A recent article by Archie MacDonald boiled down the problem of old forests in the province as “less diversity and more susceptibility to disease, pests and drought.” He said the solution is “the creation of forest management practices that create younger and healthier forests that are less dense, include more diversity and that allow openings and meadows to develop.” …The issue not only relates to provincial Crown lands, but also to urban forested parklands. …Salmon Arm recently unveiled planned wildfire mitigation projects for the rest of Little Mountain Park and for Park Hill. The more than 40 citizens who showed up to the city’s Open House in December were pleasantly surprised the new contractor is bringing a much more balanced approach… We are proud to see Salmon Arm taking a leadership role in this effort that reflects rational, science-based decision making appropriate for our treasured parks.

QUESNEL, BC — It’s not even mid-March, but B.C. already has its first fire ban of the year. The B.C. Wildfire Service announced a ban on fires in the Cariboo region effective noon Thursday, March 28, due to “an unseasonably dry fall and winter resulting in high drought conditions.” The ban covers Category 2 and Category 3 fires, across the entire region, including the Cariboo Chilcontin Forest District, the 100 Mile House Forest District and the Quesnel Forest District. …The ban comes amid growing concern about a potentially difficult wildfire season, with drought conditions already present across most of the province. Conditions across the Interior, with the exception of the Upper Columbia Basin, are currently at Drought Level 3 and above, with the province’s northeast already at Drought Level 5, the highest possible rating. …Across B.C., the snowpack is about 34 per cent below seasonal averages.

Joel and Mat DeVito

Vince DeVito Shoes is in the process of not only repairing and selling fine footwear, but also producing a new line of boots for workers in the forestry. “It’s a boot that’s for people who work in the outdoor industry,” says Mat DeVito, who along with brother Joel are now working in the shoe retail and repair departments.  DeVito Boot Co.’s boot is aimed at forestry workers, wildfire fighters, and other forest-based professionals. The company has used the reputation and connections built over generations to make this new chapter possible. …The DeVito’s are in the very early stages with the boot and it won’t come to market until after Easter, but they are hard at work creating wholesaling relationships throughout BC.

While not a record, BC Wildfire Service says they are seeing a high volume of applicants which may help if 2024 becomes another devastating season. According to minister of Forests Bruce Ralston, the service has got around 1,700 applications this year and it is an encouraging sign. “I think the season last year was so intense that it did attract a lot of public attention, and I think that reflects public anxiety about what we experienced last summer and what we might experience in the summer to come,” said Ralston. “The season for applications has been a bit longer and it’s been a bit more intense.” Ralston adds that so far, ministry staff have interviewed over 500 applicants for this upcoming season. He says there is always turnover from season to season since many college and university students work in the summer and choose not to return.

Here Boy Films has announced the Canadian feature documentary Block Dog will premiere on CBC Gem on April 19. The documentary, from tree-planting cult documentary One Million Trees director Everett Bumstead, follows the daily lives of eight loyal but mischievous dogs in a remote tree-planting camp in Quesnel. Filmed during the sweltering summertime, the 44-minute documentary chronicles the highs and lows of forestry industry practices through canine eyes. Visually, the film pushes the human world to the periphery: Dogs beg for scraps of camp food or snooze in the shade while tree planters work in the background. But throughout, the dogs (and the audience) overhear snippets of conversation about the internal politics of the camp and the environmental realities of the forest industry in B.C. …Block Dog was produced by CBC with the participation of Creative BC and the Canada Media Fund.

Newly introduced legislation will expand B.C.’s parks and protected areas, strengthen biodiversity conservation and provide more opportunities for people to access outdoor recreation. The additions, proposed through legislative amendments to the Protected Areas of British Columbia (PABC) Act, add 189 hectares to six existing provincial parks and one conservancy. …The additions consist of private land acquisitions, private donations and Crown lands… As part of these amendments, the responsibility of existing roads in two parks and one conservancy is being transferred to other ministries. This includes Kikomun Creek Park, Nancy Greene Park and Yaaguun Suu Conservancy. Amendments to the PABC Act are required to add new land to parks, conservancies and ecological reserves, modify or correct boundaries and improve boundary descriptions.

PORT ALBERNI, BC — A major new forestry land-use agreement between First Nations, Western Forest Products, the Province and other groups is taking final shape on the North Island. The Gwa’ni Project is a partnership between the ‘Namgis First Nation and the B.C. government to develop recommendations about land and resource management in the Nimpkish Valley. The Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 37 Forest Landscape Plan Pilot Project is one of four provincial pilot projects shaping a new framework for sustainable forest management in B.C. TFL 37 stretches down the Nimpkish Valley between Port McNeill and Woss. …The project has been in the works since the ‘Namgis First Nation and B.C. government signed a memorandum of understanding in January 2021. “It signals a move away from enhanced forestry zones towards general special management zones and promises to be beneficial to the local First Nation, Western  and the public,” added Matt Leroy.