The report, Forest and Fire Management in BC Toward Landscape Resilience, highlights an urgent need to change how B.C.’s forests and landscapes are managed.

“Fire prevention and suppression policies over the past century have led to a buildup of fuel in our forests, and have contributed to the loss of natural firebreaks in some areas,” said Keith Atkinson, chair, Forest Practices Board. “These shifts, combined with forestry policies and climate-change effects greatly increase the risk of catastrophic wildfire. We’re already seeing the consequences this year, with its unusually early start and record-setting wildfires.”

Provincial government data indicates that 45 per cent of public land in B.C. is at high or extreme threat of wildfire. Catastrophic wildfire impacts human health and safety, housing and infrastructure, wildlife, climate and the economy. The direct cost of suppressing wildfire is rising and now averages $1 billion annually in Western Canada.

“We can’t afford to continue the status quo,” Atkinson said. “We need the B.C. government, jointly with First Nations, to lead the development of a vision and action plan that will align provincial priorities and actions to restore landscape resilience and coexistence with fire. Landscape fire management is the way to achieve this.”

Landscape fire management can proactively reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and restore landscape resilience through forest-fuel reduction strategies, such as creating fuel breaks, increasing the diversity of tree species, densities, and ages, and the use of cultural and prescribed burning. These strategies create a more resilient landscape that is less vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire.

“Implementing this scale of change to land management can only happen with strong leadership and collaboration,” Atkinson said. “This is not a task that can be accomplished by one agency, but will require all levels of government, industry, and the B.C. public to work together to do things differently. The payoff will be a reduced risk of catastrophic wildfire, and a more resilient landscape for future generations.”

The Forest Practices Board is B.C’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board audits forest and range practices on public lands and the appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.

Under the new regulations, licensees will publish forest operations maps, including proposed cutblocks and roads, and make them available to public feedback.

The province has developed an optional web-based tool for companies to display maps and invite public feedback, and plans to launch it fully next year. BC Timber Sales as well as some forestry companies in the province are currently testing the mapping portal.

“Providing people with an easy, user-friendly tool to view maps of local forest operations will help to promote transparency and information sharing,” Jennifer Gunter, executive director of the BC Community Forest Association, said in the province’s news release. “Forest operations maps have the potential to improve public confidence in our sector across the province.”

A new regulation under the Forest and Range Practices Act will establish a new protected habitat category known as Ecological Communities, designed to increase protection for rare and endangered species and habitats.

B.C. Forests Minister Bruce Ralston said in the release the amendments to forest management are important to British Columbians. “We are boosting forest conservation to better support ecosystem health, including rare and critical habitat,” he said. “Opening the planning process to the public through the use of new digital tools will engender greater public trust and ensure forest resiliency.”

As global temperatures rise, trees in colder areas are benefiting from an extended growing season. A longer growing season results in thicker growth rings and, as a result, higher overall wood production.

This article is part of La Conversation Canada’s series The boreal forest: A thousand secrets, a thousand dangers

La Conversation Canada invites you to take a virtual walk in the heart of the boreal forest. In this series, our experts focus on management and sustainable development issues, natural disturbances, the ecology of terrestrial wildlife and aquatic ecosystems, northern agriculture and the cultural and economic importance of the boreal forest for Indigenous peoples. We hope you have a pleasant — and informative — walk through the forest!

However, studies suggest that longer growing seasons contribute to weakening the wood, making trees structurally weaker. The poor quality of wood means that trunks break more easily.

We are forest ecologists who specialize in the anatomy and growth of wood. Let’s examine the most recent scientific studies available to try to map the future of our forests and analyze how the changing growing season is determining the characteristics of the wood produced.

Wood: What is it?

Wood is the product of the progressive accumulation of cells — xylem cells — in trees. The purpose of this accumulation is to renew the sap transport system and to provide mechanical support for the stem (trunk), branches and leaves.

A tree ring is the product of a growing season which, in temperate and boreal environments, runs from spring to autumn. Each year a new growth ring is formed. The thickness of a ring is dependent on a combination of factors inherent to the tree (its species and genetic factors) and environmental factors (such as soil type, sun exposure, climate and competition between neighbouring trees).

In some species, especially in conifers, it can be quite easy to distinguish the rings from each other. This is due to the fact that during the growing season the tree produces two types of wood, characterized by cells with different forms and functions.

In spring, the tree produces many large, light-coloured cells with a thin cell wall. This part of the annual ring is called “earlywood.” In late summer, growth slows down. The cells become smaller, but their walls become thicker. This “latewood” is the darker portion of the annual ring.

The characteristics of the cells of wood are particularly important and are of great interest in ecological and economic terms. First of all, wood cell walls stock most of the carbon assimilated from the atmosphere by trees. Thus, a thicker cell wall means the tree is absorbing a greater amount of carbon. Secondly, the ratio of the number of earlywood cells to latewood cells determines the density of the wood, and, therefore, its potential use and material value.

Trees are growing faster

Over the past century, in the temperate regions of North America and Europe, trees have shown a faster growth rate, up to 77 per cent higher than in the previous century. This increase is related to the production of thicker growth rings.

At first sight, faster growth could be interpreted as higher biomass production, which would lead to a higher carbon storage capacity and, therefore, a greater contribution of our forests to the fight against climate change. In other words, a higher growth rate could mean that more wood would be available for our different needs.

But as William Shakespeare wrote: “Oft expectation fails, and most oft there where most it promises.”

Trees die younger

A study by the Technical University of Munich in Germany analyzed the growth rate of trees and the characteristics of their wood over the last century. They found that as the growth rate increased, the density of the wood dropped by eight to 12 per cent.

Furthermore, as wood density decreased, their carbon content also decreased by about 50 per cent. This suggested that the trees extracted less carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

In addition to a reduced capacity to absorb and store atmospheric carbon, reduced wood density can weaken the structural strength of the stems. Wood fulfils the important function of supporting trees. Reducing its density is therefore accompanied by a lower resistance to mechanical stresses that might come from wind or the effect of gravity on steep slopes.

To complicate matters further, another recent study has shown an association between growth and lifespan in trees: fast-growing trees have a shorter life expectancy.

Too much is not enough

In our latest study, we quantified the relationships between the length of growing season, productivity and wood cell characteristics in balsam fir.

The study confirmed that trees with a longer growing season produce more wood cells and a thicker growth ring. However, higher growth also corresponds to a change in the ratio between the amount of earlywood and latewood. For every day that the growing season length increased, the trees produced one more cell of earlywood.

The increase in the ratio between earlywood and latewood is reflected in the decrease in wood density. This shows that an increase in volume growth does not necessarily correspond to a higher biomass production.

What does the future hold for our forests?

The global average temperature has exceeded the pre-industrial average by about 1.15°C (1850-1900), and is expected to rise further in the coming years. Warmer temperatures could lengthen the growing season of trees and consequently increase their growth rate.

While, on the one hand, this may lead to an expansion of forests globally, the rate of carbon uptake from forests is likely to decrease.

Although our forests will make a substantial contribution to the fight against climate change, the results of these studies are further evidence that environmental problems cannot be solved without taking direct action on the causes that trigger global change.

In the context of climate change, reducing the anthropogenic emissions that cause global warming is not something we can afford to negotiate or postpone.

Roberto Silvestro, PhD Candidate, Biology, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) and Sergio Rossi, Professor, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Over the last few decades, forests have become an increasingly important focus of international investment, in efforts to promote change in global deforestation and degradation trends, and as a means to reduce and remove atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHG). Additionally, various regulatory and voluntary markets utilizing forest-based carbon credits have gained traction in recent years. However, tensions remain in discussions around utilization versus conservation, issues with carbon commodification, and the potential for carbon credits to become a form of greenwashing primarily benefiting those entities most responsible for excess GHG emissions. The use of CSF and related terms, such as “climate-smart forest economy” or “climate-smart forest products,” seems to rely on an assumption that CSF has been adequately defined and is well understood. This leads to the term being adopted and used colloquially, without critical examination and robust scientific rationale, constituting a “science-practice gap”.

The current understanding of CSF can be summarized as encompassing three overarching objectives:

• Increasing carbon storage in forests and wood products, in conjunction with the provisioning of other ecosystem services,
• Enhancing human health and community resilience through adaptive forest management, and
• Using wood resources sustainably to substitute for non-renewable, carbon-intensive materials.

To close gaps in theory and practice, Cooper and MacFarlane propose an enhanced definition CSF that includes two additional goals:

• Protect natural places by avoiding loss of forests, intact forests, forest complexity, biodiversity, connectivity, or conversion to higher management intensity;
• Promote restoration of degraded landscapes, improved ecosystem function, and connectivity (e.g., through corridors).

Further, the authors identify an emerging emphasis on forest carbon sequestration rates over carbon storage, indicating a narrow understanding of climate benefits. A focus on carbon sequestration does not fully consider the long-term resilience of forests, other treed landscapes, and the benefits of stored carbon on the landscape. They propose augmenting traditional forestry metrics by defining and promoting additional CSF indicators – such as tree longevity and biomass residency time – to be included in analysis, used to appraise multiple forest types more appropriately, adequately assess higher storage/lower productivity forests, and bring attention to protecting the large and secure carbon pools that are currently in place.

