A new report from the province’s auditor general indicates B.C. is doing a poor job of maintaining forest service roads (FSRs). The audit assessed whether the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development managed safety and environmental risks on FSRs in accordance with its policies. While FSRs are built primarily to access timber for forestry operations, they are often used for other industrial and commercial purposes, and provide important access to communities, private residences, recreation and wilderness areas. FSRs are not built or maintained to the same standards as public roadways, but proper upkeep is critical to help ensure the safety of road users and protect the environment. The audit concluded the ministry did not manage safety and environmental risks on FSRs in accordance with its policies.

The Auditor General of British Columbia has released a new report that shows the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development did not manage the safety and environmental risks of forest service roads last year. Although forest service roads are primarily built to access timber, maintenance is still critical for public safety and for the environment.   The shortcomings in maintenance work and lack of reliable information and records around road maintenance increase the danger to road users and the environment, the report concluded. The Auditor General says the lack of maintenance could be a result of not enough funding by the government.  “It is important to note, that in 2019-2020 natural resource districts received only about 25 per cent of their budget requests for maintenance on priority roads. Almost $9 million worth of high priority maintenance and repair work went unfunded,” said Michael Pickup.

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Armstrong residents are rallying to save a North Okanagan green space from being logged.   A petition has been launched to save the Rose Swanson Mountain from falling to the chainsaw.  ….A website has also been launched to raise awareness of the situation.  “We are regular citizens of the North Okanagan who cherish the forest and trails of the 712 acres of Rose Swanson Sensitive Area, officially designated as such in spring 1997,” said the website.  “Without any public consultation, Rose Swanson Sensitive Area has been reclassified by the Ministry of Forests as the Rose Swanson Operating Area. “Our immediate aim is to stop the proposed logging of Mounts Rose & Swanson before timber harvest plans and bids move too far along the process, and before a license has been given to harvest the ancient trees of this vibrant, diverse and magnificent forest.”

A B.C. Indigenous group has been working to bring its territory back to life and create a replicable model for restoration following the devastating 2017 Elephant Hill fire. But it can take a century for forests to recover and climate change adds to the timeline. …the fire burned almost 192,000 hectares over 76 days — an area 15 times the size of Vancouver — and destroyed 100 homes. It was one of the biggest wildfires in a record-breaking season. But megafires — fires that burn more than 40,500 hectares — are becoming more common in B.C. and around the world due to climate change. …When the Elephant Hill fire was finally out in the fall of 2017, eight Secwépemc bands, nearby communities and the province formed the Elephant Hill Joint Leadership Council to restore damaged areas in Secwepemcul’ecw, which means Secwépemc territory. The council created and executed a three-year restoration plan in the area that is near completion. 

Everett Bumstead (centre) & his crew

Vancouver based filmmaker Everett Bumstead and his three-member crew produced a documentary detailing the experiences of people who are part of the tree planing industry on Vancouver Island.  Filmed on north Vancouver Island – around Campbell River, Woss and Sayward – where tree planting takes place almost throughout the year of the movie, ‘One Million Trees’ aired last month on CBC Gem.  The 27-year-old filmmaker was also a tree planter in his early 20’s – a job that he says was not only “hugely impactful” in shaping his life thereafter, but also one that developed a “high tolerance for pain” and paid off his student loans back in the day.  Environmentally, the experience provided him a realistic understanding of forestry and conservation and “how these things really play out in the real world.” …The film crew took an Indie style approach to make this documentary, visiting several planting sites managed by different companies.

A local bat biologist says there has not been enough planning for logging in a sensitive habitat near Nelson.  “They are killing bats as we speak,” says Dr. Cori Lausen.  She thinks the company, BC Timber Sales (BCTS), has gone halfway toward protecting the large population of bats that live in three cutblocks in the Smallwood Creek drainage above Beasley.  It has decided not to log in the summer to protect nursery trees used by bats in the summer.  The company plans to log in the winter instead, and are in fact doing so now.  But winter logging is also dangerous to bats at this site, Lausen says, because they use trees in the area for hibernation. She says no one knows if those hibernation trees are the same trees as the summer roost trees, and more research is needed. 

Young adults interested in working outdoors this summer and playing a key role in environmental stewardship can now apply for the BC Parks Student Ranger Program. The Student Ranger Program offers 48 young adults training and employment opportunities in B.C.’s parks and protected areas, providing hands-on work experience through a variety of projects related to conservation, recreation, community outreach and Indigenous relations. …Funded by the federal and provincial governments, the program consists of 12 crews of four student rangers located throughout B.C. The teams focus on initiatives such as ecosystem restoration, invasive species control, outdoor education, trail building and infrastructure maintenance.

VANCOUVER, BC – Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), known as western yellow pine (Py), is a dominant tree species in hot, dry environments like the southern interior of British Columbia (BC) and south of the border into Washington state. It is also highly desirable and commercially important as a building material for homes, furniture and more. …the BC Ministry for Forests… is enhancing efforts for Py seedling plantation by establishing a new breeding program at Kalamalka Forestry Centre near Vernon to meet the projected increases in Py seed demand. …Genome British Columbia is investing in a proactive research project to support the breeding program – to maintain and improve physiological adaptation of Py. …Using novel genomic methods, they will identify genes and gene variants that increase survival and enhance growth in a drier and warmer climate. These genomic tools will help jumpstart the breeding program for Py, which is an important part of BC’s climate change adaptation strategy.