The 2025 TREK BC GRAVEL SERIES on Vancouver Island, proudly hosted by Mosaic Forest Management announced its racing schedule today. “For 2025, we are taking things to a new level with the continuation of our great partnership with Trek Bicycles and Mosaic Forest Management.”, said race director, Jon Watkin. “With the expansion of the series to 4 epic events, we want to highlight the Island as the best gravel cycling destination in the world and give a ride experience that will create lasting fond memories.” Through a continued comprehensive partnership with Mosaic Forest Management, the series offers exclusive private gravel roads in the remote wilderness, which will feature muscle aching terrain, but also awe-inspiring views that can only be found on the West Coast of BC. …Mosaic Forest Management continues to be a foundational partner and sees the BC Gravel Series event as a great opportunity to connect with the community.

…After swimming upriver to spawn, salmon in coastal British Columbia rainforests are fed upon by bears and birds and other predators who litter the forest floor with half-eaten carcasses; these fertilize Sitka spruce and Douglas fir and literally become part of the forest itself… In addition to sustaining life on Earth, these ecosystem services generate valuable goods [and] have poured tens of billions into B.C.’s economy over the past century. But those profits have come at a steep environmental cost… The most obvious solution, protecting large swaths of nature from resource-hungry humans, simply reverses the problem. …Ban logging to protect a forest? OK, who will pay next month’s rent for those loggers? Where will that money come from? And what will the rest of us use to build our houses? …To truly escape the vicious cycle, you’d have to make conservation profitable. Which brings us to a place called the Great Bear Sea.

It’s easy to spot contrasts in the forest landscape around Jasper National Park. Countless coniferous trees with thick, deep green branches line roads and mountainsides in areas spared from July’s wildfire. … There are signs of new life under the thin layer of snow now on the ground, but winter’s deep freeze will soon slow down any regrowth. “The landscape, although really fragile, was greening up pretty quickly, which was kind of encouraging — a sign that there is still a seed base on the ground for things to happen,” said Marcia DeWandel, a Parks Canada vegetation restoration specialist. …Flames ignited early in the season, DeWandel said, so “we had a lot of our grasses, and our early succession and fire-adapted plants, come back right away.” …Parks Canada planted 5,000 Douglas fir seedlings in fire-damaged areas in Jasper National Park to supplement natural forest regrowth over the past two months.

Canada’s largest lumber manufacturer announced a revised plan to reduce clear cutting in the West Bragg Creek and Moose Mountain areas, but opponents are still not impressed with the possibility of losing some of the popular recreation trails. West Fraser Timber had originally planned to clearcut 468 hectares near West Bragg Creek and another 412 hectares in the Moose Mountain Trail Networks. The total harvest planned for both areas west of Calgary, slated to start in October 2026, is now set for 556 hectares, marking a 37% reduction. …While the reduced clearcut is welcome news, a local group advocating for the protection of wildlife is still fighting for the project to be shut down entirely. “This needs to become a protected area,” said Lucy Curtis, vice president of Bragg Creek Wild. …The final plan will be submitted to government in spring 2026 prior to harvest operations, which are currently scheduled to begin in October 2026.

The owner of Canada’s largest forestry company has moved to take control of a massive pulp and paper empire. Jackson Wijaya currently owns dozens of pulp and paper mills across Canada, the U.S., Brazil and Europe under the Domtar Group — formally known as Paper Excellence. Wijaya’s intention to take direct control over Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), an Indonesian and Chinese-based multinational currently owned by his father. For years, Domtar and APP have denied any relationship with one another. Wijaya’s now open intention to control the two companies has raised questions among environmental watchdogs that have long claimed APP has exerted hidden control over Canadian forestry assets. …Jennifer Johnson, a Domtar spokesperson said Wijaya’s father had appointed him to be the sole beneficiary of APP as part of his “succession planning.” …“Mr. Wijaya will not hold any leadership position within APP, and APP and Domtar will continue to operate as distinct entities.”

Additional coverage in the Globe and Mail, by Nicolas Van Praet: Paper Excellence owner to take control of contentious Asia family company, raising environmental concerns

VERNON, BC — Tolko Industries continues to dispute a $75,000 fine after a logging road it built is claimed to have caused a landslide. In question is a logging road constructed by Tolko Industries in 2011. It’s alleged the road ultimately led to a landslide in May 2017 resulting in the administrative fine. Following the issuance of the fine in 2022, Tolko launched an appeal. Most recently, legal wrangling between Tolko and the province is centring around a variety of documents, including slide inspections. The BC Forest Appeals Commission allowed Tolko to withdraw its request for additional documents and dismiss both the province’s request for more documents and payment for narrowing the appeal from Tolko. Certain aspects of the appeal are going forward with Tolko claiming the fine is excessive. …The commission’s decision stated “the landslide is said to have resulted in damage to crown timber, the ecosystem, fish, and fish habitat.”

Additional coverage in Blackpress, by Brendan Shykora: B.C. forestry company facing $75K fine for causing landslide