Cooper and MacFarlane also note that forest carbon projects commonly omit carbon pools and GHGs which are considered “not significant” or too difficult to assess, though some (such as forested peat soils) have the potential to be immensely important. They point out that including even default values for these kinds of carbon pools can provide important insights to support decision-making. Additionally, the authors assert that CSF claims around the carbon stored in harvested wood products must be based in data-driven calculations to avoid overestimating substitution benefits or underestimating emissions and fossil fuel use related to current forestry practices.

Finally, this research recognizes that industry, investors, and governments are the entities most likely to benefit from current understandings of CSF which do not fully incorporate traditional ecological knowledge. Roughly 1.5 billion Indigenous and rural peoples depend on forests for food and livelihoods, occupying approximately 28 per cent of global land and nearly 20 per cent of global forests, with either formal or informal tenure rights. Forests cover more than 80 per cent of Indigenous land area, totalling over 330 million hectares representing some of the most ecologically important, carbon rich biodiversity hotspots on the planet. Of these, 173 million hectares are considered “intact forests” meaning they have had little to no human modifications in the last 60-80 years. Recent decades have seen a greater focus on indigenous and rural rights in relation to conservation and climate mitigation, which can be leveraged to reduce risk of CSF oversight.

In this paper, Cooper and MacFarlane delineate the following gaps in and risks associated with the current framing of CSF:

• Overly simplified relationships between carbon sequestration and forest management,
• Emphasis on above-ground tree volume as forest carbon stocks,
• “Carbonization” of forest values,
• Unintended social effects and unequal benefit distribution,
• Misinterpreting climate effects, and
• Overlooking efficiency gains and economic misalignments.

As the authors illustrate in the figure (above), an enhanced conceptualization of CSF allows for a broad umbrella under which additional forested or potentially forested landscapes may be assessed, particularly those that may not be managed primarily for timber. Cooper and MacFarlane also propose an expansion of current planning and implementation phases to include assessment of the broader impacts of CSF strategy across socio-cultural values, trade-offs for co-benefits and safeguards, and landscape-level ecological and economic considerations.

This research underscores the value of considering a diversity of land management and conservation practices beyond carbon, that are essential to adapting to climate, actively consider other species, and support resilient landscapes that will continue to provide for the full spectrum of social and economic human need.

Investing in equipment that can be rebuilt, leveraging new technologies and partnering with trusted, informed dealers can all help support your current and future business needs. With the right maintenance and fleet strategy you can leverage your equipment to help retain and attract operators, improve productivity, reduce costs, and increase safety, all while meeting current and future sustainability goals. 

Replace inventory with information

Improving productivity and reducing expenses are top goals for any logger. But knowing how to get there can be the biggest challenge. Technology advancements in forestry equipment, like telematics, can capture real-time data – helping you complete projects with greater insight, collaboration and efficiency. And as technology continues to improve, connectivity for remote forestry locations is easier than ever before. Software updates can be sent directly to the machine on the jobsite without having to wait for a technician to arrive.  

When leveraged properly, data has enormous potential – it can unlock meaningful insight to help reduce costs, minimize downtime and identify problem areas or operator-induced fault codes on your equipment. The right dealer can support you on this journey by setting up instant alerts, monthly reports and identifying areas of opportunity or improvement. 

As technology has advanced, so has the quality of equipment. Longer oil change intervals and filter quality is extending machine life, helping to lower operating costs. And as fuel costs soar, more manufacturers and dealers are investing in hybrid and electric machines that can support alternative fuels such as diesel blends to help lower operating costs. Hydraulics are also getting smarter. These new enhancements are making good operators great, while also keeping them safe, comfortable and happy. 

The right equipment can help you stay productive, but it can also help attract and retain operators by improving working conditions and safety. And in a time where every industry is experiencing labour challenges, keeping employees safe and happy is an important part of your recruitment and retention strategy. 

Improving productivity and reducing expenses are top goals for any logger.

Getting the most out of your equipment

Ever increasing environmental regulations and stricter emissions standards mean companies need to work smarter to achieve sustainability targets. Gone are the days of trading in machines for a shiny new piece of equipment earlier than needed. Forestry companies of all sizes can make a big impact by opting to rebuild equipment, instead of buying new. A rebuild involves replacing parts, changing out components, calibration and adjustments, with the end result being a like-new machine.

Rebuilds reduce overall waste and minimize raw material used to produce new parts and equipment. This is crucial as companies are accounting for the carbon output that’s the result of purchasing a new machine. Plus, equipment can be rebuilt multiple times and owners have the choice of keeping legacy tier emission standards or rebuilding to a higher tier emission standard. This means equipment stays in production for multiple lives and it saves non-renewable resources from the landfill, while reducing equipment costs and contributing towards sustainability goals.

New machine availability and machine value prior to the rebuild also play a factor in your decision. Understanding your equipment’s history, its condition and what maintenance it may or may not need, can provide both cost savings and environmental benefits. A dealer can work with you to understand machine analytics, value, overall condition and whether a rebuild is worth the cost. 

Timing is also an important consideration if you’re considering a rebuild. Supply chain disruptions combined with labour shortages are increasing lead times for new equipment across the globe. This is especially challenging in an industry like forestry where customers are accustomed to walking into a dealer and buying new equipment on the spot for whatever job they have coming up. So, planning ahead and creating an equipment strategy is as important as ever. 

Maintaining or growing a logging business has always been hard – and today, it’s even harder.

Relationship with dealer is important

The forestry industry is no stranger to hardships and has always had to adapt to the ever-changing economy. Just when one crisis seems over, another one hits. If it’s not a beetle outbreak or forest fire then it’s a looming recession, mill closures or supply chain issues. Maintaining or growing a logging business has always been hard – and today, it’s even harder.  

But, imagine a world where you’re better equipped to meet current and future challenges. Your business is productive, efficient and profitable. Having a dealer that works with you means everyone – financing, parts, technology, service and sales – is working together to find the right solutions for your business. Today’s dealers have evolved beyond simply supplying equipment to customers. End-to-end solutions are helping to provide advanced data insights, driving value and return on investment.

Now is the time to think about your relationship with your dealer. Is it meeting your business needs in an open and transparent way? Does it help prepare you for future growth while mitigating risks? Although there doesn’t appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel just yet, evolving and adapting to a new way of doing business can help ensure a bright future for Canada’s forestry industry. That means investing in quality equipment that can be rebuilt, while leveraging new technologies to help drive efficiency and increase productivity, while keeping costs down.

Mike Friederici is the industry manager, forestry and earthmoving at Finning Canada.

“Our goal is to change the world’s understanding of forests by providing the most accurate, scalable and timely forest analytics possible,” said CollectiveCrunch co-founder Rolf Schmitz. “Through solutions like Linda Planet, we can enable sustainable forestry, assist in the mitigation of carbon losses, and bring transparency to forest carbon markets to spearhead the fight against climate change.”

The urgent need for transparency in the carbon market

The AI-based Linda Planet solution eliminates the uncertainty and subjectivity associated with forest carbon assessments by providing a scientific and data-driven approach to forest carbon management. It does this by helping mitigate forest carbon value loss by tracking changes and potential damages in near real-time, and assists in forecasting the growth and loss of forest carbon stocks.

Linda Planet ensures the accountability of carbon assets behind an offset and provides the transparency necessary for credible carbon development through the AI backbone of the Linda platform. Nominal check-ups with five-year manual auditing cycles of forest carbon assets have proven to be insufficient. In order to have foolproof understanding of the progress and permanence of the natural capital, continuous and accurate visibility into the assets is essential – which is what Linda offers.

Linda Planet is uniquely positioned to bring credible baselines to the market at large scale. Credible baselines are necessary to build a strong foundation for the future of carbon offsets. A data-driven forest carbon inventory helps to define stored carbon and rates of sequestration throughout the forested lands, and assists forest management efforts with precision and high quality.

Tracking biodiversity unveils the reality behind biodiversity loss

A transition to sustainable forestry at a global scale requires analytics ranging from deforestation and carbon stock changes to habitat destruction and biodiversity loss. Ensuring that the world’s forests are on a path towards increased resilience and enhanced biodiversity requires access to the best available intelligence. Resilient forests better withstand natural disturbances and require less time for recovery, reducing the need for clearing trees. Biodiverse forests provide habitats for a wide range of species and ensure that ecosystems remain intact. The ability to track changes in resilience and biodiversity at scale is necessary to address the environmental challenges on the road towards global sustainable forestry.

“The dramatic loss of biodiversity in the forestry ecosystem is a serious global challenge. Linda Planet provides continuous visibility into the forest status and timely assessment of disturbances,” said Schmitz. “We’re thrilled to launch this product to the market to fundamentally change how the forestry industry monitors forest health.”

CollectiveCrunch is a solutions provider that is approved by Verra, a nonprofit organization that operates standards in environmental and social markets, including the world’s leading carbon crediting program, the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program. CollectiveCrunch’s involvement in the Verra carbon accreditation program will further solidify the organization’s methodologies and add a baseline for near-real time carbon-storing data to support the program.

CollectiveCrunch has been developing state-of-the-art AI-based technologies for the forest sector since 2016. Linda Forest today covers 23 million hectares of forest. Continuous monitoring is an essential part of understanding the changes in the sensitive ecosystem of forests and providing visibility into biodiversity and the changes in the forest carbon storages near real-time.

