climate: As we wait for the ocean-warming El Niño climate pattern to set up, possibly later this year, climatologists are expecting climate change signals to then come through even stronger. 
The City of Mississauga has achieved the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for the management of 36 woodlands through the Eastern Ontario Model Forest (EOMF) program. Receiving the certification confirms that a forest is being managed sustainably, preserves biological diversity and benefits the lives of local people and workers. The FSC certification will assist the City with maintaining high forest stewardship standards. “Mississauga is a city that values the vital role trees play in our community. The FSC certification showcases our commitment to sustainable forest management and protecting Mississauga’s woodlands,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “The City recognizes the importance of trees for the environment of large urban cities like Mississauga. They provide shade and habitat for wildlife while filtering pollution and controlling flooding.” To become certified, an organization must meet the FSC’s standard for forest management.
It’s a consoling thought. That …the forests surrounding us are actually communities in which varied species share resources for a common good. And lording over the networks are big old ‘mother trees’ that act like their namesakes in human society — protecting their children, feeding the community and preparing the next generation. And that linking these communities together are the roots of mushrooms (mycorrhizal fungi networks). It’s a view of the forest that’s taken root in Hollywood blockbusters (the Tree of Souls in Avatar), bestselling books (
The Biden administration has identified more than 175,000 square miles of old growth and mature forests on U.S. government land and plans to craft a new rule to better protect the nation’s woodlands from fires, insects and other side effects of climate change, officials said Thursday. …Older forests “are struggling to keep up with the stresses of climate change,” said USDA’s Homer Wilkes. “We must adapt quickly.” Environmentalists said they hoped the inventory and pending rule will lead to new restrictions on logging. But representatives of the timber industry and some members of Congress have… urged the administration to instead concentrate on lessening wildfire dangers by thinning stands of trees. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore appeared this week before a U.S. Senate committee where he was pressured by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to speed up thinning work on federal forests. 
At least $130bn a year is needed to protect the most at-risk areas of tropical forest by the end of the decade, alongside reductions in beef and dairy consumption and government bans on deforestation, a thinktank has warned. …Financing dedicated to forests must be rapidly scaled up if governments are to meet their target of halting and reversing deforestation by the end of this decade, a nonbinding aim agreed to at Cop26 in 2021. Currently, finance to protect forests averages between $2bn and $3bn a year, according to a report by the Energy Transitions Commission. …The money could come from carbon markets, wealthy governments and philanthropists, but there must also be urgent actions such as a ban on clearing forests, developing businesses that rely on standing forests and reducing demand for commodities linked to deforestation, such as palm oil, soya, beef and cocoa.
