B.C. Premier David Eby is preparing for war ahead of this year’s wildfire season, with more crews, tech and aircraft than ever before. “Functionally, at the provincial level, we’re standing up an army between equipment and the frontline wildfire staff fighting those fires,” Eby said. …He said the province is spending “nine times more than the previous governments” on fire preparation work across B.C. He also noted the BC Wildfire Service is now operational year-long, and more money is being spent on firefighting equipment. “This is not a cheap enterprise, but safety for our communities when it comes to wildfire is non negotiable,” Eby said. BCWS provincial wildfire information officer Erika Berg noted myriad initiatives the province has undertaken to be better prepared for wildfires this year, including using AI to predict wildfires, extending the hiring window for firefighters and spending millions of dollars in more equipment.

This week, the BC government provided an update on their actions to better protect old-growth forests within the province, however some environmental activists say their actions have fallen short.  In 2020, an independent review of BC’s old forests was conducted by an independent panel titled, A New Future for Old Forests, who offered the Province 14 official recommendations. …Sierra Club BC said that this latest update did not contain the “critical actions needed to implement a paradigm shift in forest stewardship in the near future”, and they are critical of the Province delaying the finalization of their Ecosystem Health (BEH) Framework from 2024 to 2025. Sierra Club BC says that the province needs better outlined ecosystem-based targets to protect old-growth and easy-to-access funding for First Nations who have lost revenue to this endeavour. … Stand.earth, the Ancient Forest Alliance and the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance have all spoken out regarding this old-growth update.

The B.C. government continues to move at a glacial pace to meet an overdue promise to transform the logging industry and protect endangered old growth forests and ecosystems, say B.C. conservation groups. On Monday, the province issued its progress report on transforming forestry practices to preserve ancient forests. The plan is a hollow effort that fails to include any new steps, specific details, or deadlines urgently needed to preserve what little old growth remains, said Jens Wieting, Sierra Club BC’s advisor. …In the old growth update, the province highlighted a $1.1-billion three-way agreement with Indigenous leaders, and Ottawa to protect 30% of B.C.’s land and oceans by 2030. …Ralston’s office did not provide comment or respond to questions by Canada’s National Observer about what the plan is for the unprotected priority deferral areas moving forward and what level of protection, if any, they can expect.

Todd Loewen

ALBERTA — Recent rain in many areas of the province has led to a significant decline in active wildfires, but experts are warning Albertans to remain diligent with more than three-quarters of this year’s wildfires determined as human-caused. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said preparation from Alberta Wildfire and municipal firefighters have allowed the province to take advantage of favourable weather conditions. …At this time last year, Alberta had over 520,000 hectares of forest burned. Whereas so far in 2024 we have just under 29,000 hectares burned,” Loewen said. There are currently 30 wildfires burning in the forest protection area. Two-thirds are carry over wildfires from the 2023 season, three are classified as being held and the rest are under control. So far this year the province has responded to 358 wildfires, of them 346 have been extinguished. This year 77% of wildfires have been determined to be human-caused.

Additional coverage on Alberta wildfires in CBC News: Weather helping damp down Alberta wildfires but careless behaviour still a worry

ZOOM: June 25, 2024 | 12-1 PM. Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park recently captured headlines following plans to remove looper moth-killed trees from the forest. Water scarcity and extreme heat are adding layers of complexity to urban landscape management. What can urban foresters tell us about this valuable community resource, along with present and emerging best practices in the field? What role do residents play in decisions surrounding living infrastructure in their neighbourhoods? Dr. Richard Hamelin will moderate a panel discussion with guests Bruce Blackwell (Principal of Blackwell & Associates Ltd.) and Joe McLeod (Urban Forestry Manager for the City of Vancouver). Join us for an engaging expert panel discussion to answer these questions and more, including audience-generated queries.

The Lil’wat Nation is undertaking a proactive wildfire risk reduction initiative to ensure the safety of the entire community this summer. The Forest Fuels Management Project is being led by Lil’wat Forestry Ventures Ltd (LFV). The project is being conducted in a residential area in Mount Currie. Trees will be thinned in 50-acres of forest, residents can suggest work they think should be done within 30 to 50 metres of their homes. General manager of LFV, Klay Tindall, emphasized the importance of selective thinning work to create more resilient forests. “The selective thinning of the forest will not only mitigate the risk of wildfires to the local homes and properties but will also enhance residents’ visibility to observe wildlife such as wolves, bears and cougars in the area to better ensure their family’s safety,” said Tindall. …One of the challenges the project faces is a lack of provincial or federal funding.

Pressy Lake, B.C. – Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR), a joint venture company owned by the Tŝideldel First Nation and the Tl’etinqox Government, is proud to announce the release of two new videos highlighting the ongoing efforts and successes of a pilot project to rehabilitate areas severely affected by the 2017 Elephant Hill wildfire. In the wake of significant challenges facing the British Columbia forestry sector, including mill closures and timber supply shortages, CCR has taken a proactive approach to create new opportunities within the industry. The videos “Trying Something New” and “What We Learned” explore these innovative approaches to manage and utilize damaged and burnt trees to create a higher value product like biomass and wood chips at their Pressy Lake project, as well as rehabilitate large areas of land.