“We are excited to bring our partnership with Forests Ontario to the next level,” Matt Hill, founder and chief environmental optimist, One Tree Planted, says. “Together, we will plant millions of trees across Canada over the next five years. We look forward to everything we will be able to accomplish for forests, biodiversity, and communities.”

One Tree Planted is a non-profit that is focused on global reforestation. Since 2014, they have planted over 92 million trees in 80+ countries across North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific. Their work is done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create lasting impact for nature, people, and wildlife.

Forests Ontario and its partners have developed the expertise and infrastructure to grow and track tree planting from seed to healthy forest. Through its comprehensive network of partners and programs, Forests Ontario and Forest Recovery Canada have planted more than 41 million trees, resulting in 20,500 hectares of new forest created across more than 8,300 project sites.

“Our earliest work with One Tree Planted was identifying one-off planting sites for support and we are excited to grow that partnership into a collaboration that will see the creation of healthy forests across our country,” Rob Keen, chief executive officer of Forests Ontario, and registered professional forester, says. “We are very proud of this partnership with One Tree Planted and that Forests Ontario is an integral part of our combined efforts to plant new forests in Canada.”

Creating healthy, new forests is one of the most effective, nature-based solutions in combating climate change and over their lifetime, these trees will sequester significant amounts of carbon and mitigate the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather and flooding while reducing biodiversity loss.

“This partnership with Forests Ontario is an incredible opportunity to elevate restoration and reforestation in Canada to new levels,” Stephanie Clement, Canada project manager at One Tree Planted, says. “We are thrilled to be supporting Forests Ontario in planting millions of trees, restoring Canada’s forests, and making a positive impact for local communities on the ground.”

“The benefits locally are really quite extraordinary,” Elizabeth Celanowicz, chief operating officer, Forests Ontario, says. “Ensuring successful tree planting requires the integration and support from highly skilled individuals along the entire tree planting supply chain, including seed collectors, nursery workers and professional tree planters providing green jobs in rural communities. We can’t wait to start our new planting season.”

The article highlights the work of the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) with partner Vaagen Fibre Canada and the collaborative efforts taken to restore the burned areas plus important lessons learned from the ongoing wildfire recovery project.

“When the Nk’Mip Creek Wildfire burned such a large area of land within the OIB’s traditional territory in the summer of 2021, there was motivation to act quickly to give the land a better opportunity to recover. A plan was developed that prioritized cultural values, historical uses of the land, and ecological recovery,” said Peter Flett, RPF with Vaagen Fibre Canada and the Osoyoos Indian Band.

This article follows the work done for the Nk’Mip Creek wildfire recovery and restoration project. The project’s approach to restoration has been more holistic than a typical wildfire salvage operation, with extensive field reviews with community members, protection of cultural use areas, and identification of areas suitable for salvage and others left to recover naturally. Planting native shrubs in conjunction with fire-resistant deciduous and coniferous tree species will revegetate ecosystems and provide wildlife and cultural values sooner than without human intervention.

“We are proud of this collaboration to improve forest recovery post-wildfire,” noted Flett. “We are grateful for the opportunity to share this local story in a provincial magazine as we hope it inspires others in the forest industry to prioritize collaboration during planning and implementation in their recovery efforts too.”

To view the story online, click here.

“Despite the weather, Missionites showed their passion for the forest once again,” said Mayor Paul Horn. “It was wonderful to experience an event in the Stave Falls area and to remind people of the beauty of our forests.”

Over 130 trees were planted in the cutblock by families and approximately 300 people attended the event. Activities included an art table, axe throwing, a guided hike, and a sawing area. Residents also took home seedlings to plant on their own.

“This fun community event was a great opportunity to educate our residents about our reforestation program,” said Kelly Kitsch, senior forest technologist. “Our professional contract tree planters plant about 80,000 seedlings every spring, right after harvesting is completed. We plant western red cedar, Douglas-fir and western white pine seedlings, which are monitored closely for the next decade.”

See photos of the celebration here.

Its impact is broad and burgeoning. A recent article and survey by McKinsey & Company found that AI adoption continues to grow across industries, with impacts both on revenue and cost. There was a significant increase in respondents who reported using AI for at least one function in their business, up 50 per cent from 2020, with use cases ranging from service operations, supply chain management and product development, to manufacturing and corporate finance.

Applying AI

While AI has broad applicability across the forest sector, of particular interest to operational forestry is its potential to improve the forest-to-mill supply chain by leveraging the volume of data already being collected daily. For example, AI can improve the inventory estimates at a stand- and unit-level by augmenting growth and yield models with actuals from the field. It can also use the hourly and daily data from the harvest to make more precise predictions about productivity.

Increasing the accuracy of unit volume and productivity predictions by five or 10 per cent can have a considerable impact on the overall schedule. 

This can lead to cost-savings by reducing the effort generated by the constant need to react to volume shortfalls or crews that complete their assignments earlier or later than expected. More critically, it also decreases the risk of not meeting client commitments, missing the window to load a ship at berth, or needing to shut down a mill due to lack of volume. 

This will ultimately give planners more confidence in their schedules and alert them to delays that could jeopardize deliveries.

Using AI to generate harvest volume and productivity predictions on-demand.

Predictive analytics and insights

Artificial intelligence is a broad domain that includes topics like machine learning, machine vision, speech recognition, natural language processing, amongst other capabilities. 

Machine learning relies upon the use of historical data to train a model and use it to make some prediction about the future. There are several algorithms used in machine learning, all of which allow the computer to learn from the data without being explicitly programmed.

It is due to the predictive nature of machine learning that the term “predictive analytics” is often used alongside it. However, a useful side effect of creating predictive AI models is that compelling diagnostic information is also generated. 

These insights can help inform planners as to the specific factors and attributes that are driving the predictions, answering questions such as “what are the attributes that impact productivity?” and “what factors caused our planned volumes to differ from our actuals by 20 per cent?” 

This is referred to as feature importance and can be more broadly understood in the context of model explainability (XAI), a concept focused on understanding and analyzing the predictions and results of an AI model. By answering these questions and understanding the importance of each attribute, the AI models can be further enhanced as part of the overall continuous improvement cycle.

An appetite for data

Regardless of the approach or algorithm used, machine learning is hungry for data and thrives on platforms that make data accessible. It also benefits from adding further data to the model as it becomes available. 

Certainly not all data will be useful or drive the predictions being made, but this cannot always be known until the model has been trained and the feature importance has been evaluated. 

And while most experienced foresters can accurately describe most of the attributes that impact the production rate of a harvest unit in their forestland, there will always be some surprises. 

As such, it is good practice to use as much data as is available when training an AI model and refine it as the results are analyzed. Fortunately, in operational forestry, there is a significant volume of information coming off a harvest unit every day.

To truly bring value to a forest operation, AI models need to be brought out of the lab and into the hands of the planners as they are making crucial day-to-day decisions. 

This “just-in-time” availability is frequently the difference between AI being seen as an internal academic exercise undertaken once a year and it truly becoming an integral part of operational planning. 

As such, trained AI models should be deployed in environments where operational planners can use them to generate predictions on-demand and in the context of their harvest scheduling practice.

Predictions to results

Putting it all together, when a trained AI model is deployed in an environment where predictions can be generated on-demand, the results can be significant.

“The joy of forestry in the style of cubism”, AI generated image by DALL-E. Photos courtesy Remsoft.

Increased accuracy in predicting harvest volume and productivity leads to an overall improvement in the harvest schedule and can be measured in days saved/improved, which is the absolute
delta between the number of days planned for a harvest assignment and the actual number of days it took.

An increase in accuracy of 10 per cent can result in several hundred days difference between planned and actual days over a year.

This can also be looked at using volume as a measure, since every day that an assignment is late or early is a day that more or less volume was generated than expected. This can be thought of as noise in the system, since it often generates activity to account for the difference, either in the form of shifting volume from one destination to another or modifying targets and bringing a new harvest unit forward in the schedule.

For a forest operation generating 6 million m³ over 10,000 combined days of harvest, a 10 per cent improvement from the effective use of AI can result in more than 1,000 days saved and 600,000 m³ of noise removed from the operation. The time savings alone from reducing the number of schedule changes is significant.

The way forward

It’s clear that AI and machine learning has an important role to play in operational planning, and in improving the accuracy of volume estimates on a block, production rates, and the overall harvest schedule. The key to realizing these benefits is to leverage all the data available and to ensure that the predictions made by the model are available on-demand to the harvest planner as they face the pressure of meeting demands and ensuring the volume of wood flows.

Elliot Sullivan is the director of product management for cloud solutions at Remsoft Inc.

A chance decision to join the forestry program in university led her to become a passionate advocate for sustainable forestry practices and bringing in more women to the industry.

CFI: What drew you to forestry and your job in silviculture?  

Olivia: I had no idea forestry existed. I grew up thinking that forestry was just logging like a lot of people do because we don’t necessarily see the other side of it. But I ended up working for a forestry college, MCFT [Maritime College of Forest Technology], and in the summers they would have us work with local NGOs so I was doing a lot of plot sampling, tree planting, different things, and learned about forestry. I was on a team of almost all females, including a single mom with two kids, so I had a pretty strong start to getting to see some very admirable women working in the field.

