The Western Canada SFI Implementation Committee (WCSIC) has once again partnered with the Tree Frog Forestry News to host Wildfire Resilience and Awareness Week. Under the SFI Forest Management Standard, certified organizations are required to limit the susceptibility of forests to undesirable impacts of wildfire and raise community awareness of wildfire benefits, risks, and minimization measures. Wildfire continues to be a top of mind concern in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest, as such, the Tree Frog Forestry News, along with some of our sponsors will present the latest on wildfire mitigation and best practices in a series of stories to be published this week. The WCSIC has created a Wildfire Resource Page to complement this weeks coverage — please join us in sharing this important material with your colleagues and communities.
Western Canada SFI Implementation Committee (WCSIC)
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® is an independent, non-profit organisation with a mission to advance sustainability through forest-focused collaboration. SFI is a sustainability leader through their work in standards, conservation, community, and education. They collaborate with a diverse network to help address local and global sustainability challenges.
SFI Implementation Committees are the SFI Program’s strongest asset when it comes to community leadership. This grassroots network works with local conservation groups, government agencies, forestry and professional associations, landowner groups and many others to conduct landowner outreach and community engagement.
SFI has 30+ SFI Implementation Committees representing close to 1,000 volunteers in 40+ states and provinces. They are a critical part of the program promoting the SFI Standards, collaborating on the training of harvesting professionals and connecting people and communities to the forest.
The WCSIC is comprised of SFI Certified Organisations under two regional committees, British Columbia and the Prairies (Alberta and Saskatchewan.). The WCSIC function is to effectively facilitate or manage the programs and alliances which support the growth of sustainable forest management and responsible fiber sourcing through the SFI program.
Under the SFI Forest Management Standard, Objective 10: Fire Resilience and Awareness requires Certified Organizations to limit the susceptibility of forests to undesirable impacts of wildfire and to raise community awareness of wildfire benefits, risks, and minimization measures.
This FireSmart Campaign is intended to support the requirements to raise community awareness.
Here are all the stories that made up this year’s program:
Working to improve the accuracy of fuel typing in Canada
By Kate Bezooyen, MSc (Candidate), FIT; Gregory Greene, PhD; John Davies, RPF
Forsite Consultants Ltd.
Helping Students Understand the Nature of Fire
Project Learning Tree Canada
Coastal Fire Centre prevention plan under development for 2024 wildfire season
By Rebecca Grogan, Communications Assistant
Coastal Fire Centre
Private Land Burning – A Message to Landowners and the Province
By Bruce Blackwell M.Sc. RPF RPBio.
B.A. Blackwell and Associates Ltd.
A Look Into Fire Mitigation Best Practices And Research In BC
By Heidi Walsh, RPF
DRS Phoenix Connect
New centre at UBC to advance wildfire research, collaboration and innovation
By Lori Daniels, Koerner Chair in Wildfire Coexistence
UBC Faculty of Forestry