Local government representatives have asked B.C.’s ministers of forests and emergency management to keep forest service roads passable in the event of wildfires, while the province says it is identifying such roads that can be brought up to par in emergencies. Bruce Ralston, minister of forests, and Bowinn Ma, B.C.’s emergency management minister, addressed attendees by video at the Southern Interior Local Government Association conference in Kamloops earlier this month. The ministers were asked if they would commit to ensuring forest service roads and other egress routes are passable in the event of an evacuation. Stephen Karpuk, SILGA delegate and Kamloops city councillor, told Castanet Kamloops there needs to be an effort to use heavy duty machinery during a wildfire or while preparing for an emergency, to keep the backroads passable for all vehicles.

The Nakusp and Area Community Forest (NACFOR) open house had a strong turnout. Project information was on display, and staff and directors were available to answer questions. Operating since 2008, NACFOR is 100 per cent owned by the Village of Nakusp, allowing the community to benefit from forestry operations. NACFOR has been managed under contract by Cabin Resource Management for the past year. “Community forestry is a very direct reflection of our goal as foresters to uphold the public interest,” said Mike Crone, NACFOR project manager. “I’ve enjoyed zooming in scale-wise to such a small land base and really getting to know everything that’s going on. “But at the same time, the scope is way wider than what you get to do in regular forestry. “You get to do a bunch of everything, and get super involved in the community while doing it, which is exciting.”

Doug Donaldson

Andrea Barnett

Oliver Brandes

…In B.C., the wildfire challenge continues to outpace the current suite of solutions, while ecological and social impacts worsen year after year. Unless we dig in now, there won’t be enough resources to the get the job done right and it will only get harder. In a recent report, we investigated the current state of wildfire prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery in the province. Based on our findings, we offer direction on where to get started and what to prioritize. Resilience — the capacity to deal with change and continue to develop — will be vital. …B.C. needs to adopt a whole-of-society approach to advance wildfire resilience. No one government has all the knowledge, resources, or authority to do it alone. …What we do today will be the best insurance against what will certainly be more dangerous fires tomorrow.

Nanaimo, BC — The Private Forest Landowners Association (PFLA) is proud to announce the agenda for the 2024 Conference and Field Tour on June 6-7 2024 at Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, BC. The annual event brings together private managed forest landowners, elected officials and guests for an opportunity to explore innovative approaches to sustainable forest management. The 2024 Conference theme, Beyond Borders: Collaborating For Success, sets the stage for an information-filled two-day event. The Field Tour on June 6 features an onsite visit to a private managed forest landowners’ property, a tour of Arbutus Grove Seed Orchard, and discussion about seed genetics at the Mount Newton Seed Orchard. The Conference on June 7 includes Keynote Speaker, Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston, as well as panel presentations on Fuel Management for Wildfire Mitigation, and Showcasing Innovation on Private Forest Land.

WINNIPEG — The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada announced the investment of $38.4 million over four years under the Government of Canada’s Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program – Equipment Fund to support Manitoba’s efforts to purchase wildland firefighting equipment to enhance provincial readiness and capacity to prepare for and respond to wildland fires. Funding announced today will help Manitoba purchase and upgrade firefighting equipment to increase wildland fire preparedness and response efforts, improve safety for communities and firefighters alike, and strengthen capacities and capabilities for resource exchange across Canada. In addition, the funding will support the purchase of additional training equipment.

Additional coverage from CBC News: Feds give Manitoba $19.2M to boost wildfire fighting capacity, province matches for $38.4M total

David Eby

Meta has agreed to amplify the B.C. government’s emergency evacuation information in exchange for a promise to better respond to harmful content that appears on its platforms including non-consensual images. Premier David Eby announced the deal on Wednesday. “Meta has agreed to establish a direct line of communication that will ensure response measures are closely co-ordinated as part of the government’s wildfire safety efforts, including the dissemination of reputable information available from official sources,” said Eby in a joint statement with representatives from five companies. “Meta, Snap, TikTok and X have offered to provide the province and additional crisis response organizations with advertising support to amplify awareness of safety resources throughout the wildfire season,” the joint statement said. The deal is for Meta to amplify “official information” from the government in emergency situations but it doesn’t address the fact that Meta continues to block Canadian news sites.