I was at school [University of New Brunswick] for physics at the time and a friend went into forestry and I was like, “I think I’ll do it!” We had no idea how awesome of a group it was until we got in there. Coming from the science program, we faced that point where we asked what was coming next, and in a science degree its often onto a masters. At that point, more school didn’t really excite me, so hearing about the job opportunities we would have after just an undergrad in forestry it was really a no-brainer. My friend found herself in a silviculture position out west now, so it’s been really neat to be able to catch up and chat about the similarities and differences of the land and programs we’re managing.

I think my passion for silviculture now comes from how diverse of a field it is. Nothing is set in stone, it’s very open to interpretation and it requires a lot of out-of-the-box thinking and long-term planning. I’m very much so problem solver so I’ve always liked that aspect.

Today I’m in sort of a hybrid role. I’m quite involved with planning right now so I’m in the field, validating data or I’m collecting inventory. I’ve been auditing quality on the ground and planning out treatments at my computer in the offseason. There’s definitely no two days that are the same.

CFI: What do you enjoy about your job? 

There’s so much I love about forestry it’s hard to answer these questions! I’m such an advocate, it’s ridiculous.

I think my passion comes from stewardship for the land. And I think the people in the workplace make it a lot easier to feel that. I love getting to bounce ideas off other people. Silviculture is such a puzzle and every site is so different. Getting to have those conversations about perspectives on decisions for a site that are impacting 50 years down the road are important. I think the camaraderie and the teamwork makes that happen.

The concept of there being no one right answer motivates me everyday. We’re working on huge time scales – I’m preparing for a harvest 40 or 50 years down the road. It’s about making an informed decision based on the resources that you have available and ongoing research.

Talking about social license has been a big factor in my role as a supervisor. We’re out day to day in the woods, talking with contractors, woodlot owners and public land users. It’s probably one of the most rewarding parts of the job, getting to educate the public and have those conversations. I think the whole industry is shifting towards not beating around the bush. We’re being direct with what’s happening and I think that’s the only way that things are going to change, when people are going out on tours and seeing what we’re doing day-to-day in the operations. Until people are out there or talk to foresters, I don’t think they realize that we all share the same values.

CFI: Do you find there are certain challenges or hurdles for women to enter or stay in the industry? 

I’ve been part of the fortunate generation in that we had a lot of trailblazers before us. We’ve got our foot in the door, and now it’s about opening that doorway for everyone.

I think we’re tackling a lot of major issues and, if not, they are being discussed and speaking from my experience I feel like women have the resources to voice those concerns that they might have. But now I find day-to-day it’s more about the little things. It’s framing the culture, creating a more supportive workplace, allowing women those opportunities and removing the little monotonous barriers – not the big glass ceiling-style ones.

Now it’s about pushing women to excel and giving them opportunities to be more visible. That’s one thing that I’ve noticed is there’s a lot of women in forestry, but you don’t necessarily see them running companies. So it’s getting women to that point and encouraging more women to fill the gaps we’ll be seeing with upcoming retirements.

CFI: What can companies do to attract and retain women?

My experience is definitely that comfort lies in numbers. I think having more and more representation is going to bring in more of those diverse perspectives and really create that inclusive workplace.

I had a female forester join my team this year in a leadership role and the change in my motivation – having that strong role model to look up to – was huge. I think it’s about having women in leadership positions and really giving them the opportunity to develop as a leader as they progress in their careers. Where it is a male-dominated industry, a radical shift to a diverse workplace isn’t necessarily realistic. It’s important to try to encourage women to shift into these roles, while also offering them ample support to really set them up for success.

I think we’re a good example of that. Her and I started a women’s group in the company that allows women in operational roles to get leadership opportunities and get those informal mentorships that really push you to the next level as an employee. After she joined and I realized the difference it makes having a female leader you can turn to for advice or feedback, it really motivated me to share that experience with other employees, especially young females who might need the additional confidence. Everyone has been super supportive of getting the group off the ground and all the participants are really looking forward to what’s to come.

In our field it’s rare to be in a group that’s only women in a room so to get that experience and to be able to talk freely and openly about our experiences and what we want to achieve as a group and where we see it going was really exciting.

CFI: What advice do you have for those considering a career the forest industry?  

Just do it first off. Even now I’m learning daily about more and more jobs that are under the umbrella of forestry that I never would have thought of.  You can go anywhere with it. I think there’s a big perspective that being in forestry means you’re going to be outside 24/7, which isn’t necessarily required. In theory you can be a forester and never leave your office. I think for a lot of people that might be a hurdle that they expect to face, but it’s not necessarily the case.

It’s now a time when creativity is really valued, especially in silviculture where those practices aren’t set in stone. There’s no blanket prescription and you can’t follow a regime perfectly, it’s always going to be variable. We need out-of-the-box thinkers in strategic planning and those diverse perspectives that oftentimes come from women. That’s definitely a big thing that I’ve noticed and really appreciated since joining the workforce.

This article is part of CFI, Pulp & Paper Canada and Canadian Biomass’ Women in Forestry series, an annual celebration of women in the industry. Find more content here and follow us on social media with the hashtag: #WomeninForestry.

Remember to join us for the Women in Forestry Virtual Summit on Mar. 7 at 11 am ET/8 am PT! It’s FREE to register. Sign up now!

“Our dealer network continues to grow, allowing us to offer and support our highly differentiated products, including our compact wheeled excavators, throughout North America,” said Peter Bigwood, general manager for Mecalac North America. “It’s exciting to see how the North American market has recognized the benefits of the Mecalac method and fully embraced it.”

Mecalac’s three new dealers include:

• Columbus Equipment Company, which covers the state of Ohio. The company has more than 70 years of experience, offering heavy equipment sales, parts, service and rentals through nine branch locations.
• Further extending Mecalac’s reach in the eastern U.S., Anderson Equipment Company provides Mecalac equipment to customers in West Virginia, western Pennsylvania and most of New York state. Founded in 1935, Anderson Equipment Company offers earthmoving and mobile equipment to the construction, mining, roadbuilding and specialty material handling industries.
• Superior Sales & Service, headquartered in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, covers North America and specializes in railroad equipment. The dealer will offer Mecalac’s full line of dedicated railroad excavators primarily to Class 1 Railroads and related contractors.

Already covering Northern California, Colorado and Idaho, Global Machinery extends Mecalac’s reach in the western United States by adding Arizona and Utah. Founded in 1994, the dealer provides specialized equipment solutions for several branches of the construction industry.

EquipmentShare acquired six Trekker Tractor locations in Florida, and introduces its construction equipment sales and service operations for Mecalac machinery as Case Power & Equipment of Florida. The dealer bolsters Mecalac’s presence in the state, offering statewide coverage outside of Pensacola.

Mecalac dealers focus on three core product lines — the MCR Series of crawler skid excavators, the MWR Series of wheeled excavators, and the AS Series swing loaders.

For five days we highlighted the world of logging, chipping, grinding and transporting woody biomass.

Here’s a snapshot of what we learned during the week:

1) Chipping versus grinder?: Depends on the application. We rounded up advice from chipper and grinder suppliers on choosing the right machine for your woody biomass harvesting needs.

2) The burning question: Five researchers identify potential management alternatives to slash pile burning that would make better use of residual fibre across a range of operational conditions in B.C.

3) Chipping champions: Read our in-depth profile on Atli Chip, a humble chipping plant grinding out economic benefits in Northern Vancouver Island, creating value from salvage wood that would otherwise be burned as a by-product of logging operations.

4) Loggers chipping away: We shared five profiles of contractors who are finding a profit harvesting logging residuals.

5) Equipment spotlight: Canadian Forest Industries rounded up equipment advancements for reducing residuals in Canada’s forests.

Today is the final day of Biomass Harvesting Week 2023, but we’ll continue to archive future content on this landing page to serve as a year-round hub for industry and curious minds to learn best practices and find the latest information on harvesting biomass.

And I’d like to once again thank our inaugural sponsors for making it all possible: Bandit Industries and Frontline Machinery.

Sustained periods of widespread, extreme cold increased beetle mortality and have helped to limit population growth.

“I have personally seen the effect of mountain pine beetles, and understand the risk that outbreaks pose for the livelihoods of thousands of Albertans and the resilience of our forests. I am pleased to see that our approach to controlling the spread of mountain pine beetles and favourable weather trends are having such a positive impact in many areas around the province, and we will continue to protect our forests for future generations,” said Todd Loewen, Minister of Forestry, Parks and Tourism.

Aerial surveys to detect lodgepole pine trees killed by mountain pine beetles completed in August covered 6.88 million hectares. These surveys focus on specific areas where beetle populations are still actively killing trees.

To date, more than 2.4 million hectares of Alberta forest have been affected by the spread of mountain pine beetle, killing nearly all the pine trees in the most severely affected areas.

While a sharp, widespread decline in mountain pine beetle populations is welcome news for the province, the threat of resurgence still remains in some areas. Continued population pressure from Banff National Park, coupled with recent, relatively mild winters, mean that the Bow Valley, Kananaskis and Crowsnest Pass areas remain a priority for continued management and control.

On-the-ground activities underway

Partnering with local and Indigenous contractors, Alberta’s mountain pine beetle management plan moves into its next phase, which includes control activities such as targeted, single-tree cutting and burning, whole-tree chipping and harvesting entire areas of affected pine trees as needed. Ground operations are underway to manage sites in areas of concern. In 2021, the average number of infested trees per site fell to about three, the lowest number since Alberta’s management program began, and a drastic drop from the 2009 all-time high of more than 18 per site.

