LA fires a reminder that B.C. wildfire prevention is priority one

By Joe Nemeth, BC Pulp and Paper Coalition
Business in Vancouver
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Creating these fuel-free zones around communities and neighbourhoods stops a fire in its tracks because there is little or nothing to accelerate their rapid and enormous growth. In 2024, a delegation of professional foresters from B.C. toured Finland to see what we could learn from how others manage their forests. …Over the last 10 years, Finland has lost an annual average of 323 hectares of land to wildfires. Over the same period, B.C. has lost an annual average of 407,000 hectares. Why this vast difference? Finland has practised intensive forestry for decades. Foresters regularly enter stands to remove weak or damaged trees. …This fibre is then directed to nearby pulp and paper mills or community bio-energy plants. No fibre is wasted. …Another Finnish practice is to maintain logging roads, which are broken down and “put to bed” here after harvesting in an area is complete.

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