University of Alberta researchers have, for the first time, captured a much better view of what may be contributing to failures in lodgepole pine seed orchards — a tree essential to Alberta’s forest industry. The researchers used synchrotron microcomputed tomography, an advanced 3D imaging method usually used in medicine, in a pilot study to visually explore why some pollinated female pine cones, known as conelets, are healthy while others dielong before they fully develop. Carried out at the Saskatoon-based Canadian Light Source, the technique provided a clearer view of the internal reproductive structures of healthy and unhealthy conelets — a big improvement over previous low-resolution images, says study co-author Barb Thomas, a professor in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences. “This represents the next step in using this technology to help determine why conelet failure occurs and how we can potentially change our management in the orchards,” she notes.

A new report is offering its take on how to turn around BC’s forestry industry. As of now six mills have announced permanent closures, with six more being hit with either indefinite or temporary closures. Even if the recommendations are adopted, it could take years to change the trajectory of the industry. The report has identified four major themes to begin to fix a forest industry that is in a fast decline in BC, seeing job losses, mull curtailments, and closures.

A First Nations-owned company west of Williams Lake says continued funding is essential for projects that use fire-killed wood instead of burning it in slash piles or leaving it to decay. Percy Guichon and Daniel Persson with Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) attended a Jan. 27 regular city council meeting in Williams Lake to provide an update on the Palmer Project, a multi-year Indigenous-led stewardship initiative which aims to reduce wildfire risk and improve public safety and forest health through spacing treatments that remove hazardous fuels. To date, the project located along Palmer Lake Road, about one and a half hour west of Williams Lake, has treated more than 1,500 hectares with recovered fibre utilized by Atlantic Power for biomass and Cariboo Pulp & Paper for pulp. Fibre was also previously utilized by Drax, which closed in Williams Lake by the end of 2025, into fibre pellets for bioenergy.

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Traditional Territory of the Lekwungen Peoples: The BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) has released a new film entitled Rooted Together, created to highlight the value and impact of community forests throughout British Columbia. It explores how community forests support environmental stewardship, local economies, and strong, resilient communities throughout the province. The film centres on a simple but powerful idea that forests are best managed by the people who live closest to them. Featuring voices from Indigenous and community forest leaders plus renowned forestry experts and specialists, the film explores how community forests go beyond timber to prioritize social, cultural, environmental, and economic values. “The film was designed as an educational tool to increase awareness and understanding of the important role community forests play in reconciliation, wildfire resilience, sustainable forest management, and local economic development,” said Jennifer Gunter, Executive Director, BCCFA. 

VANCOUVER — A government-commissioned review of forestry in British Columbia is calling for the system to be razed and rebuilt with a focus on trust and transparency about the state of the province’s forests, shifting away “from managing harvest volumes to managing lands.” …The authors of the report, including industry representatives and academics, pitch a model that would change who makes decisions about lumber allotment, taking that power away from the provincial government and shifting it to regional bodies that manage defined areas. …Shannon Janzen a co-chair of the advisory council, and former chief forester, said the use of area-based land management is not a new idea and is already in use in places like Ontario and Alberta. …Forest Minister Ravi Parmar would not commit to implementing the report’s recommendations, telling reporters that he has to consult with other ministries. …A statement from the BC Council of Forest Industries said it would be reviewing the recommendations with its members. …Brian Menzies, the executive director of the Independent Wood Processors Association of B.C., said there’s little detail in the report about how its members would access more fibre.

Additional coverage:

• Truck Loggers Association of BC: Statement on Provincial Forestry Advisory Council’s Report: The TLA supports the overall direction of the report and its recommendations, including the shift from volume- to area-based management, adopting regional forest management areas, increased community engagement, First Nations co-management, and improved focus and alignment across the sector.
• Ancient Forest Alliance: The Ancient Forest Alliance and the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance strongly criticize the report for failing to put forward the essential recommendations needed to protect endangered old-growth forests and modernize BC’s forest industry.
• Black Press, by Mark Page Media: Forestry council recommends B.C. shift to regional land stewardship, de-emphasize targets
• Castanet, by Josh Dawson: Ministry to examine B.C. forestry review recommendations, opposition says it misses the mark Kamloops-North Thompson B.C. Conservative MLA and Opposition forests critic Ward Stamer, said the report “doesn’t address the fundamental challenges” facing the logging industry — mainly costing issues and fibre access he said have made it “uncompetitive.”
• Chek News, by Rob Shaw: B.C. forest sector must dramatically transform to survive, says new report: Shannon Janzen said the current struggles of the forest sector, including mill closures and job losses, is “decades in the making” stemming back to the original forestry laws of 1912. “We have a system that is built on an era that no longer exists,” said Janzen.
• BC Greens, Emily Lowan: BC Greens back PFAC’s call for major reform in BC forest management