There are 5.5 million hectares of pine in Alberta that is susceptible to mountain pine beetle. The value of this pine is more than $11 billion.

The groundbreaking collaboration will enable Metsä Group to utilize a powerful AI-based solution that detects, quantifies, and monitors storm and pest damages. With CollectiveCrunch, Metsä Group can leverage continuous monitoring to detect areas that have been affected and take necessary measures quickly and precisely.

The platform locates storm damages promptly while also providing early detection of pests such as bark beetles and preventing the spread – bringing significant cost savings for forest owners and helping to ensure the vitality of forests.

“When it comes to forest damages, quick and precise measurements are vital. The collaboration with CollectiveCrunch enables us to serve our customers better by anticipating potential damage areas and taking essential measures in the case of something like a significant weather event,” said Olli Leino, director of digitalization from Metsä Group.

Leino continued, “Accurate, timely data allows us not only to react rapidly, but to prepare potential actions to repair forest damages. The data is updated regularly during the growing season, which helps us to manage forests better. However, in the event of something like severe storm damage, we can get data promptly on an on-demand basis, which helps us in operational planning and offers exceptional value to our customers.”

CollectiveCrunch is the global leader of AI modelling in forestry, utilizing various data sources to provide accurate spatial insights and analysis. Multi-layer data collected from various sources is processed with machine learning models.

“The analysis is based on petabytes of processed data and advanced cloud-based processing routines. By combining data sets and processing them with our sophisticated machine learning models, we are able to produce near real-time monitoring data that can be used to take forest management planning to a whole new level,” said CollectiveCrunch co-founder Jarkko Lipponen. “Up-to-date data is at the very core of sustainable forest management. Being able to indicate any relevant change in a timely manner is vital, and technology plays a significant role in this. We are delighted that Metsä Group selected CollectiveCrunch as their partner to develop these pioneering services in the forest sector.”

CollectiveCrunch has been developing modern AI-based technologies for the forest sector since 2016. Continuous monitoring is an essential part of understanding the changes in the sensitive ecosystem of forests and providing visibility into biodiversity and the changes in the forest carbon storages near real-time.

The report provides insights into sustainable forest management in Canada, the world-leading regulatory frameworks in place, the growing impacts of fires on forest health, and the commitment of Canadian forestry workers to supporting the birds, mammals, and fish that call Canada’s forests home. It also recognizes forestry as a critical tool in the global toolbox to support biodiversity and climate change.

This report comes on the heels of a global report by Dalberg, issued during the recent COP27 climate meetings in Egypt, which outlined how governments around the world are turning to the benefits of climate smart forestry and the forest bioeconomy to support climate action as well as sustainable and inclusive economic development.

“As we face worsening fire patterns across the country, climate smart forestry is part of the solution to protect families, communities, and critical infrastructure, and reduce carbon emissions,” said FPAC president and CEO Derek Nighbor.

“The world is waking up to the forest sector’s essential role in meeting international climate change targets,” noted FPAC’s SVP and chief sustainability officer Kate Lindsay. “In Canada, sustainable forest management can be a key component to realizing our domestic and international goals and objectives regarding biodiversity and climate change. As we head into important COP15 discussions this report will help shine a light on the ability of Canada’s forest sector to contribute to our international commitments on biological diversity and climate change,” she added.

The full report can be found here.

This outcome has spurred the LLCF, in collaboration with the communities of Logan Lake and the Face-Paska Lakes area, into further action to step up the wildfire mitigation efforts through Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) funding.

“The Forest Enhancement Society of BC is a proven partner in delivering projects on the ground that protect people from wildfire risks and reduce emissions from slash pile burning,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests. “Along with the historic investments in Budget 2022 to transform the BC Wildfire Service into a year-round service and double funding for proactive wildfire prevention, the critical work of FESBC is helping build communities that are safer and more resilient to climate change.”

“The area was identified in the Logan Lake Community Forest Wildfire Risk Management Plan (WRMP) as requiring attention and action, for which LLCF received $512,000 in follow-up funding from FESBC. The treatments will help reduce wildfire hazards through fuel reduction in areas directly adjacent to residential developments,” said Randy Spyksma, a planner with Forsite, manager of the Logan Lake Community Forest and board member with the BC Community Forest Association.

Equipment operating at Face-Paska. Photo: FESBC.

“This fuel work, being completed by Skeetchestn Natural Resources Corp., has the crews removing dead and downed woody debris in the area which can pose a significant wildfire threat to the community. Recently, FESBC has also funded the development of a fuel management prescription in order to improve the resiliency of the main evacuation route, further investing in risk reduction efforts to help make these areas safer for people!” added Spyksma.

The priority fuel treatment work around the Face/Paska community is nearing completion and the fibre that couldn’t be utilized is being made available for firewood for the local community members. The planning work is now starting in order to reduce the wildfire risk along the evacuation route from the communities.

“FESBC’s support for fuel management treatments in the resort areas of Face and Paska Lakes will be key to reducing wildfire risks in this area,” said Garnet Mierau, RPF, planner with Forsite, part of the LLCF management team and the 75th council president for the Association of BC Forest Professionals.

Beyond timber and wildfire risk reduction, the projects undertaken by LLCF have been a good example of community engagement and collaborative work. From the completion of the original WRMP and development of fuel management prescriptions to the implementation of the work, LLCF has engaged Indigenous communities, local groups, and the general public to ensure interests are balanced and there is a collaborative approach overall.

“Mile High Resort was invited to be a part of the original wildfire planning work and is appreciative of the community forest, funding from FESBC, and the support of BC Wildfire Service in the Face/Paska area. We now look forward to ongoing collaboration and actions to support wildfire resilience for the community,” said Bob van Tongeren, owner-operator of Mile High Resort and Logan Lake Community Forest Corporation board member.

Face-Paska post-treatment. Photo: FESBC.

The work with van Tongeren is just one example of the collaborative efforts that have taken place as a part of work undertaken by the community forest.

“The scale of our engagement of the efforts was unique to British Columbia when we started work on the original strategic landscape-level WRMP followed by a fuel management program,” noted Mierau, “The engagement helped to proactively support a range of wildfire risk reduction activities.”

The community forest has also been instrumental in engaging with the education sector to support awareness and collaboration regarding the activities of the community forest in general, and specific to wildfire risk reduction. Over the years, LLCF has collaborated with Thompson Rivers University, the BC Institute of Technology, the University of British Columbia (UBC) Tree Ring Lab, and the local high school in Logan Lake. This approach supports collaboration to better understand wildfire risk and how to design and maintain risk mitigation.

“We are collaborating with academic organizations and investing in students, who are the future of forest management in community forests and across the province,” said Mierau.

LLCF is one of the 10 community forests with whom UBC has been collaborating to measure the efficacy of treatments that aim to mitigate hazardous fuels and reduce wildfire risk, confirmed professor, Dr. Lori D. Daniels.

“LLCF has demonstrated great initiative to connect with the local public and education through collaboration with other community forests and with us at UBC. Involving youth through paid summer positions is a great way to provide local job opportunities while mitigating fuels and generating a grassroots connection for public education. Leadership with the LLCF has engaged with multiple research projects at UBC, allowing us to document the barriers communities face when attempting to address wildfire risk and solutions for overcoming those barriers, which have now been shared with other Community Forests, municipalities, and First Nations communities throughout B.C.,” said Dr. Daniels. “We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with them!”

The LLCF recently applied to the FESBC 2022-23 Funding Program and has received funding for three new projects. “There is definitely follow-up involved in these wildfire risk reduction activities; it is not a one-and-done deal and so, we will continue our work in reducing the risk of wildfires to our communities,” Mierau said. “It is great to have re-occurring funding, as we have thankfully experienced with FESBC, to support our work.”

The three projects which LLCF will be undertaking through the FESBC funding are:

1. a project to develop prescriptions and treat areas near Logan Lake, creating a large landscape-level fuel break,
2. a project to complete the planning and preparation required to complete treatments along a corridor along the Coquihalla Highway to reduce the risk of human-caused ignitions from the highway, and
3. a project to finish the planning work required to complete a fuel-reduction treatment to support safer evacuation for the community at Face and Paska Lakes.

“FESBC has supported the Logan Lake Community Forest and the communities at Face, Paska, and Logan Lake since the beginning of our work, from supporting innovative and collaborative wildfire risk management planning work to the implementation of priority prescriptions and treatments. This new round of funding demonstrates that continued support,” said Spyksma.

In a statement addressing the report, Nighbor called for constructive solutions to Canada’s growing forest carbon problem caused by worsening droughts, pests and wildfire, and not “deliberately misleading attacks.”

Read Nighbor’s full response below:

“Last week, economists from the Royal Bank of Canada confirmed their expectation that Canada will enter a recession in the first quarter of 2023. This presents unique challenges for working families in rural and northern Canada where economic prospects are often limited to a few key industries like agriculture, energy, mining, and forestry.

“In hundreds of these communities across the country – from Prince George, B.C., to Corner Brook, N.L. – the forest sector is a central economic driver and provides jobs to over 200,000 Canadians. Beyond its economic contributions, Canadian forestry is known globally for its responsible harvest practices, high quality products, and its ability to help build a lower carbon economy. Canadian foresters also play an essential role in mitigating growing fire risks, protecting carbon rich wetlands, building with renewable, carbon-storing wood products, and creating environmentally friendly products from what would otherwise be wood waste.

