Conservation North conference talks negative impacts of salvage forestry

Prince George Citizen
July 22, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Some scientists are calling for a drastic change to the way B.C. deals with forests burned by fire and affected by insects. The remarks came as the scientists took part in a webinar organized by the volunteer group Conservation North on July 22. During the meeting, they said “salvage” logging after a fire usually causes more damage to a forest than the fire itself, and explained that logging reduces biodiversity, contributes to climate change, increases the vulnerability of the forest to further fires, and often causes soil degradation and erosion. They said the only reason for “salvage logging” is to create revenue and jobs, but these benefits aren’t worth the costs [and] little of the revenue benefits the public because forest companies obtain the rights to the wood for a pittance. …“The lesson is that leaving primary forests alone contributes to resilience of both communities and nature,” explains Conservation North spokesperson Michelle Connolly.

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