This time last year, the province was readying itself for a major policy announcement that consisted of a slate of deferrals Premier John Horgan promised would “fundamentally transform the way we manage our old-growth forests, lands and resources.” These deferrals were made, Horgan said, following recommendations from a 2021 report by the Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel. Behind the scenes, however, the province’s top forestry executives had actually been trying to block some of the panel’s findings. Internal communications released to The Tyee through access to information laws, as well as interviews with panel members, show the province attempted to limit the information about B.C.’s remaining old growth that would be shared with the public. …the advisory panel … unveiled how much old growth existed in the province before industrial forestry… But an email exchange The Tyee uncovered …shows B.C.’s then-chief forester, Diane Nicholls, didn’t want the historic number published.

As rain cakes the ashes of West Vancouver’s largest wildfire of late, efforts to stump the risk of future fires for residents are getting underway. Work is scheduled to begin this month on a six-hectare section of second-growth forest, adjacent to the Brother’s Creek and Baden Powell trails. …the community wildfire protection plan designated this area as high risk of wildfire. …The district has consulted with local Indigenous communities on responsibly conducting forest management in this area. …Goals of the project include bolstering the BC Hydro right-of-way area as a so-called fuel break … and creating an anchor point for firefighting efforts on a potential blaze moving toward or away from homes in the Capilano watershed. A virtual information session on wildfire fuel management for residents is being held on Thursday from noon to 1 p.m., led by Bruce Blackwell of B.A. Blackwell and Associates Ltd. and West Vancouver Fire and Rescue.

A B.C. Supreme Court judge has denied an application from 121 old-growth logging protesters who were seeking to join their criminal contempt charges together for a single trial. All the protesters stand charged with criminal contempt of court for violating an injunction against interfering with logging operations in and around the Fairy Creek watershed on Vancouver Island. The protesters, including members of the Rainforest Flying Squad group, filed an application in July to have their cases heard in a single trial. Their aim was to establish for the court a complete picture of the ways in which they say the RCMP officers who enforced the injunction at Fairy Creek “exceeded the limits of reasonable and acceptable law enforcement,” thereby making the case that the charges against the protesters should be stayed due to a systemic abuse of process …instead, the court will proceed with 73 separate trials for the 121 accused, grouped by arrest date.

Additional coverage in the Victoria Times Colonist, by Keith Fraser: Judge rejects bid by Fairy Creek protesters for hearing on alleged RCMP misconduct

The B.C. government says old-growth logging has reached record lows, but one conservationist is decrying a lack of transparency from the province. …Torrance Coste, a spokesperson for B.C.’s Wilderness Committee, is calling on the government for greater transparency. “It’s encouraging to hear that the overall rate of old-growth logging is falling; what’s needed is more information,” he said. “There’s really nothing in today’s announcement that underscores or highlights where old-growth logging is continuing, whether it’s still happening in the most at-risk old-growth forest, which is our concern.” …”While the overall rate, it looks like, is falling, which is good, there’s no indication that the best forests are being protected, or that planned logging in those at-risk, irreplaceable old growth is slowing down at all.” Spuzzum First Nation Chief James Hobart says he was glad to hear the numbers released by the province, but wants more details. 

British Columbia – Since the inception of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), the Society has partnered with the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) to achieve its goal to improve forest wildlife habitat. To date, a total of 105 projects have been co-funded throughout the province. Today, FESBC, in collaboration with HCTF has released an Accomplishments Update, highlighting nine of the 105 co-funded projects focused on maintaining and enhancing important wildlife and their habitats. …The nine projects highlighted in the Accomplishments Update include increasing Fisher habitat stewardship in the forest sector, invasive plant management on the winter ranges for Bighorn Sheep to increase the quality of grasslands, restoring whitebark pine ecosystems damaged by wildfire to improve habitat for bears, and more. …The funding for these co-funded projects comes from the Province of British Columbia and from conservation surcharges on hunting, fishing, and other licenses, court fines from wildlife violations, and public donations.

As the Province continues implementation of the Old Growth Strategic Review, the latest numbers released show old-growth logging in B.C. has decreased to the lowest level on record. Logging of old growth has declined by 42%, from an estimated 65,500 hectares in 2015 to 38,300 hectares in 2021. The area logged in 2021 represents 0.3% of the estimated 11.1 million hectares of old growth in the province. “Our vision for forestry is one where we better care for our most ancient and rarest forests, First Nations are full partners in sustainable forest management, and communities and workers benefit from secure, innovative jobs for generations to come,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests. “The latest numbers show that B.C. is on the right track as we work to develop and implement new long-term solutions for better managing, preserving and sharing the benefits of our forests.” …the Province is working toward a new Old Growth Strategic Action Plan to be developed in partnership with First Nations and completed by the end of 2023.