“Nordic countries show us how boreal forests can be managed to maximize carbon storage, even in a warming climate. Although their forests are much smaller, Finland and Sweden harvest six to eight times the timber volume per forested hectare than Canada does. At the same time, the net annual increase in stored carbon in Sweden’s forest is so large it reduces national GHG emissions by 70%. These Nordic governments have done something that Canada has not. In developing their climate plans, these leaders have worked with key industries like forestry to build sector-specific plans to maximize environmental and economic outcomes.

“While we were disappointed to see another misleading report on forestry issued by the US-based Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Nature Canada, we were not surprised. Both NRDC and Nature Canada fundraise on their anti-Canadian forestry campaign rhetoric.

“It’s worth noting that staff in NRDC’s New York, Washington, and San Francisco offices suggest they care about Canada’s forests and Canadian workers, even as they actively lobby multiple US states to encourage state legislators to restrict Canadian forest products coming into those states. For reasons that are difficult to understand, Nature Canada has chosen to be a willing partner.

“Let’s be clear. Canada has a forest carbon problem that is caused by the worsening natural disturbance patterns we are seeing through drought, pest outbreaks, and catastrophic wildland fire. It’s a growing problem impacting forest health and resiliency, human health and community safety, and we urgently need constructive solutions – not deliberately misleading attacks.

“FPAC continues to call on the federal government to follow the Nordic examples and work with our sector to develop a comprehensive plan for Canadian forestry, even as we contribute to the federal National Adaptation Strategy (NAS), which is a key deliverable and discussion matter at the upcoming COP 27 global climate conference next month in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

“Canadian forestry needs an NAS that minimizes climate-driven disturbance by actively reducing disturbance risk and supporting forest operations that maximize long-term carbon storage performance. This means increased timber harvests that value carbon and forest health – and the creation of new markets for low-grade wood fibre, including via thinning and residual biomass. It also means more forestry – not less. Forestry that will accelerate economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities, keep communities safer from fire risks, support biodiversity conservation and important ecosystem values, and provide good-paying jobs and careers in the rural and northern Canadian communities that desperately need them.”

This agreement establishes the companies’ right to grow and harvest Crown timber from a forest management unit in the northwestern corner of the province, surrounding High Level.

Over its lifespan, this FMA is expected to maintain more than 1,700 full-time, contract and seasonal positions and will potentially contribute:

• $48.7 million in holding and protection charge payments
• $433 million in timber dues payments
• $6.1 billion to Alberta’s gross domestic product

“The decision to renew this joint FMA helps maintain hundreds of good jobs for Albertans, provides our forest sector with sure footing for their long-term investments and ensures sustainable management practices for Alberta’s forests. Supporting the competitiveness of our wood fibre products grows our province’s forest sector and advances Alberta’s Recovery Plan,” said Alberta Forest Minister Nate Horner.

Tolko CEO Brad Thorlakson said the company is pleased with the decision. “Reliable collaboration with government is foundational to the security of our employees and partners across the region, including Indigenous communities. The long-term fibre access provided through an FMA is crucial for our ability to do business in northern Alberta,” he said.

“West Fraser understands the responsibility entrusted to us by Albertans in managing public forested land,” said D’Arcy Henderson, vice-president of Canadian woodlands for West Fraser (Norbord Inc.) “We work with Indigenous communities and the public to balance a range of values, from job creation to biodiversity. With a focus on long-term sustainable resource management, we look forward to doing business in Alberta for years to come.”

John Unger, president and CEO, La Crete Sawmills, said the company is proud of its strong local working relationships that support its operations in the High Level area. “We’re a local business, and we feel a deep commitment to providing responsible resource management in our region. With the renewal of our joint FMA, we’re able to continue providing benefits for our community, Indigenous communities and forests well into the future.”

According to government figures, the companies directly employ 688 full-time employees and about 1,080 contract employees in logging, transportation, and other forestry support services.

FMA holders are subject to legal requirements to reforest harvested areas within two years. On average, forest companies plant two trees for every three harvested, establishing young, healthy forests that provide environmental benefits such as habitat for wildlife. To date, nearly 211 million seedlings have been planted under this joint FMA

The goal of the project was to improve public safety and reduce the risk of catastrophic loss of infrastructure due to any future wildfires in areas with high to moderate wildfire risk, as identified in the Regional District of Central Kootenay’s (RDCK) Area ‘K’ and Nakusp 2018 Community Wildfire Protection Plans. The intention of the plan was to create a series of strategically placed fuel breaks surrounding the community of Nakusp to act as the last line of defence against an approaching wildfire.

The project, although not within the community forest tenure area but on Crown land just outside the village boundary, saw NACFOR take the lead to take on the work, with community safety at the forefront.

Gord Pratt, RPF, FESBC Senior Manager, said, “Nakusp and Area Community Forest has done an excellent job with the provided funding. NACFOR has taken their forest management role in this community to another level by delivering this project to reduce the wildfire risk for the residents of Nakusp.”

The FESBC-funded part of the project included two treatment areas – 30 hectares were completed in June 2022 and the remaining 2.2-hectare treatment unit will be completed next month, explained Frances Swan, RPF, Project Manager with NACFOR.

“There has been a very positive response to the completed treatment work and this area serves as a great example of wildfire risk reduction for Nakusp and area,” said Swan. “The project would not have happened without the FESBC funding.”

The treatments have reduced the ground and surface fuels that if ignited could lead to a crown fire, where the flames reach the top of the trees and fire can then spread rapidly. This work will reduce the fire intensity and rate of spread by reducing surface fuel loading which means decreasing stand density or thinning out the trees, plus also removing dead and dying ones. Access roads will allow for continued maintenance of the forest and improve suppression opportunities for firefighters needing to access the area along the highway.

“It complements the ongoing FireSmart initiatives as the areas are adjacent to the community and will be part of a series of strategically located treatment sites designed to defend the Village from wildfires,” explained Swan. “Our goal is to continue collaborating with the Village of Nakusp, RDCK, forest licensees and the Ministry of Forests to reduce the risk of wildfire in the Nakusp interface and surrounding communities.”

Another important outcome of the FESBC-funded project was to increase opportunities for local contractors.

“NACFOR is grateful that FESBC gave us room for flexibility on contractor selection and empowered us to do what was best for the environment and our communities. This meant we could amplify local contractors, create new opportunities and jobs, and contribute to the local economics of the community of Nakusp,” remarked Swan.

Given the flexibility in contractor selection, NACFOR expanded its pool of local contractors, allowing them to gain valuable experience in fuel management implementation, and provided several jobs locally.

“Being able to work on this project meant that local contractors were able to invest in specialized equipment and they are now prepared for any future wildfire risk reduction work,” Swan noted.

Gord Matchett, owner of Arrow Valley Excavating was one such contractor whose company saw tremendous growth because of the project. Matchett’s company was brought on to look after the work to thin the forest and help with wood fibre recovery, along with another contractor from Greenpeaks Resource Management.

“Getting the opportunity to be a part of this project was a good thing as it grew my business. I employed four people during this project; before, it was just me and now, I have a crew. I have been able to invest in specialized equipment which will come in handy in the future,” said Matchett.

For Matchett, it was important to be a part of the project as he believes in utilizing as much of waste wood and fibre as possible, instead of burning it in slash piles.

“People are starting to realize the need for wildfire risk reduction projects, and they see the value in thinning forests and cleaning the forest floor,” Matchett added.

In terms of numbers, Swan estimates a total of 480 person days worked for all projects under the FESBC funding (prescriptions and treatments) between June 2019 and June 2022. Nearly 90 per cent of the work was done with local contractors and consultants and prescriptions were developed for three treatment areas covering 200 hectares – approximately 374 football fields.

“It has been a great project, and feels good to be at the finish line,” remarked Swan.

Minister of Forests, Katrine Conroy, noted the importance of wildfire risk reduction work in supporting communities like Nakusp.

“We all play a role in building communities that are more resilient and adaptable to a changing climate,” said Minister Conroy. “The Forest Enhancement Society of BC is a proven partner in delivering projects on the ground that protect people from wildfire risks. Their proactive work supports our vision of building a safer, more resilient future for generations to come.”

The benefits of trees to the environment, human health and our social well-being are well known. In our day-to-day lives however, these important benefits can be forgotten. We encourage Canadians to remember their love for trees and the beautiful memories they’ve helped create. Whether that’s from a favourite tree that served as a childhood castle, a strong tree for hanging a swing, or a tree that provides shade and comfort for a gathering with friends – it’s easy to connect with the magic of trees when we take a moment to reflect.

On Wednesday September 22, 2021, join Tree Canada, our sponsors, and Canadians across the country as we celebrate the magic of trees from coast to coast. For some, National Tree Day will be an opportunity to connect with the community in person (finally!) and plant trees together. For others, National Tree Day is an opportunity to learn more about trees or come to appreciate the ones in their neighbourhood.

On this National Tree Day, together or apart, let’s choose to celebrate trees, rekindle our gratitude for them and bring that appreciation into the year ahead.

Happy National Tree Day!

Auditors will examine whether timber harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire protection and associated planning done between Sept. 1, 2020, and Sept. 23, 2022, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.

The audit area is located near the communities of Salmon Arm, Enderby and Sicamous. The area provides an abundance of outdoor recreation with several provincial parks, such as Enderby Cliffs, Silver Star, and Monashee, as well as the Kingfisher Ecological Reserve.

Once the audit work is complete, a report will be prepared, and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations will then be released to the public and government.

The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board audits forest and range practices on public land, as well as the appropriateness of government enforcement.

Natural resource districts are randomly selected as the locations for these audits. A forest or range licence within the district is then selected as the focus of the audit. Audit selections are not based on complaints or on the past performance of the tenure holder. More information about the audit process is available on the board’s website.

The parties aim to identify specific forestry, business, commercial, and employment opportunities within the Nation’s traditional territories and pursue them through Joint Working Agreements. They will also develop a world class Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) to ensure responsible stewardship of at-risk species and ecosystems within the Nation’s traditional territories now and for future generations.

“Since taking responsibility for managing Tree Farm Licence 46 in our territory in 2004 Teal Jones has consistently demonstrated respect for our rights and values,” says Pacheedaht First Nation Chief Jeff Jones. “The MOU will build upon our existing relationship and commits us to working together to identify and pursue business endeavors, create new employment and training opportunities for our community members, and to ensure our way of life and environment are protected for future generations through an IRMP.”

The MOU further affirms the parties’ commitment to continue collaborating on Teal Jones’ forest management plans on Tree Farm License 46; to pursue the creation of good jobs and training opportunities in forestry with Pacheedaht First Nation members; to recognize the integrity of forest resources, cultural heritage value, and the environment; and to jointly contribute to the long-term stability of the regional and local economy, particularly through forestry.

“This agreement makes us both stronger,” says Dick Jones, Teal Jones president and co-owner. “We have long believed businesses have a critical role to play in reconciliation with First Nations on whose traditional territories they work. This agreement reflects our commitment to the Pacheedaht people, and to working side-by-side with them to create lasting prosperity through responsible forestry.”

Enhancing forest resilience to wildfire and climate change is crucial – that’s why the Province is proud to partner with the Forest Enhancement Society of BC to ensure communities can undertake this vital work,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests. “FESBC projects reduce the risk of wildfire while creating jobs and enhancing wildlife habitats and recreation trails. They provide First Nations valuable opportunities to enhance forest health in their territories and support our CleanBC goals by reducing slash pile burning and using wood waste to make green energy. Communities across B.C. benefit from the work of FESBC.

The 263 FESBC-funded projects have seen many profound and transformational benefits, such as enhancing the use of wood fibre, seeing Indigenous peoples taking the lead in forest management, and reducing catastrophic wildfire risk to communities.

“Through the $238-million in funding, FESBC has helped communities take proactive steps toward wildfire risk reduction, accelerated ecological recovery after insect and fire damage, improved wildlife habitat, and meaningfully reduced greenhouse gases,” said Steve Kozuki, executive director of FESBC. “But this funding has also had deep far-reaching effects with so many more tangential, durable, and profound co-benefits that have not just transformed the communities, but also in many instances have shifted our way of thinking about how forests can help us achieve our social, economic and environmental goals.”

The 32-page Report highlights eight stories of transformation that have benefited communities, workers, the bioeconomy, and the environment.

“With support from the governments of B.C. and Canada, FESBC has made considerable progress toward achieving its vision to enhance forest resilience to wildfire and to take action against climate change for the lasting benefit of British Columbia’s environment, wildlife, forest health, and communities,” said Jim Snetsinger, FESBC board chair. “These projects also have many additional benefits in terms of job creation, a boost for the economy, and for bringing people together to collaborate on forestry projects.”

Since being formed in 2016, FESBC has generated substantial benefits from the 263 projects, including:

• The creation of 2,100+ full-time-equivalent jobs;
• $363 million in economic activity from the $238 million investment; and
• 63 projects led by First Nations, with an additional 22 projects that have significant First Nations involvement

FESBC is proud of all the project partners who have made these benefits possible through their innovative and collaborative work and looks forward to sharing new successes from the next round of funded projects.

“What we have accomplished together so far is remarkable, however, we know there is much more work left to do,” said Kozuki. “We have just approved another 23 forest enhancement projects from our 2022-23 FESBC Funding Program and are still accepting applications. We can’t wait to see the benefits these projects will bring to the people of British Columbia now and for future generations.”

FESBC would like to gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Forests.

To read the 2022 Accomplishments Report, click here: 2022 Accomplishments Report.

In July, Pegasus Imagery, a remote sensing forestry company, was awarded the cash from Sustainable Development Technology Canada, an arm’s length foundation created by the federal government to fund clean technologies.

The money was great news and really validating for the company, said Norah Landry, vice-president of business development.

“It’s going to support our development exponentially and allow for us to get talent acquisition,” Landry said.

As an Aerotech company in rural Alberta, it can sometimes be difficult to find and attract engineers to come work outside of city limits, said Landry.

“This supports us finding the engineers and the teams that we need, as well as just expediting our testing time so that we can get more testing under our belts and advance the technology. So, it was really big,” Landry said.

Pegasus will be testing new technology that allows drones to fly over wildfires, rather than manned airplanes or helicopters flying into smoke, Landry said. The drones can also fly at night to detect wildfires, which traditional aircraft can’t do.

The company was founded by veterans John Hryniw and Cole Rosentreter, who saw the benefits of intelligence surveillance data during their work with the military overseas. When they came back to Canada, they were deployed to fight wildfires and deal with ice storms and flooding.

They saw intelligent surveillance working in the military and wanted to bring that technology to the rest of the world to help support first responders who are going into emergency situations, Landry said.

The drones are flown by pilots, who are back at the command centre, and the drones are built to fly over fires and bring real-time information back to those on the ground who are battling blazes, Landry said.

With smaller drones flying over fires, Landry said, rather than big airplanes or helicopters, the environmental footprint is reduced in an already disastrous climate event.

One challenge with flying drones in areas such as national parks is there isn’t a lot of cellular service, which can make it difficult to communicate with the drones, Landry said, but this drone they have developed has a detect and avoid system, which allows it to behave like a pilot.

“[The drone] follows the same rules. It can detect things, it can detect birds, small drones, etc.,” said Landry, adding that the programming for the detect and avoid system is the secret behind the company’s success.

The grant will support technology development through 2023 and Pegasus has planned testing and deployment for the drone with detect and avoid sensors.

Jennifer Henderson is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with the St. Albert Gazette.

During 2021, Acadian executed its first carbon development and marketing agreement to develop voluntary carbon credits on the portion of its Maine Timberlands that is subject to a working forest conservation easement. This project commits Acadian to balancing harvest and growth, and requires long term planning, annual reporting, periodic carbon inventory verification, and maintenance of the existing sustainable forestry certification.

“Although the carbon credit model is still subject to completion of third-party verification, we are pleased to have made significant progress and to be able to provide an update,” commented Adam Sheparski, president and chief executive officer. “Pricing and the successful marketing of our credits will ultimately determine the impact to our financial results.”

The initial model for the project has been completed and estimates of carbon credit volumes for reporting periods (years) 1-10 are as provided below:

Preliminary credit volumes have been submitted to third-party verifiers, who will audit the model. Accordingly, the final issued volumes could vary from the estimates presented. Under the current timeline, credits are expected to be registered on the American Carbon Registry in the fourth quarter of 2022, with the potential for sales to be realized immediately thereafter. The impact to Acadian’s financial results is subject to the successful marketing of the credits and to the timing of, and prices obtained from, contracts negotiated with third parties, which are not yet in place. After the share of proceeds allocated to the project developer and project related expenses, Acadian is expected to receive approximately 84 per cent of gross revenues from any sale of the carbon credits.

The province will be offering cash to fund five West Kootenay projects to not only reduce wildfire risk but also to enhance wildlife habitat, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from slash pile burning and foster the development of forest recreation and ecological resiliency.

The Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. (FESBC) has earmarked three projects near Kaslo, one in the Slocan Valley and another in the forest near Harrop-Procter — and 22 across the province — as part of the West Kootenay wing of the project.

The projects from FESBC — a Crown agency established in 2016 to advance the environmental and resource stewardship of the province’s forests by preventing wildfires — are also aimed at proactive wildfire prevention, said Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West and the Minister of Forests.

“(T)hese new projects funded by FESBC will help build communities that are safer and more resilient to climate change,” she said in a press release.

Wildfire-mitigation projects funded in the area include:

• Harrop-Procter Community Co-operative, $223,125

Planning and treatment work on priority areas identified in a community wildfire protection plan. When finished, the work will create landscape-level fuel breaks around Harrop and Procter.

• Kaslo and District Community Forest Society, $89,980

Fuel treatments conducted after a harvest will fireproof a stand close to Kaslo. Low-value fibre will be fully used.

• Kaslo and District Community Forest Society, $98,150

A manual thinning and pruning treatment will reduce fuel loading in a well-used recreation area close to Kaslo.

• Kaslo and District Community Forest Society, $41,520

Work will be planned for an area that has been identified as a fuel break in a landscape-level wildfire plan.

• Slocan Integral Forestry Cooperative, $500,000

This project will focus on completing treatments on areas identified as high priority in the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. This work will build on recently completed projects.

Long time coming

It will be some time before the projects will be completed, however. The work is slated to finish by March, 2024, although the work in the region has already begun.

Since 2016, FESBC has supported more than 260 projects throughout B.C. Sixty-three of these projects have been led by First Nations and another 23 have significant First Nations’ involvement. FESBC projects have reduced wildfire risk in 120 communities and have created more than 2,100 full-time jobs.

Slash and burn

As part of the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030, the province will work toward near elimination of slash pile burning by 2030 and will divert materials away from slash piles and into bioproduct development.

This will reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, while creating new opportunities in British Columbia’s expanding forest bio-economy.

Timothy Schafer is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Nelson Daily.

“SFI makes important contributions that address the needs of North America’s forests and communities and is a valuable national member working with PEFC to elevate the role of sustainable forestry,” said Dr. Michael Berger, acting secretary general of PEFC. “Only chain of custody certification standards that meet our rigorous criteria and that are developed in an open, transparent manner through a multi-stakeholder process are endorsed by PEFC.”

The SFI 2022 Chain of Custody Standard was endorsed by PEFC after a 60-day international public consultation period and a detailed examination that included a third-party assessment by an independent assessor.

“We are extremely proud that PEFC International has endorsed our 2022 Chain of Custody Standard,” said Kathy Abusow, president and CEO of SFI. “Thanks to this endorsement, customers across North America and around the world will be even more confident that products bearing the SFI Chain of Custody label come from well-managed, sustainable forests.”

There are over 600 organizations certified to SFI’s Chain of Custody standard, and SFI-certified products are sold in more than 120 countries around the world.

SFI will conduct an information session about the benefits of PEFC endorsement on June 15 at the 2022 SFI Annual Conference in Madison, Wiss. Interested organizations are encouraged to attend.

In one cutblock with two piles of logging debris, which are called slash piles, the CCF did not meet the requirements of the Wildfire Act to dispose of the piles to reduce wildfire hazards. Eight additional slash piles were also not disposed of but were located within the boundaries of the Resort Municipality of Whistler, where municipal bylaws supersede some sections of the Wildfire Act. However, Whistler’s bylaws do not include a requirement to address debris left after industrial activities.

“Leaving this slash created a significant wildfire risk,” said Kevin Kriese, chair of the Forest Practices Board. “These piles were adjacent to forest service roads in areas with significant public use and unregulated camping. The risk of a fire starting in these piles was significant, and this is a gap in the local bylaws. The board is recommending the municipality update its bylaws to create a requirement equivalent to the Wildfire Act.”

The CCF harvested two cutblocks during the audit period to reduce forest fuels and the risk of a wildfire starting or spreading near the community. The board is pleased to see the CCF proactively managing forest fuels in the area, and this needs to be supported by proper disposal of slash following harvest. The CCF also maintained 67 kilometres of road and 11 crossing structures, and carried out reforestation and regeneration activities.

Auditors also examined relevant requirements in the Sea to Sky Land and Resource Management Plan and legal objectives for the Whistler Interpretive Forest, including protection of old growth, cultural places, forest health, recreation, riparian areas, water, wildlife and visual-quality values. The CCF’s activities were consistent with these objectives and requirements.

Since the audit work was completed in September 2021, the CCF has disposed of the slash piles and reduced the fire hazard.

The Cheakamus Community Forest is located in and around the Resort Municipality of Whistler, in the Sea to Sky Forest District, and within the territories of the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations.

The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board audits forest and range practices on public lands and appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.

We Wai Kai First Nation and Roga Contracting formed this new company, Way Key Ventures, to benefit the continued employment and careful management of the working forests of Quadra Island. The harvest area is within Tree Farm Licence 47, managed by Mosaic Forest Management. Way Key Ventures will also provide harvesting services to the We Wai Kai First Nation.

“Mosaic is committed to recognizing and respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples,” said Jeff Zweig, president and CEO of Mosaic. “We are proud of our partnership with Way Key Ventures as an example of how we foster Indigenous participation in the forest economy and support business development opportunities by increasing commercial partnerships within our supply chain.”

“This new partnership is a significant opportunity for our Nation to experience economic, social and cultural benefits of forests within our traditional territory,” said Chief Ronnie Chickite, We Wai Kai First Nation. “We all benefit from a thriving sustainable forest sector.”

This agreement is consistent with Mosaic’s Indigenous relations commitments to ensure cooperation and mutual respect are the foundation of Indigenous relations in all business activities.

Mosaic was the first forestry company in BC to achieve Progressive Aboriginal Relations Certification from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. For more information, please visit MosaicForests.com/First-Nations-Partner.

The burn was conducted on April 7, 2022 to enhance wildlife habitat, while reducing fuel load density, and associated potential wildfire risk.

Vaagen Fibre Canada’s Peter Flett, who was one of the project partners through WBCF, was extremely happy with the success of the burn, which was in close proximity to the community.

“It is the first burn we have been involved with that was so close to the community. It’s a great introduction to prescribed fire to the community,” he said, adding that while this burn covered one treatment unit, there will be several other prescribed burns planned for the future in the region.

“This prescribed burn was mainly geared towards ecosystem restoration, to eliminate some of the ground vegetation and promote regrowth of native grasses. It will also help to improve wildlife habitat and support water quality objectives,” said Flett.

Photo by Peter Flett.

James Katasonoff, Wildfire Officer with BCWS’s South East Fire Centre, said that not only was this a great opportunity to implement traditional practices in the forest, and form partnerships and relationships, but was also crucial in mitigating wildfire risk in the future for the community.

“Our ecosystem here in Boundary is called NDT 4 ecosystem, which means it traditionally has had natural, lightning-caused, low intensity fire, and the ecosystem in the area has evolved to need fire, to function properly. So, this burn is a good opportunity to bring the beneficial fire back in a controlled manner and when it is close to a community like this, any reduction in the intensity of wildfire that could happen in the future, is always positive,” he said.

Brody Armstrong, the Penticton Indian Band Natural Resource’s project manager, agreed and said that the project was two-fold. “The burn will not only serve as a fire guard, but it is mainly a rejuvenating and replenishing practice, to help the land. It is a win-win all way around,” he said.

Armstrong said that when completing these prescribed burns, the First Nations’ people attributed value to everything when writing prescriptions.

“We are looking at saving a lot of old growth trees, saving a lot of habitats, all the little animals that don’t really have a voice. It is a holistic way of doing a burn. It is a marriage of traditional burn practices with contemporary practices,” he said.

Photo by Peter Flett.

Vern Louie, the forestry manager with Osoyoos Indian Band, also emphasized on the importance of traditional burn practices and why he thought this prescribed burn was especially essential.

“In the past it was always done this way, as a community. I want to help raise awareness about getting back to traditional prescribed burning, involving communities more, and helping them understand that fire isn’t always something to fear. If burning can be done in a safe manner, I want to raise awareness on its importance,” he said, adding that Elders in the Band were really happy with this prescribed burn and how things were planned. They want to see everyone getting back to traditional burning, said Louie.

Having these traditional values and experiences from both, the Osoyoos Indian Band, as well as the Penticton Indian Band, proved to be extremely valuable for making this project a reality, according to ecosystems biologist Lindsey Dewart.

Dewart, who worked on the project through the Ministry of Forests, said, “This project wouldn’t have happened without working with the First Nations. Coming in to this project, I relied heavily on the historical knowledge of the traditional knowledge-keepers and their advice, from both Bands. They have been invaluable partners to work with on this.”

She also noted that a project of this scale wasn’t possible without the support and partnerships from several organizations and companies such as WBCF, Vaagen Fibre Canada, the local First Nations, and local recreation groups.

Dewart also confirmed that the project was especially important because of its overlapping values of wildfire prevention, as well as ecosystem restoration. She said one of the ways they determined the area for the prescribed burn was by looking at historical ecosystem fire regimes, and what those looked like before the 100-years of fire suppression, to protect communities and resources.

“We do this by looking at fire scars in a tree, to assess how frequent fires were experienced in an area, without reaching the severity of actually killing the trees in the forest,” she said. “So, trying to bring that regime back into the ecosystem is so important. From an ecosystem point of view, one of our objectives is to increase the diversity of species, as well as the abundance of species.”

“What I have become aware of, is that there is a lot of fear around fire; and understandably so. It can be very destructive but it also can be used and has been used for generations to benefit ecosystems and to reduce the risks of really big, catastrophic wildfires as well,” Dewart added.

The community of Rock Creek, B.C., went through a devastating wildfire back in 2015; a fire that grew to an estimated 800 hectares within hours, prompting evacuations of hundreds of homes. Avoiding such a scenario in the future is also important for the group, and this latest prescribed burn will help with that while restoring a lot of the area’s natural habitat.

Flett, who coordinated with all these project partners for the burn, expressed how great it was to be a part of the burn that had so many implications for the ecosystem and the community.

“We are fortunate to be a part of the burn and glad the Penticton Indian Band, Osoyoos Indian Band and BC Wildfire Service led the project because for something of this scale and in the backyards of the community, it needs to be directed by the experts,” he said.

Wildfires are becoming increasingly severe and unpredictable, but a new paper by UBC researchers and collaborators suggests a way forward. The authors reviewed fire management practices and recent wildfires in Canada and are recommending the revival of cultural burning, while moving towards Indigenous-led fire stewardship to better manage wildfire risks and promote healthy ecosystems.

Lead authors Dr. Kira Hoffman, an ecologist, former wildland firefighter and a postdoctoral research associate with the UBC faculty of forestry, and Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson, an Indigenous fire research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, discussed their findings in a Q&A with UBC.

Read the full Q&A here.